Protein Synthesis in Maize during Anaerobic and Heat Stress

Protein accumulation and protein synthesis were investigated during anaerobic stress and heat shock in maize seedlings (Zea mays L.). Antibodies against alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and cytosolic glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPC) were used to investigate the expression of the genes encoding these proteins during stress treatment. ADH1 protein accumulation is shown to increase about 10-fold in the root after 24 hours of anaerobic treatment. The Gpc gene products are separable into two size classes: the slow mobility GAPC1 and GAPC2 (GAPC1/2), and the faster GAPC3 and GAPC4 (GAPC3/4). The GAPC1/2 antigen did not increase at all, whereas the GAPC3/4 antigen increased less than fourfold. The proteins synthesized in the root during aerobic and anaerobic conditions were compared, and GAPC3/4 was identified as an anaerobic polypeptide. In vitro translations were used to estimate the levels of different mRNAs in roots following anaerobiosis, recovery from anaerobiosis, and heat shock. This was compared with the in vivo protein synthesis rates in roots labeled under identical conditions. In vivo labeling indicates that GAPC and ADH are not heat shock proteins. Although both GAPC3/4- and ADH1-translatable mRNA levels increase about 10-fold during anaerobiosis, in vivo labeling of these proteins (relative to total protein synthesis) is further enhanced, leading to a selective translation effect for ADH1 of threefold, and for GAPC3/4 of sixfold. In contrast, anoxia causes no change in GAPC1/2-translatable mRNA levels or in vivo labeling. As an additional comparison, β-glucosidase mRNA levels are found to be constant during anoxia, but in vivo synthesis decreases.     

Heat Shock Protein Reports on Proteome Stress

Proper regulation of protein homeostasis (proteostasis) is essential to maintain cellular fitness. Proteome stress causes imbalance of the proteostasis, leading to various diseases represented by neurodegenerative diseases, cancers, and metabolic disorders. The biosensor community recently embarked on the development of proteome stress sensors to report on the integrity of proteostasis in live cells. While most of these sensors are based on metastable mutants of specific client proteins, a recent sensor takes advantage of the specific association of heat shock protein 27 with protein aggregates and exhibits a diffusive to punctate fluorescent change in cells that are subjected to stress conditions. Thus, heat shock proteins can be also used as a family of sensors to monitor proteome stress.     

Inhibition of Golgi Apparatus Glycosylation Causes Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Decreased Protein Synthesis

Nucleotide sugar transporters of the Golgi apparatus play an essential role in the glycosylation of proteins, lipids, and proteoglycans. Down-regulation of expression of the transporters for CMP-sialic acid, GDP-fucose, or both unexpectedly resulted in accumulation of glycoconjugates in the Golgi apparatus rather than in the plasma membrane. Pulse-chase experiments with radiolabeled sugars and amino acids showed decreased synthesis and secretion of both nonglycoproteins and glycoproteins. Further studies revealed that the above silencing induced endoplasmic reticulum stress and inhibited protein translation initiation. Together these results suggest that global inhibition of Golgi apparatus glycosylation may lead to important secondary metabolic changes, unrelated to glycosylation.     

Acute Heat Stress Changes Protein Expression in the Testes of a Broiler-Type Strain of Taiwan Country Chickens

Heat stress leads to decreased fertility in roosters. This study investigated the global protein expression in response to acute heat stress in the testes of a broiler-type strain of Taiwan country chickens (TCCs). Twelve 45-week-old roosters were randomly allocated to the control group maintained at 25°C, and three groups subjected to acute heat stress at 38°C for 4 h, with 0, 2, and 6 h of recovery, respectively. Testis samples were collected for hematoxylin and eosin staining, apoptosis assay, and protein analysis. The results revealed 101 protein spots that differed significantly from the control following exposure to acute heat stress. The proteins that were differentially expressed participated mainly in protein metabolism and other metabolic processes, responses to stimuli, apoptosis, cellular organization, and spermatogenesis. Proteins that negatively regulate apoptosis were downregulated and proteins involved in autophagy and major heat shock proteins (HSP90α, HSPA5, and HSPA8) were upregulated in the testes of heat-stressed chickens. In conclusion, acute heat stress causes a change in protein expression in the testes of broiler-type B strain TCCs and may thus impair cell morphology, spermatogenesis, and apoptosis. The expression of heat shock proteins increased to attenuate the testicular injury induced by acute heat stress.     

Oxidative Stress Impairs the Heat Stress Response and Delays Unfolded Protein Recovery

Background

Environmental changes, air pollution and ozone depletion are increasing oxidative stress, and global warming threatens health by heat stress. We now face a high risk of simultaneous exposure to heat and oxidative stress. However, there have been few studies investigating their combined adverse effects on cell viability.

