Changes in the heat shock 70 kDa protein level in human neutrophils induced by heat shock

Changes in the content of constitutive and inducible proteins of the family of heat shock 70 kDa proteins (HSP70) caused by heat shock in human neutrophils, white blood cells with an atypically short lifespan, which provide a nonspecific defense of the organism against bacterial pathogens, have been studied. An analysis of the intracellular content of the constitutive and inducible HSP70 proteins by flow cytometry revealed a biphasic dynamics of changes in the protein level, which was characterized by an increase in the protein level immediately after heat shock followed by a decrease within 15–30 min after the termination of heat treatment. Because the inhibitor of protein synthesis cycloheximide did not change the dynamics profile, it was assumed that the increase in the HSP70 level is related not to the de novo synthesis of these proteins but to conformational changes of HSP70 molecules and an increased accessibility of some epitopes for antibody binding. Using a panel of antibodies specific to the N-terminal ATP-binding or the C-terminal substrate-binding domains of the protein, it was shown by cell immunofluorescence and flow cytometry that the heat shock-associated increase in the intracellular HSP70 level results from an increased efficiency of the binding of antibodies recognizing the substrate-binding domain. It was also demonstrated that the decrease in the intracellular HSP70 level after the heat shock, may be partially due to a release into the extracellular space of both the constitutive and inducible HSP70 proteins, which is regulated with the involvement of ABC-transporters.     

Characterization of a cDNA clone, encoding a 70 kDa heat shock protein from the dermatophyte pathogen Trichophyton rubrum

Trichophyton rubrum is an anthropophilic fungus causing up to 90% of chronic cases of dermatophytosis. To characterize T. rubrum proteins at the molecular level, we established a cDNA library of this pathogen. Here we describe a recombinant cDNA clone identical to eukaryotic 70kDa heat-shock proteins (HSPs). Western blot analysis using an anti HSP70 monoclonal antibody detected a recombinant fusion protein in Escherichia coli transformed with the expression vector containing the cloned cDNA insert. Southern blot analysis of T. rubrum genomic DNA detected no other members of the HSP70 gene family. Further analysis revealed the presence of two introns within the ORF of the HSP70 gene. In Northern blot analysis, the cDNA clone was hybridized to a RNA species of about 3.5kb which was constitutively expressed by cells cultured at 27 degrees C and was strongly up-regulated after culture at 37 degrees C. In summary, we have cloned the first member of the HSP family of dermatophytes and characterized it as a member of the Dnak subfamily of 70kDa HSPs.     

Putative 65 kDa protein of beet yellows closterovirus is a homologue of HSP70 heat shock proteins

A portion of the RNA genome of beet yellows closterovirus (BYV) has been sequenced encompassing a complete long open reading frame (ORF) potentially encoding a 65 kDa protein. The sequence of this putative protein was strikingly similar to those of HSP70-related heat shock proteins. The counterparts of all the eight segments strongly conserved in HSP70s could be confidently identified in the BYV 65 kDa protein. It is suggested that some of these segments might be the ATP-binding site(s) and that, similarly to the heat shock proteins, the 65 kDa is probably ATP-binding. Generally, however, the divergence between the 65 kDa sequence and the sequences of the HSP70s was much more pronounced than that between any two members of the latter family, allowing a clearer delineation of clusters of conserved residues that might be crucial for protein function. It is suggested that these observations will be helpful in functional dissection of the proteins of the HSP70 family. Analysis of the sequence of a portion of the ORF found upstream from the 65 kDa ORF showed that the C-terminal domain of the encoded protein could be an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase closely related to those of tricornaviruses, a family of RNA plant viruses with three component genomes.     

