Simultaneous exposure of Xenopus A6 kidney epithelial cells to concurrent mild sodium arsenite and heat stress results in enhanced hsp30 and hsp70 gene expression and the acquisition of thermotolerance

In this study, we examined the effect of concurrent low concentrations of sodium arsenite and mild heat shock temperatures on hsp30 and hsp70 gene expression in Xenopus A6 kidney epithelial cells. RNA blot hybridization and immunoblot analysis revealed that exposure of A6 cells to 1–10 µM sodium arsenite at a mild heat shock temperature of 30 °C enhanced hsp30 and hsp70 gene expression to a much greater extent than found with either stress individually. In cells treated simultaneously with 10 µM sodium arsenite and different heat shock temperatures, enhanced accumulation of HSP30 and HSP70 protein was first detected at 26 °C with larger responses at 28 and 30 °C. HSF1 activity was involved in combined stress-induced hsp gene expression since the HSF1 activation inhibitor, KNK437, inhibited HSP30 and HSP70 accumulation. Immunocytochemical analysis revealed that HSP30 was present in a granular pattern primarily in the cytoplasm in cells treated simultaneously with both stresses. Finally, prior exposure of A6 cells to concurrent sodium arsenite (10 µM) and heat shock (30 °C) treatment conferred thermotolerance since it protected them against a subsequent thermal challenge (37 °C). Acquired thermotolerance was not observed with cells treated with the two mild stresses individually.     

Polyunsaturated fatty acids enhance the heat induced stress response in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) leukocytes

The heat shock response has been studied extensively, yet the molecular signals that trigger the response remain elusive. The dogma of the heat shock response contends that denatured proteins initiate the response, but evidence is accumulating to point to a more complex system in which at least more than one signal is involved in this process. Thermal stress initiates changes in cellular phospholipid membrane physical state, which when acted upon by phospholipases may release lipid mediators that could serve as triggering signals during the heat shock response. We have examined the heat shock response in freshly isolated leukocytes from the pronephros of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). In this study, we show that leukocytes isolated from rainbow trout acclimated to 5 or 19°C express elevated levels of heat shock protein 70 (hsp70) mRNA when heat shocked at 5°C above their respective acclimation temperature and supplementation with exogenous docosahexaenoic acid or arachidonic acid followed by heat shock enhanced levels of hsp70 mRNA. The time course for docosahexaenoic acid induced enhancement of hsp70 mRNA was accelerated compared with heat shock alone, and staurosporine inhibited the docosahexaenoic acid induced increase of hsp70 mRNA. We also provide evidence that phospholipase A₂ is involved in the heat shock response.     

Characterization of the heat shock protein 90 gene in the plant parasitic nematode Meloidogyne artiellia and its expression as related to different developmental stages and temperature

The full-length cDNA and the corresponding gene of the heat shock protein 90, Mt-Hsp90, were isolated and characterized in the plant parasitic nematode Meloidogyne artiellia. The full-length Mt-Hsp90 cDNA contained a 5′ untranslated region (UTR) of 45 bp with the 22 bp trans-spliced leader SL1, an ORF of 2172 bp encoding a polypeptide of 723 amino acids and a 3′ UTR of 191 bp. The deduced amino acid sequence of Mt-hsp90 showed high similarity with other known Hsp90s. Five conserved amino acid signatures indicated that Mt-hsp90 is a cytosolic member of the Hsp90 family. The gene consists of 10 exons and 9 introns, a more expanded gene structure compared to the corresponding Caenorhabditis elegans gene, daf-21. Mt-hsp90 gene was constitutively expressed at high levels in all developmental stages of M. artiellia. Egg masses and second stage juveniles (J2s) were exposed at 5° and 30 °C for different periods of times in order to explore the impact of adverse temperature on Mt-hsp90 gene expression. Expression levels of Mt-hsp90 were examined by fluorescent real-time PCR. At 30 °C a burst of expression for Mt-hsp90 was observed in J2s after 2 h of heat shock treatment, then expression dropped with longer exposing times, although remaining still relatively high after 24 h. This temperature did not affect Mt-hsp90 gene expression in the egg masses. However, egg masses exposed at 5 °C showed a little but gradual increase in the mRNA level with time. By contrast, no significant changes in the Mt-hsp90 level were observed in J2s exposed to cold. These data show that egg masses and J2s exposed to cold and heat stresses have different expression profiles suggesting that Mt-Hsp90 may provide a link between environmental conditions and the life cycle of the nematode.     