Principal Findings

Pretreatment of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) specifically and highly sensitized cells to heat stress, and enhanced loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. H₂O₂ exposure impaired the HSP40/HSP70 induction as heat shock response (HSR) and the unfolded protein recovery, and enhanced eIF2α phosphorylation and/or XBP1 splicing, land marks of ER stress. These H₂O₂-mediated effects mimicked enhanced heat sensitivity in HSF1 knockdown or knockout cells. Importantly, thermal preconditioning blocked H₂O₂–mediated inhibitory effects on refolding activity and rescued HSF1 +/+ MEFs, but neither blocked the effects nor rescued HSF1 -/- MEFs. These data strongly suggest that inhibition of HSR and refolding activity is crucial for H₂O₂–mediated enhanced heat sensitivity.

Conclusions

H₂O₂ blocks HSR and refolding activity under heat stress, thereby leading to insufficient quality control and enhancing ER stress. These uncontrolled stress responses may enhance cell death. Our data thus highlight oxidative stress as a crucial factor affecting heat tolerance.     

The Small, Methionine-Rich Chloroplast Heat-Shock Protein Protects Photosystem II Electron Transport during Heat Stress

Evidence suggests that the small chloroplast heat-shock protein (Hsp) is involved in plant thermotolerance but its site of action is unknown. Functional disruption of this Hsp using anti-Hsp antibodies or addition of purified Hsp to chloroplasts indicated that (a) this Hsp protects thermolabile photosystem II and, consequently, whole-chain electron transport during heat stress; and (b) this Hsp completely accounted for heat acclimation of electron transport in pre-heat-stressed plants. Therefore, this Hsp is a major adaptation to acute heat stress in plants.     

Controlled Heat Stress Promotes Myofibrillogenesis during Myogenesis

Hyperthermia therapy has recently emerged as a clinical modality used to finely tune heat stress inside the human body for various biomedical applications. Nevertheless, little is known regarding the optimal timing or temperature of heat stress that is needed to achieve favorable results following hyperthermia therapy for muscle regeneration purposes. The regeneration of skeletal muscle after injury is a highly complex and coordinated process that involves a multitude of cellular mechanisms. The main objective of this study was to characterize the effects of hyperthermal therapy on the overall behavior of myoblasts during myogenic differentiation. Various cellular processes, including myogenesis, myofibrillogenesis, hypertrophy/atrophy, and mitochondrial biogenesis, were studied using systematic cellular, morphological, and pathway-focused high-throughput gene expression profiling analyses. We found that C2C12 myoblasts exhibited distinctive time and temperature-dependence in biosynthesis and regulatory events during myogenic differentiation. Specifically, we for the first time observed that moderate hyperthermia at 39°C favored the growth of sarcomere in myofibrils at the late stage of myogenesis, showing universal up-regulation of characteristic myofibril proteins. Characteristic myofibrillogenesis genes, including heavy polypeptide 1 myosin, heavy polypeptide 2 myosin, alpha 1 actin, nebulin and titin, were all significantly upregulated (p<0.01) after C2C12 cells differentiated at 39°C over 5 days compared with the control cells cultured at 37°C. Furthermore, moderate hyperthermia enhanced myogenic differentiation, with nucleus densities per myotube showing 2.2-fold, 1.9-fold and 1.6-fold increases when C2C12 cells underwent myogenic differentiation at 39°C over 24 hours, 48 hours and 72 hours, respectively, as compared to the myotubes that were not exposed to heat stress. Yet, atrophy genes were sensitive even to moderate hyperthermia, indicating that strictly controlled heat stress is required to minimize the development of atrophy in myotubes. In addition, mitochondrial biogenesis was enhanced following thermal induction of myoblasts, suggesting a subsequent shift toward anabolic demand requirements for energy production. This study offers a new perspective to understand and utilize the time and temperature-sensitive effects of hyperthermal therapy on muscle regeneration.     

Oxidative Stress and Heat Shock Protein Induction in Human Cells

Agents which induce heat shock protein synthesis in cultured monolayers of Hela cells such as hyperthermia, ethanol and sodium arsenite can also cause increases in the levels of lipid peroxidation as determined by the formation of TBA-products. The heat induced increases may be diminished by addition to the medium of mannitol or EGTA. These compounds are known to depress heat shock protein synthesis.