Isolation and some properties of bovine brain 100 kDa heat shock protein

1. The 100 kDa protein was purified from bovine brains. 2. The antibody against the 100 kDa brain protein was prepared and was monospecific to the antigen. 3. The antibody cross-reacted with HeLa cell HSP100 (100 kDa heat shock protein). 4. The physicochemical, immunochemical properties and a partially amino acid sequence indicated that the 100 kDa protein was HSP100. 5. Peptide mapping using Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease showed a core peptide with 10 kDa molecular mass common to both HSP100 and HSP90. 6. The amino acid sequence of the 10 kDa fragment of the 100 kDa protein showed a high homology with that of human HSP90 (38-60); the difference was only two of 23 amino acid residues determined.     

Herpes Simplex Virus-Induced Expression of 70 kDa Heat Shock Protein (HSP70) Requires Early Protein Synthesis But Not Viral DNA Replication

The major 70 kDa heat shock protein (HSP70), which is scarcely expressed in unstressed rodent cells, was apparently induced by infection with herpes simplex virus (HSV). Infection with HSV types 1 and 2 elevated HSP70 mRNA levels within 4 hr post-infection. HSP70 synthesis and accumulation increased in HSV-infected cells. Irradiation of HSV with UV-light abolished the ability to induce HSP70 mRNA. Inhibitors of viral DNA synthesis did not affect the induction of HSP70 in infected cells. Protein synthesis within 2 hr after infection was necessary for HSP70 induction.     

Cell cycle-dependent association of HSP70 with specific cellular proteins

In asynchronous populations of HeLa cells maintained at control or heat shock temperatures, HSP70 levels and its subcellular distribution exhibit substantial heterogeneity as demonstrated by indirect immunofluorescence with HSP70-specific monoclonal antibodies. Of particular interest is a subpopulation of cells in which the characteristic nuclear accumulation and nucleolar association of HSP70 is not detected after heat shock treatment. This apparent variation in the heat shock response is not observed when synchronized cells are examined. In this study, we demonstrate that three monoclonal antibodies to HSP70, in particular, do not detect nucleolar-localized HSP70 in heat-shocked G2 cells. This is not due to an inability of G2 cells to respond to heat shock as measured by increased HSP70 mRNA and protein synthesis, or due to a lack of accumulation of HSP70 after heat shock in G2. Rather the epitopes recognized by the various antibodies appear to be inaccessible, perhaps due to the association of HSP70 with other proteins. Non-denaturing immunoprecipitations with these HSP70-specific antibodies suggest that HSP70 may interact with other cellular proteins in a cell cycle-dependent manner.     

Wuchereria bancrofti: cloning and characterization of heat shock protein 70 from the human lymphatic filarial parasite

Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) was identified as an immunodominant antigen by screening a Wuchereria bancrofti (Wb) microfilarial cDNA library with pooled Wb-infected sera, with 28% of the immunopositive clones coding for Wb-HSP70. The deduced amino acid sequence showed greater than 97 and 85% identity with HSP70 from filarial nematodes and humans, respectively. Recombinant HSP70 (74 kDa) and a recombinant protein from the C-terminal portion (43 kDa) also reacted with pooled Wb-infected sera, suggesting that the C-terminal region of HSP70 contains at least one antibody epitope. Brugia malayi L3 larvae showed increasing levels of HSP70 with increasing temperatures. Further, a polyclonal mouse anti-Wb-HSP70 antibody had reactivity to the HSP70 of cattle filarial parasite Settaria digitata and to human HSP70 derived from a Hep-2 cell line. Immune reactivity to Wb-HSP70 was strong, with uninfected non-endemic normal sera showing significantly greater reactions than sera from filaria-infected individuals. Both immunodominant self-HSP70 and HSP70 from other microbial infections may be primary targets for developing autoantibodies naturally.     

