Author/Authors :
Grebennikova, T. V Federal Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology named afer Gamalei - Moscow - Russia - Peoples Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University) - 6 Miklukho-Maklaya St - Moscow 117198 - Russia , Syroeshkin, A. V Peoples Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University) - 6 Miklukho-Maklaya St - Moscow 117198 - Russia , Shubralova, E. V Central Research Institute of Machine Building - Korolev - Russia , Eliseeva, O. V Federal Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology named afer Gamalei - Moscow - Russia , Kostina, L. V Federal Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology named afer Gamalei - Moscow - Russia , Kulikova, N. Y Federal Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology named afer Gamalei - Moscow - Russia , Latyshev, O. E Federal Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology named afer Gamalei - Moscow - Russia , Morozova, M. A Peoples Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University) - 6 Miklukho-Maklaya St - Moscow 117198 - Russia , Yuzhakov, A. G Federal Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology named afer Gamalei - Moscow - Russia , Zlatskiy, I. A Dumanskii Institute of Colloid and Water Chemistry - National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine - Kiev - Ukraine , Chichaeva, M. A Peoples Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University) - 6 Miklukho-Maklaya St - Moscow 117198 - Russia , Tsygankov, O. S Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation «Energia» - Korolev - Russia
Abstract :
Cosmic dust samples from the surface of the illuminator of the International Space Station (ISS) were collected by a crew member during his spacewalk. The sampler with tampon in a vacuum container was delivered to the Earth. Washouts from the tampon’s
material and the tampon itself were analyzed for the presence of bacterial DNA by the method of nested PCR with primers specifc to DNA of the genus Mycobacteria, DNA of the strains of capsular bacteria Bacillus, and DNA encoding 16S ribosomal RNA.
Te results of amplifcation followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis indicated the presence of the bacteria of the genus
Mycobacteria and the extreme bacterium of the genus Delfia in the samples of cosmic dust. It was shown that the DNA sequence
of one of the bacteria of the genus Mycobacteria was genetically similar to that previously observed in superfcial micro layer at the
Barents and Kara seas’ coastal zones. Te presence of the wild land and marine bacteria DNA on the ISS suggests their possible
transfer from the stratosphere into the ionosphere with the ascending branch of the global electric circuit. Alternatively, the wild land and marine bacteria as well as the ISS bacteria may all have an ultimate space origin.
Keywords :
DNA , Bacteria , World Ocean , Earth , Cosmic Dust , International Space Station