Following hyperthermia there is also a decrease in protein synthesis. In vitro studies indicate possible damage to ribosomes, and since the heat induced loss of protein synthetic capacity can be increased by superoxide dismutase inhibitors, and prevented by mannitol, such effects may be linked to the increases observed in lipid peroxidation. It is suggested that a connection exists between lipid peroxidation and heat shock protein gene activation.     

The PERK Arm of the Unfolded Protein Response Regulates Mitochondrial Morphology during Acute Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress

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Oxidative Stress and Heat Shock Protein Induction in Human Cells

Agents which induce heat shock protein synthesis in cultured monolayers of Hela cells such as hyperthermia, ethanol and sodium arsenite can also cause increases in the levels of lipid peroxidation as determined by the formation of TBA-products. The heat induced increases may be diminished by addition to the medium of mannitol or EGTA. These compounds are known to depress heat shock protein synthesis.

Following hyperthermia there is also a decrease in protein synthesis. In vitro studies indicate possible damage to ribosomes, and since the heat induced loss of protein synthetic capacity can be increased by superoxide dismutase inhibitors, and prevented by mannitol, such effects may be linked to the increases observed in lipid peroxidation. It is suggested that a connection exists between lipid peroxidation and heat shock protein gene activation.     

N-Linked Protein Glycosylation in the Endoplasmic Reticulum

The attachment of glycans to asparagine residues of proteins is an abundant and highly conserved essential modification in eukaryotes. The N-glycosylation process includes two principal phases: the assembly of a lipid-linked oligosaccharide (LLO) and the transfer of the oligosaccharide to selected asparagine residues of polypeptide chains. Biosynthesis of the LLO takes place at both sides of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane and it involves a series of specific glycosyltransferases that catalyze the assembly of the branched oligosaccharide in a highly defined way. Oligosaccharyltransferase (OST) selects the Asn-X-Ser/Thr consensus sequence on polypeptide chains and generates the N-glycosidic linkage between the side-chain amide of asparagine and the oligosaccharide. This ER-localized pathway results in a systemic modification of the proteome, the basis for the Golgi-catalyzed modification of the N-linked glycans, generating the large diversity of N-glycoproteome in eukaryotic cells. This article focuses on the processes in the ER. Based on the highly conserved nature of this pathway we concentrate on the mechanisms in the eukaryotic model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae.The presence of glycans on proteins is known to influence their stability and solubility and the glycan core can contribute to folding processes (Shental-Bechor and Levy 2008; Hanson et al. 2009; Culyba et al. 2011). N-glycans also influence the function and activity of proteins (Skropeta 2009). The terminal residues of N-glycans play a key role in the quality control of protein folding in the ER. Ultimately the glycan signals whether a protein is correctly folded and can leave the ER to continue its maturation in the Golgi or whether the protein is not correctly folded and is degraded (Helenius and Aebi 2004; Aebi et al. 2010). It is therefore of great importance that the oligosaccharide to be transferred to proteins is complete. This “quality control” of the oligosaccharide is mediated by the substrate specificity of oligosaccharyltransferase.     

原核生物糖基化修饰系统及其应用前景

传统认为只有真核生物才有蛋白质糖基化修饰现象,虽然在原核生物细胞中发现糖蛋白的存在已经有数十年,但是没有引起我们足够的重视。最近,在细菌中发现了蛋白质的糖基化修饰系统,最具代表性的是空肠弯曲弧菌的N-糖基化修饰系统、脑膜炎奈瑟球菌和绿脓杆菌的O-糖基化修饰系统。这些糖基化修饰系统已成功地转移到大肠杆菌中,并且独立发挥其糖基化修饰作用。寡糖转移酶在修饰过程中起关键作用,且寡糖转移酶对糖底物的特异性要求非常低,这使得按照我们的需求来"定制糖蛋白"成为可能,并标志着"原核生物糖基工程"的到来,这将为糖结合疫苗的发展提供良好的契机。     