Secretion of the heat shock proteins HSP70 and HSC70 by baby hamster kidney (BHK‐21) cells

The HSPs (heat‐shock proteins) of the 70‐kDa family, the constitutively expressed HSC70 (cognate 70‐kDa heat‐shock protein) and the stress‐inducible HSP70 (stress‐inducible 70‐kDa heat‐shock protein), have been reported to be actively secreted by various cell types. The mechanisms of the release of these HSPs are obscure, since they possess no consensus secretory signal sequence. We showed that baby hamster kidney (BHK‐21) cells released HSP70 and HSC70 in a serum‐free medium and that this process was the result of an active secretion of HSPs rather than the non‐specific release of the proteins due to cell death. It was found that the secretion of HSP70 and HSC70 is independent of de novo protein synthesis. BFA (Brefeldin A) did not inhibit the basal secretion of HSPs, indicating that the secretion of HSP70 and HSC70 from cells occurs by a non‐classical pathway. Exosomes did not contribute to the secretion of HSP70 and HSC70 by cells. MBC (methyl‐β‐cyclodextrin), a substance that disrupts the lipid raft organization, considerably reduced the secretion of both HSPs, indicating that lipid rafts are involved in the secretion of HSP70 and HSC70 by BHK‐21 cells. The results suggest that HSP70 and HSC70 are actively secreted by BHK‐21 cells in a serum‐free medium through a non‐classical pathway in which lipid rafts play an important role.     

Structure and expression of the human gene encoding major heat shock protein HSP70.

We have cloned a human gene encoding the 70,000-dalton heat shock protein (HSP70) from a human genomic library, using the Drosophila HSP70 gene as a heterologous hybridization probe. The human recombinant clone hybridized to a 2.6-kilobase polyadenylated mRNA from HeLa cells exposed to 43 degrees C for 2 h. The 2.6-kilobase mRNA was shown to direct the translation in vitro of a 70,000-dalton protein similar in electrophoretic mobility to the HSP70 synthesized in vivo. From the analysis of S1 nuclease-resistant mRNA-DNA hybrids, the HSP70 gene appears to be transcribed as an uninterrupted mRNA of 2.3 kilobases. We show that the cloned HSP70 gene contains the sequences necessary for heat shock-induced expression by two criteria. First, hamster cells transfected with a subclone containing the HSP70 gene and flanking sequences synthesized a HSP70-like protein upon heat shock. Second, human cells transfected with a chimeric gene containing the 5' flanking sequences of the HSP70 gene and the coding sequences of the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene transcribed the chimeric gene upon heat shock. We show that the HSP70 mRNA transcribed in an adenovirus 5 transformed human cell line (293 cells) is identical to the HSP70 mRNA induced by heat shock.     

Intracellular delivery of HSP70 using HIV-1 Tat protein transduction domain

Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) is an intracellular stress protein that confers cytoprotection to a variety of cellular stressors. Several lines of evidence have suggested that augmentation of the heat shock response by increasing the expression of HSP70 represents a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of critically ill patients. The Tat protein of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) has been used previously to deliver functional cargo proteins intracellularly when added exogenously to cultured cells. We generated a Tat-HSP70 fusion protein using recombinant methods and treated HSF -/- cells with either Tat-HSP70 or recombinant HSP70 prior to exposure to hyperoxia or lethal heat shock. We showed that biologically active, exogenous HSP70 can be delivered into cells using the HIV-1 Tat protein, and that the Tat-mediated delivery of HSP70 confers cytoprotection against thermal stress and hyperoxia and may represent a novel approach to augmenting intracellular HSP70 levels.     

Specific stimulation of human apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease by heat shock protein 70

We previously demonstrated the stimulation of human apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (HAP1) by heat shock protein 70 (HSP70). In this work, we further defined the functional interaction between these proteins. Digestion of HSP70 by trypsin released 48 and 43 kDa amino terminal fragments that retained the ability to stimulate HAP1. In agreement with this result, an HSP70 N-terminal deletion mutant protein containing amino acids 1-385 was comparable to the full-length protein in its ability to enhance HAP1 activity. HSP70 mutants containing carboxy terminal amino acids 386-640 stimulated HAP1 only slightly, as did unrelated proteins. These results implicate the amino terminal portion of HSP70 in stimulating the activity of HAP1.     