MSl3, a multicopy suppressor of mutants hyperactivated in the RAS-CAMP pathway, encodes a novel HSP70 protein of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The MSI3 gene was isolated as a multicopy suppressor of the heat shock-sensitive phenotype of the iral mutation, which causes hyperactivation of the RAS-cAMP pathway. Overexpression of MSI3 also suppresses the heat shock-sensitive phenotype of the bcyl mutant. Determination of the DNA sequence of MSI3 revealed that MSI3 can encode a 77.4 kDa protein related to the HSP70 family. The amino acid sequence of Msi3p is about 30% identical to that of the Ssalp of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This contrasts with the finding that members of the HSP70 family generally show at least 50% amino acid identity. The consensus nucleotide sequence of the heat shock element (HSE) was found in the upstream region of MSI3. Moreover, the steady-state levels of the MSI3 mRNA and protein were increased upon heat shock. These results indicate that the MSI3 gene encodes a novel HSP70-like heat shock protein. Disruption of the MSI3 gene was associated with a temperature sensitive growth phenotype but unexpectedly, thermotolerance was enhanced in the disruptant.     

HSP12, a new small heat shock gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Analysis of structure, regulation and function

Summary We have isolated a new small heat shock gene, HSP12, from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It encodes a polypeptide of predicted Mr 12 kDa, with structural similarity to other small heat shock proteins. HSP12 gene expression is induced several hundred-fold by heat shock and on entry into stationary phase. HSP12 mRNA is undetectable during exponential growth in rich medium, but low levels are present when cells are grown in minimal medium. Analysis of HSP12 expression in mutants affected in cAMP-dependent protein phosphorylation suggests that the gene is regulated by cAMP as well as heat shock. A disruption of the HSP12 coding region results in the loss of an abundant 14.4 kDa protein present in heat shocked and stationary phase cells. It also leads to the induction of the heat shock response under conditions normally associated with low-level HSP12 expression. The HSP12 disruption has no observable effect on growth at various temperatures, nor on the ability to acquire thermotolerance.     

Heat shock and light activation of aChlamydomonas HSP70 gene are mediated by independent regulatory pathways

Induction ofHSP70 heat shock genes by light has been demonstrated inChlamydomonas. Our aim was to establish whether this induction by light is mediated by the heat stress sensing pathway or by an independent signal chain. Inhibitors of cytoplasmic protein synthesis revealed an initial difference. Cycloheximide and other inhibitors of protein synthesis preventedHSP70A induction upon illumination but not during heat stress. Analysis ofHSP70A induction in cells that had differentiated into gametes revealed a second difference. While heat shock resulted in elevatedHSP70A mRNA levels, light was no longer able to serve as an inducer in gametes. To identify the regulatory sequences that mediate the response of theHSP70A gene to either heat stress or light we introduced a series of progressive 5 truncations into its promoter sequence. Analyses of the levels of mRNA transcribed from these deletion constructs showed that in most of them the responses to heat shock and light were similar, suggesting that light induction is mediated by a light-activated heat shock factor. However, we show that theHSP70A promoter also containscis-acting sequences involved in light induction that do not participate in induction by heat stress. Together, these results provide evidence for a regulation ofHSP70A gene expression by light through a heat shock-independent signal pathway.     

Structure and expression of the three MHC-linked HSP70 genes

A duplicated locus encoding the major heat shock-induced protein HSP70 is located in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class III region 92 kilobases (kb) telomeric to the C2 gene. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the two intronless genes, HSP70-1 and HSP70-2, has shown that they encode an identical protein product of 641 amino acids. A third intronless gene, HSP70-Hom, has also been identified 4 kb telomeric to the HSP70-1 gene. This encodes a more basic protein of 641 amino acids which has 90% sequence similarity with HSP70-1. In order to investigate the expression of the three (MHC)-linked HSP70 genes individually by northern blot analysis, we have isolated locus-specific probes from the 3 untranslated regions of the genes. The HSP70-1 and HSP70-2 genes have been shown to be expressed at high levels as a 2.4 kb mRNA in cells heat-shocked at 42°C. HSP70-1 is also expressed constitutively at very low levels. The HSP70-Hom gene, which has no heat shock consensus sequence in its 5 flanking sequence, is expressed as a 3 kb mRNA at low levels both constitutively and following heat shock.The nucleotide sequence data reported in this paper have been submitted to the GenBank nucleotide sequence database and have been assigned the accession numbers M34267-9. Address correspondence and offprint requests to: R. D. Campbell.     

