Expression levels of heat shock factors are not functionally coupled to the rate of expression of heat shock genes

The expression patterns of two mammalian heat shock factors (HSFs) were analysed in cell systems known to reflect an altered heat shock response. For being able to discriminate between the two closely related factors HSF 1 and HSF 2, specific cDNA sequences were cloned and used to generate antisense RNAs as hybridization probes. In general, in various cell lines expression of the two heat shock factors was clearly different. These expression patterns of the HSF genes were not influenced by retinoic acid-induced differentiation of human NT2 and mouse F9 teratocarcinoma cells. Generally, HSF 2 expression was extremely low, whereas the significantly higher expression of HSF 1 revealed cell specific differences. The highest expression rates of both HSFs were observed in 293 cells. To examine whether these high levels are involved in the constitutive expression of heat shock genes in these cells, we analysed the binding pattern of 293 cell proteins to the heat shock elements (HSEs). As with other cells, HSE-binding activity in 293 cells was only observed after heat shock treatment. This points to an HSE-independent way for high level expression of heat shock genes in these cells.     

GmHSFA1基因克隆及其过量表达提高转基因大豆的耐热性

热激转录因子在调节植物对逆境胁迫应答和热激蛋白基因表达方面起重要作用。采用生物信息学和比较基因组学方法结合RACE技术从大豆基因组中克隆到一个新的热激转录因子基因GmHsfA1, 其cDNA全长1 781 bp, 包含1个1 533 bp的开放阅读框, 编码含有510个氨基酸残基的蛋白质(GenBank登录号为AY458843)。与其他转录因子的分子结构相似,GmHSFA1也含有4个典型的结构功能域—DNA结合域、寡聚域、核定位信号和C端激活域。BLAST分析表明, GmHSFA1与其同源性最高的番茄热激转录因子LpHSFA1之间的氨基酸序列相似性为52.46%。RT-PCR、Northern和遗传转化结果显示: 1)GmHsfA1在大豆的不同组织中呈现组成型表达模式; 2)常温下转基因大豆植株的GmHsfA1表达水平明显高于非转基因对照; 3)GmHsfA1的过量表达激活了转基因大豆植株中热激蛋白基因GmHsp22在非诱导条件下的转录, 并加强了高温胁迫下另2个热激蛋白基因GmHsp23和GmHsp70的表达; 4)转GmHsfA1大豆植株的耐热温度(达52℃)明显高于非转基因植株。上述结果说明, GmHsfA1的过量表达激活或促进其下游3个热激蛋白基因的转录或表达, 明显提高了转基因大豆植株的耐热能力。