Induced thermotolerance in bovine two-cell embryos and the role of heat shock protein 70 in embryonic development

Induced thermotolerance is a phenomenon whereby exposure to a mild heat shock can induce heat shock proteins (HSP) and other cellular changes to make cells more resistant to a subsequent, more severe heat shock. Given that the 2-cell bovine embryo is very sensitive to heat shock, but can also produce HSP70 in response to elevated temperature, experiments were conducted to test whether 2-cell embryos could be made to undergo induced thermotolerance. Another objective was to test the role of the heat-inducible form of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70i) in development and sensitivity of bovine embryos to heat shock. To test for induced thermotolerance, 2-cell bovine embryos were first exposed to a mild heat shock (40 degrees C for 1 hr, or 41 degrees C or 42 degrees C for 80 min), allowed to recover at 38.5 degrees C and 5% (v/v) CO2 for 2 hr, and then exposed to a severe heat shock (41 degrees C for 4.5, 6, or 12 hr). Regardless of the conditions, previous exposure to mild heat shock did not reduce the deleterious effect of heat shock on development of embryos to the blastocyst stage. The role of HSP70i in embryonic development was tested in two experiments by culturing embryos with a monoclonal antibody to the inducible form of HSP70. At both 38.5 degrees C and 41 degrees C, the proportion of 2-cell embryos that developed to blastocyst was reduced (P < 0.05) by addition of anti-HSP70i to the culture medium. In contrast, sensitivity to heat shock was not generally increased by addition of antibody. In conclusion, bovine 2-cell embryos appear incapable of induced thermotolerance. Lack of capacity for induced thermotolerance could explain in part the increased sensitivity of 2-cell embryos to heat shock as compared to embryos at later stages of development. Results also implicate a role for HSP70i in normal development of bovine embryos.     

Analysis by Confocal Microscopy of the Behavior of Heat Shock Protein 70 within the Nucleus and of a Nuclear Matrix Polypeptide during Prolonged Heat Shock Response in HeLa Cells

By means of confocal laser scanning microscopy and indirect fluorescence experiments we have examined the behavior of heat-shock protein 70 (HSP70) within the nucleus as well as of a nuclear matrix protein (M_r = 125 kDa) during a prolonged heat-shock response (up to 24 h at 42°C) in HeLa cells. In control cells HSP70 was mainly located in the cytoplasm. The protein translocated within the nucleus upon cell exposure to hyperthermia. The fluorescent pattern revealed by monoclonal antibody to HSP70 exhibited several changes during the 24-h-long incubation. The nuclear matrix protein showed changes in its location that were evident as early as 1 h after initiation of heat shock. After 7 h of treatment, the protein regained its original distribution. However, in the late stages of the hyperthermic treatment (17-24 h) the fluorescent pattern due to 125-kDa protein changed again and its original distribution was never observed again. These results show that HSP70 changes its localization within the nucleus conceivably because it is involved in solubilizing aggregated polypeptides present in different nuclear regions. Our data also strengthen the contention that proteins of the insoluble nucleoskeleton are involved in nuclear structure changes that occur during heat-shock response.     

The heat shock protein HSP70 and heat shock cognate protein HSC70 contribute to antimony tolerance in the protozoan parasite leishmania

Antimony-containing drugs are still the drugs of choice in the treatment of infections caused by the parasite Leishmania. Resistance to antimony is now common in some parts of the world, and several mechanisms of resistance have been described. By transfecting cosmid banks and selecting with potassium antimonyl tartrate (SbIII), we have isolated a cosmid associated with resistance. This cosmid contains 2 copies of the heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) and 1 copy of the heat shock cognate protein 70 (HSC70). Several data linked HSP70 to antimony response and resistance. First, several Leishmania species, both as promastigotes and amastigotes, increased the expression of their HSP70 proteins when grown in the presence of 1 or 2 times the Effect Concentration 50% of SbIII. In several mutants selected for resistance to either SbIII or to the related metal arsenite, the HSP70 proteins were found to be overexpressed. This increase was also observed in revertant cells grown for several passages in the absence of SbIII, suggesting that this increased production of HSP70 is stable. Transfection of HSP70 or HSC70 in Leishmania cells does not confer resistance directly, though these transfectants were better able to tolerate a shock with SbIII. Our results are consistent with HSP70 and HSC70 being a first line of defense against SbIII until more specific and efficient resistance mechanisms take over.     