hsp47 and hsp70 gene expression is differentially regulated in a stress- and tissue-specific manner in zebrafish embryos

We have examined differences in the spatial and temporal regulation of stress-induced hsp47 and hsp70 gene expression following exposure of zebrafish embryos to heat shock or ethanol. Using Northern blot analysis, we found that levels of hsp47 and hsp70 mRNA were dramatically elevated during heat shock in 2-day-old embryos. In contrast, ethanol exposure resulted in strong upregulation of the hsp47 gene whereas hsp70 mRNA levels increased only slightly following the same treatment. Whole-mount in situ hybridization analysis revealed that hsp47 mRNA was expressed predominantly in precartilagenous cells, as well as several other connective tissue cell populations within the embryo following exposure to either stress. hsp70 mRNA displayed a very different cell-specific distribution. For example, neither stress induced hsp70 mRNA accumulation in precartilagenous cells. However, high levels of hsp70 mRNA were detectable in epithelial cells of the developing epidermis following exposure to heat shock, but not to ethanol. These cells did not express the hsp47 gene following exposure to either of these stresses. The results suggest the presence of different inducible regulatory mechanisms for these genes which operate in a cell- and stress-specific manner in zebrafish embryos. Dev. Genet. 21:123–133, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Cell Cycle-Specific Expression of G0SPR1 in Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells

A family of small proline-rich proteins (SPR1s) is induced in cells undergoing squamous differentiation. Because SPR1 mRNA is detected in mesenchymal nasal cells of rats exposed to cigarette smoke, expression of this mRNA in other nonsquamous cells and tissues was investigated. Using PCR, low levels of SPR1 mRNA were identified in a number of nondifferentiating cell lines and in nonsquamous tissues. G₀SPR1 mRNA, the hamster homologue of SPR1 mRNA, was increased 10-fold in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells when the culture reached 80–90% confluence and was downregulated after cells ceased growing at 100% confluence. The deduced amino acid sequence of G₀SPR1 showed a high homology to the family of SPR1 from different species. Affinity-purified antibodies to SPR1 reacted to about 50% of the CHO cell population, indicating that the protein is expressed at specific stages of the cell cycle. CHO cells that were switched to low-serum medium when they were at 60% confluence showed an increase in G₀SPR1 levels before the cells entered G₀, indicating that G₀SPR1 may be a signal to cells entering G₀. Because expression of the SPR1 family of proteins is associated with squamous differentiation, the observations in the nondifferentiating CHO cells indicate that these proteins may play a role in mediating the withdrawal from the cell cycle prior to the commitment to differentiation.     

A Chinese Hamster Ovary Cell Mutant Resistant to Phosphatidylserine Is Defective in Transbilayer Movement of Cell Surface Phosphatidylserine

A mammalian plasma membrane protein(s) which catalyzes ATP-dependent transbilayer movement (flip-flop) of phosphatidylserine (PS) has been suggested to be involved in the formation and maintenance of membrane lipid asymmetry. Flip-flop of PS in the cell surface of nucleated cells was first described by O. C. Martin and R. E. Pagano (1987,J. Biol. Chem.262, 5890–5898). It has been suggested that flip-flop is involved in the internalization of exogenous PS in cultured cells. In the present study we report that incubation with an excess amount of PS is cytotoxic to Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, while the same amount of phosphatidylcholine gives no effect. This effect allowed us to obtain PS-resistant cells among mutagenized CHO cells. Endocytosis-independent internalization of exogenous fluorescent PS analog was defective in 40% of the PS-resistant mutants. One of the mutants, PSR (phosphatidylserine resistant) 406 was further characterized. Unlike wild-type CHO cells, this mutant did not transport fluorescent PS significantly at 15°C. Fluorescent PS was not metabolized at 15°C in either wild-type or mutant cells. These results suggest that transbilayer movement of cell surface PS is defective in PS-resistant cells.     

Cloning and expression analysis of hsp70 gene from freshwater planarian Dugesia japonica

Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) is an important member of the heat shock protein family. It plays a key role in the process of protecting cells by facilitating the folding of nascent peptides as well as the cellular stress response. We isolated and sequenced a full-length HSP70 cDNA from planarian Dugesia japonica (designated Djhsp70) using rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). Djhsp70 cDNA is highly homologous to other reported hsp70 family genes, and the deduced amino acid sequence shares several eukaryotic HSP70 family motifs. The length of the Djhsp70 ORF from planarian genomic DNA and cDNA was identical, which indicated the absence of introns in the Djhsp70 gene. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR was employed to detect the expression levels of Djhsp70 in response to stressors. Our results indicated that Djhsp70 was an inducible gene, expressed in response to temperature changes, amputation and starvation. Interestingly, the phylogenetic analysis of DjHSP70 supports the idea that planarians belong to a new phylogenetic position — Lophotrochozoans. This is the first molecular analysis of a heat shock protein gene in planarians.     

