Fungal spore resistance to space radiation

Abstract

Introduction: Aspergillus sp. was one of the predominant fungal genera detected aboard the Russian Space Station (Mir) as well as the International Space Station (ISS) (Checinska et al. 2015). As spore formers, filamentous fungi such as Aspergillus can pose a threat to astronauts’ health and to planetary protection (Ramage et al. 2011). Experiments exposing A. niger to radiation have been performed to create and/or validate new biotechnology relevant strains (Meyer et al., 2007). Thus, it is still not well understood to what extent fungal spores can resist to the space environment, in particular to high radiation doses. In this study, the role of pigmentation and DNA repair in the resistance of A. niger spores towards space radiation was assessed, by exposing spores to UV-C and ionizing radiation (X-rays, Fe and He ions).