急性低温对黑鲷抗氧化酶活性和 热休克蛋白含量的影响

为探究急性低温胁迫对黑鲷（Acanthopagrus schlegelii）生理机能的影响,以1龄黑鲷作为实验鱼,以15 ℃为对照组,设置10 ℃和5 ℃作为低温胁迫组,处理24 h后再转入15 ℃的水体中进行恢复实验,测定不同温度、不同时间点下1龄黑鲷肝的抗氧化酶活性以及热休克蛋白（Hsp）含量的变化。研究结果显示,低温胁迫实验中,低温处理组（10 ℃和5 ℃）在急性低温胁迫的24 h内,超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）、过氧化氢酶（CAT）、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶（GSH-PX）活性和热休克蛋白含量均呈现先上升后下降的趋势。10 ℃处理组上述三种抗氧化酶活性皆在12 h达到最大值,超氧化物歧化酶、过氧化氢酶活性24 h恢复到对照水平,而谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶在18 h已经恢复到正常水平;在5 ℃处理组,超氧化物歧化酶和过氧化氢酶活性在6 h达到最大值,谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶在18 h达到最大值,且在24 h都仍与对照组有极显著差异,超氧化物歧化酶、过氧化氢酶和谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶活性分别在恢复实验的12 h、12 h和6 h恢复到对照组水平。10 ℃和5 ℃两个处理组的热休克蛋白含量皆在胁迫18 h达到最大,10 ℃处理组在24 h恢复到正常水平,但5 ℃处理组的热休克蛋白含量直到恢复实验结束仍与对照组存在差异。本实验结果表明,急性低温胁迫对超氧化物歧化酶、过氧化氢酶、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶和热休克蛋白具有显著影响,其均呈现有规律的变化趋势,说明上述酶和蛋白参与了黑鲷的低温胁迫应答过程,通过协同调节黑鲷的生理机能使其适应环境变化,减少急性低温对鱼体的损伤并使其能够在环境骤变情况下存活下来。只有在自我调节范围内,黑鲷随着胁迫时间的延长,其体内才能够建立新的生理平衡来适应低温,因此在黑鲷养殖过程中,应当注意水温不宜低于5 ℃,水温过低时,应尽快将其移入室内,避免水温骤降对鱼体造成损伤。     

蛋白质药物糖基化工程化改造研究进展

多种哺乳和非哺乳动物的蛋白质表达系统已成功用于重组糖蛋白药物的生产。糖基化对于生物药品的研究开发至关重要,对生物药品的药效、半衰期及抗原性等产生重要影响。糖基化工程的目的是生产组分明晰、结构均一的N-和O-连接的糖基化蛋白药物。N-糖基化改造的相关研究显示,利用哺乳动物和非哺乳动物表达系统可以表达均匀的N-聚糖重组糖蛋白。与N-糖基化改造相比, O-糖基化的改造研究尚处于起步阶段。首个糖基化工程单克隆抗体已在美国和日本获得上市批准。综述了重组蛋白表达系统的糖基化工程化改造的研究进展,包括蛋白质药物的 N-糖基化改造和O-糖基化改造的最新进展,以期为蛋白质药物的糖基化工程改造研究提供参考。     

Rate of Protein Glycosylation in Rat Cerebral Cortex

Quantitative aspects of the pathway leading to the formation of asparagine-linked oligosaccharides were investigated in rat cerebral cortex. Steady-state labeling conditions were achieved with [2-3H]mannose by developing a micromethod of incubation of cerebral cortex particles in the presence of physiological concentrations of glucose (1 g/L). The rate of [2-3H]mannose uptake and incorporation into protein was markedly affected when the concentration of glucose was lowered to 0.05 g/L. It was found that in the presence of glucose (1 g/L), a minor fraction of the utilized [2-3H]mannose is used in glycoprotein formation and the remaining labeled sugar enters the other major metabolic pathways, generating tritiated water which is rapidly exchanged with that of the medium. Under these conditions, the intracellular isotopic dilution of [2-3H]mannose-labeled precursors was calculated to be about 11.5-fold. These data allow determination of the rate of the net transfer of mannose into proteins. Comparison of the rate of glycosylation between 5- and 30-day-old cerebral cortex revealed a striking difference: 2.1 and 0.3 ng of mannose/mg protein/h, respectively.     

Heat Stress in Wheat during Reproductive and Grain-Filling Phases

Ambient temperatures have increased since the beginning of the century and are predicted to continue rising under climate change. Such increases in temperature can cause heat stress: a severe threat to wheat production in many countries, particularly when it occurs during reproductive and grain-filling phases. Heat stress reduces plant photosynthetic capacity through metabolic limitations and oxidative damage to chloroplasts, with concomitant reductions in dry matter accumulation and grain yield. Genotypes expressing heat shock proteins are better able to withstand heat stress as they protect proteins from heat-induced damage. Heat tolerance can be improved by selecting and developing wheat genotypes with heat resistance. Wheat pre-breeding and breeding may be based on secondary traits like membrane stability, photosynthetic rate and grain weight under heat stress. Nonetheless, improvement in grain yield under heat stress implies selecting genotypes for grain size and rate of grain filling. Integrating physiological and biotechnological tools with conventional breeding techniques will help to develop wheat varieties with better grain yield under heat stress during reproductive and grain-filling phases. This review discusses the impact of heat stress during reproductive and grain-filling stages of wheat on grain yield and suggests strategies to improve heat stress tolerance in wheat.