Heat shock protein 27 stimulates recovery of RNA and protein synthesis following a heat shock

Constitutive expression of human hsp27 resulted in a 100-fold increase in survival to a single lethal heat shock in CHO cells without effecting the development of thermotolerance. A possible mechanism for the thermoprotective function of hsp27 may be increased recovery of protein synthesis and RNA synthesis following a heat shock. A lethal heat shock (44°C, 30 min) results in a 90% reduction in the rate of protein synthesis in non-tolerant cells. Control transfected cells recovered protein synthesis to a pre-heat shock rate 10 h after the heat shock; while cell lines that constitutively express human hsp27 recovered 6 h after the heat shock. Thermotolerant cells had a 50% reduction in protein synthesis, which recovered within 7 h following the heat shock. The same lethal heat shock (44°C, 30 min) reduced RNA synthesis by 60% in the transfected cell lines, with the controls recovering in 7 h; while the hsp27 expressing cell lines recovered within 5 h. Thermotolerant cells had a 40% reduction in RNA synthesis and were able to recover within 4 h. The enhanced ability of hsp27 to facilitate recovery of protein synthesis and RNA synthesis following a heat shock may provide the cell with a survival advantage. J. Cell. Biochem. 66:153–164, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss Inc.     

Thermostability of lactate dehydrogenase LDH-A4 isoenzyme: Effect of heat shock protein DnaK on the enzyme activity

Cells exposed to temperature a few degrees higher than their growth temperature synthesize heat shock proteins (hsp) which may then compose even 20% of total protein content. This paper examined the in vitro protective effect of heat shock protein DnaK (70 kDa) from Escherichia coli against the heat inactivation of lactate dehydrogenase isoenzyme LDH-A₄. The LDH-A₄ isoenzyme was purified from fish skeletal muscle using the affinity chromatography on Oxamate-agarose. The enzyme was then heated in the absence and the presence of DnaK protein in a water bath at either 51 or 55°C. The LDH activity was determined by measuring the change in absorbency at 340 nm min⁻¹ at 30°C. The addition of DnaK protein to the LDH-A₄ isoenzyme before heat treatment can protect enzyme activity against mild thermal inactivation. Incubation of the LDH-A₄ isoenzyme at 51°C in the presence of DnaK protein stimulates its activity by about 30%. The presence of 2 mM ATP can raise LDH activity by another 10%. No significant recovery was observed when DnaK protein was added to LDH at 25°C following earlier inactivation. The maximal activities (V_max) in the presence of DnaK protein are almost twice those without DnaK protein in the case of heat-treated LDH-A₄ isoenzyme at 51°C. The observed protection of LDH-A₄ activity increased with the increasing DnaK protein concentration in the incubation medium. Results suggested that the presence of DnaK protein can protect LDH-A₄ from heat inactivation. This action may be important as a part of cellular chaperone machinery capable of repairing heat-induced protein damage. It may have a fundamental role in the acquisition of the thermotolerance to stress temperatures.     

Novel structure of a high molecular weight FK506 binding protein fromArabidopsis thaliana

We have isolated clones of an Arabidopsis gene (ROF1, forrotamaseFKBP) encoding a high molecular weight member of the FK506 binding protein (FKBP) family. The deduced amino acid sequence of ROF1 predicts a 551-amino acid, 62 kDa polypeptide which is 44% identical to human FKBP59 — a 59 kDa FKBP which binds to the 90 kDa heat shock protein and is associated with inactive steroid hormone receptors. ROF1 contains three FKBP12-like domains in the N-terminal portion of the protein (in contrast to two domains in mammalian FKBP59), an internal repeat structure associated with protein-protein interactions (tetratricopeptide repeats), and a putative calmodulin binding domain near the C-terminal region of the protein. No sequences associated with protein translocation out of the cytosol were found in ROF1.ROF1 mRNA was found at equivalent low levels in light-grown roots, stems, and flowers and at slightly higher levels in leaves. The abundance ofROF1 mRNA increased several-fold under stress conditions such as wounding or exposure to elevated NaCl levels.The nucleotide sequences in this paper have been submitted to the GenBank/EMBL Data bank with accession numbers U49453 and U57838     

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.