Multiple, compensatory regulatory elements specify spermatocyte-specific expression of the Drosophila melanogaster hsp26 gene.

The hsp26 gene of Drosophila melanogaster is expressed in six tissues during development and in a tissue-general response to heat shock. To be able to compare tissue-specific and heat-induced mechanisms of hsp26 expression, we have begun an analysis of the sequences involved in the spermatocyte-specific expression of the hsp26 gene by using germ line transformation. hsp26 mRNA synthesized in the spermatocytes has the same start site as sites previously demonstrated for nurse cell-specific and heat-induced mRNAs. Three regions of the hsp26 gene (nucleotides -351 to -135, -135 to -85, and +11 to +632) were able to stimulate spermatocyte-specific expression when fused with promoter sequences (nucleotides -85 to +11) that alone were insufficient to stimulate expression. These stimulatory regions appear to contain elements that provide redundant functions. While each region was able to stimulate expression independently, the deletion of any one region from a construct was without consequence as long as another compensatory region(s) was still present. There must reside, at a minimum, two independent spermatocyte-specifying elements within the sequences that encompass the three stimulatory regions and the promoter. At least one element is contained within sequences from -351 to -48. This region, in either orientation, can stimulate spermatocyte-specific expression from a heterologous promoter. A second element must reside in sequences from -52 to +632, since these sequences are also sufficient to direct spermatocyte-specific expression.     

Transcriptional regulation of an hsp70 heat shock gene in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains three heat-inducible hsp70 genes. We have characterized the promoter region of the hsp70 heat shock gene YG100, that also displays a basal level of expression. Deletion of the distal region of the promoter resulted in an 80% drop in the basal level of expression without affecting expression after heat shock. Progressive-deletion analysis suggested that sequences necessary for heat-inducible expression are more proximal, within 233 base pairs of the initiation region. The promoter region of YG100 contains multiple elements related to the Drosophila melanogaster heat shock element (HSE; CnnGAAnnT TCnnG). Deletion of a proximal promoter region containing one element, HSE2, eliminated most of the heat-inducible expression of YG100. The upstream activation site (UAS) of the yeast cytochrome c gene (CYC1) can be substituted by a single copy of HSE2 plus its adjoining nucleotides (UASHS). This hybrid promoter displayed a substantial level of expression before heat shock, and the level of expression was elevated eightfold by heat shock. YG100 sequences that flank UASHS inhibited basal expression of UASHS in the hybrid promoter but not its heat-inducible expression. This inhibition of basal UASHS activity suggests that negative regulation is involved in modulating expression of this yeast heat shock gene.     

pH对红褐斑腿蝗中肠主要蛋白酶活性的影响

为评价pH对红褐斑腿蝗Catantops pinguis (Stål)中肠蛋白酶活性的影响, 本文用3种专性底物测定了不同pH环境下蝗虫中肠类胰蛋白酶和类胰凝乳蛋白酶的活性。结果表明: 雄性红褐斑腿蝗中肠肠液的pH值为6.92±0.043, 雌性为7.03±0.054, 两性间差异不显著（P>0.05）。并且发现3种蛋白酶的最适pH值各不相同, 其中雌雄虫的强碱性类胰蛋白酶（以BAPNA为底物）最适pH分别为8.5和10.5; 雌雄虫的弱碱性类胰蛋白酶（以TAME为底物）最适pH分别为9.0和9.5; 而雌雄虫的类胰凝乳蛋白酶（以BTEE为底物）最适pH雌性为8.5, 雄性为8.0。统计结果显示, pH对红褐斑腿蝗中肠蛋白酶活性影响显著（P<0.01）, 两性间蛋白酶活性差异显著（P<0.01）。在最适pH情况下, 雌性的类胰蛋白酶活性高于雄性, 而类胰凝乳蛋白酶活性则是雄性高于雌性。在中肠pH范围内雌性比雄性具有更高的消化蛋白酶活性, 显示雌性具有较强的食物处理能力以摄取更多的营养物质为繁殖活动（孕卵）作准备, 而该种蝗虫最适pH范围较宽, 可能与其取食植物范围较宽有关。     

家蚕hsp20.4启动子克隆及其驱动表达产物EGT对家蚕蛹体发育的影响

为验证家蚕Bombyx mori热休克蛋白基因hsp20.4启动子的活性以及家蚕核多角体病毒egt的表达产物对家蚕发育的影响, 本实验通过PCR扩增分别得到hsp20.4启动子片段和egt片段。利用hsp20.4的启动子和红色荧光蛋白报告基因DsRed构建重组载体, 在家蚕BmN细胞以及家蚕组织中得到了瞬时表达, 表明所克隆的hsp20.4启动子序列具有热休克蛋白基因的启动子活性。又利用hsp20.4启动子和家蚕核多角体病毒的egt构建重组载体, 通过注射到蚕蛹中进行瞬时表达, 以检测egt表达产物对家蚕发育的影响, 经42℃ 1 h热诱导后, hsp20.4启动子控制的egt表达产物可以延迟家蚕发育。     

PKC epsilon is a unique regulator for hsp90 beta gene in heat shock response

An early event in cellular heat shock response is the transmittance of stress signals from the cell surface into the nuclei, resulting in the induction of heat shock proteins (Hsps). Protein kinase C (PKC) has been implicated as a key player in transducing stress signals. However, mechanism(s) by which PKC regulates heat shock-induced events remains largely unknown. Here we present data that pan-PKC inhibitor GF109203X, but not classic PKC inhibitor G?6976, specifically repressed heat shock-induced accumulation of mRNA as well as promoter activity of hsp90 beta, but not hsp90 alpha, in Jurkat cells. Subcellular fractionation studies revealed that heat shock exclusively induced PKC-epsilon membrane translocation. Consistently, expression of a constitutively active PKC-epsilon(A159E) resulted in an enhanced promoter activity of hsp90 beta upon heat shock, whereas a dominant-negative PKC-epsilon(K437R) abolished this effect. In contrast, constitutively active-PKC-alpha or dominant-negative-PKC-alpha had no effects on heat shock induction of the gene. The effect of PKC-epsilon on hsp90 beta expression seems to be stimuli-specific, as phorbol myristate acetate-mediated hsp90 beta expression was PKC-epsilon-independent. We conclude that PKC-epsilon is specifically required in the signaling pathway leading to the induction of hsp90 beta gene in response to heat shock.