Purification of an 86-70 kDa nuclear DNA-associated protein complex

In the course of studies on nucleolar antigens, monoclonal antibodies were developed, one of which recognized an 86 kDa antigen as shown by analysis of nuclear extracts from HeLa or Namalwa cells. Immunofluorescence studies on HeLa cells showed a nucleoplasmic and phase-dependent nucleolar localization of the monoclonal antibody was decreased after digestion with DNAase I but not with RNAase A. For purification, the antigen was released from nuclei by digestion with DNAase I and then purified by chromatography on DEAE cellulose, phosphocellulose and antibody-Sepharose affinity chromatography. Interestingly, the immunoaffinity purified product contained two polypeptide chains; the immunoreactive polypeptide had an Mr of 86 000 and a pI of 6.0. The complex also contained a 70 kDa, pI 6.5 nonantigenic polypeptide in a 1:1 ratio. The overall purification of the complex was 5700-fold. Both polypeptides contained approx. 15 mol% glutamic acid and the 70 kDa polypeptide contained approx. 15 mol% serine.     

HSC70 protein of human blood mononuclears as a sign of adaptation under normobaric hypoxia training

We investigated two isoforms of heat shock protein 70 kDa: HSP70 and HSC70, in the human blood mononuclears under normobaric hypoxia training. It was shown that hypoxia regimen does not lead to manifestation of stress but exerts activation of the organism. The obtained organism adaptation is achieved with a little cost that is confirmed by absence of HSP70 content increase. HSC70 content in the blood mononuclears was increased in most case up to 1.5-2.0 fold. HSC70 displays itself as a sign of adaptation. We connect the increase of HSC70 with mitochondria biogenesis which is given a leading importance under adaptation of aerobic organism cells to hypoxia.     

The production of a 70 kDa heat shock protein by Toxoplasma gondii RH strain in immunocompromised mice

A 70 kDa heat shock protein (HSP70) has been reported previously to be strongly expressed in virulent Toxoplasma gondii strains taken from immunocompetent mice but it is poorly expressed by virulent parasites in mice immunocompromised by treatment with cortisone acetate or by virulent parasites cultured in vitro. Immune factors such as interferon-γ, tumour necrosis factor and reactive nitrogen intermediates derived from nitric oxide are known to be important inducers of HSP70 production and are also known to be produced during the immune response to acute T. gondii infection. The ability of these immune factors to induce T. gondii HSP70 production was tested by analysing HSP70 production in tachyzoites of the virulent RH strain of T. gondii recovered from mice deficient in: (1) T cells (nude mice); (2) T and B cells (SCID mice); (3) interferon-γ receptors (interferon-γ receptor knockout mice); and (4) tumour necrosis factor receptors (tumour necrosis factor receptor knockout mice). Parasites from nude and SCID mice produced as much HSP70 as immunocompetent mice. Likewise, T. gondii tachyzoites from mice lacking receptors for interferon-γ or tumour necrosis factor produced HSP70 in quantities similar to wild-type mice. The ability to produce reactive nitrogen intermediates in response to T. gondii infection, as detected by elevated levels of nitrate and nitrite in sera, was normal in tumour necrosis factor receptor knockout mice but was completely lacking in interferon-γ receptor knockout mice, indicating that reactive nitrogen intermediates are also not responsible for induction of parasite HSP70. Thus, immune factors that induce HSP70 production in mammalian cells do not appear to play primary roles in inducing HSP70 production by T. gondii.