HSP25 in isolated perfused rat hearts: Localization and response to hyperthermia

Recent investigations concentrate on the correlation between the myocardial expression of the inducible 70-kDa heat shock protein (HSP70i) by different stress conditions and its possible protective effects. Only few studies have focused on the involvement of small heat shock proteins in this process. We analyzed the location of the small heat shock protein HSP25 in isolated cardiomyocytes as well as its location and induction in isolated perfused hearts of rats. By immunofluorescence microscopy HSP25 was found to colocalize with actin in the I-band of myofibrils in cardiomyocytes of isolated perfused hearts as well as in isolated neonatal and adult cardiomyocytes. Hyperthermic perfusion of isolated hearts for 45 min resulted in modulation of different parameters of heart function and in induction of HSP25 and HSP70i. Temperatures higher than 43°C (44–46°C) were lethal with respect to the contractile function of the hearts. Compared to control hearts perfused at 37°C, significant increases during hyperthermic perfusion at 42°C and 43°C were obtained for heart rate, contraction velocity and relaxation velocity. In response to hyperthermia at 43°C and after subsequent normothermic perfusion for 135 min at 37°C, left ventricular pressure, contraction velocity and relaxation velocity remained significantly elevated. However, heart rate returned to control values immediately after the period of heat treatment. HSP25 is constitutively expressed even in normothermic perfused hearts as shown by Western blotting. Hyperthermia increased the content of HSP25 only in the left ventricular tissue. In contrast, HSP70i was strongly induced in all analyzed parts of the myocardium (left ventricle, right ventricle, septum). Our findings suggest a differential regulation of HSP25 and HSP70i expression in response to hyperthermia in isolated perfused hearts. The constitutively expressed HSP25 seems to be located adjacent to the myofibrils which implies a specific role of this protein even under unstressed conditions for the contractile function of the myocardium.     

Seasonal patterns of dehydrins and 70-kDa heat-shock proteins in bark tissues of eight species of woody plants

Although considerable effort has been directed at identifying and understanding the function and regulation of stress-induced proteins in herbaceous plants, reports concerning woody plants are limited. Studies with herbaceous crops have revealed similarities in the types of proteins that accumulate in response to a wide array of abiotic stresses and hormonal cues such as the accumulation of abscisic acid. Many of the identified proteins appear to be related to dehydrins (the D-11 subgroup of late-embryogenesis-abundant proteins). The objective of the present study was to determine if seasonal induction of dehydrins is a common feature in woody plants and to see if seasonal patterns existed for other stress-induced proteins. Bark tissues from eight species of woody plants were collected monthly for a period of 1.5 years. The species included: peach (Prunus persica) cv. Loring; apple (Malus domestica) cv. Golden Delicious; thornless blackberry (Rubus sp.) cv. Chester; hybrid poplar (Populus nigra); weeping willow (Salix babylonica); flowering dogwood (Cornus florida); sassafras (Sassafras albidum); and black locust (Robinia pseudo-acacia). Immunoblots of bark proteins were probed with a polyclonal antibody recognizing a conserved region of dehydrin proteins, and monoclonal antibodies directed against members of the HS70 family of heat-shock proteins. Some proteins, immunologically related to dehydrins, appeared to be constitutive; however, distinct seasonal patterns associated with winter acclimation were also observed in all species. The molecular masses of these proteins varied widely, although similarities were observed in related species (willow and poplar). Identification of proteins using the monoclonal antibodies (HSP70, HSC70, BiP) was more definitive because of their inherent specificity, but seasonal patterns were more variable among the eight species examined. This study represents only a precursory examination of several proteins reported to be stress related in herbaceous plants, but the results indicate that these proteins are also common to woody plants and that further research to characterize their regulation and function in relation to stress adaptation and the perennial life cycle of woody plants is warranted.     

Identification of members of the HSP30 small heat shock protein family and characterization of their developmental regulation in heat-shocked xenopus laevis embryos

In the present study we have characterized the synthesis of members of the HSP30 family during Xenopus laevis development using a polyclonal antipeptide antibody derived from the carboxyl end of HSP30C. Two-dimensional PAGE/immunoblot analysis was unable to detect any heat-inducible small HSPs in cleavage, blastula, gastrula, or neurula stage embryos. However, heat-inducible accumulation of a single protein was first detectable in early tailbud embryos with an additional 5 HSPs at the late tailbud stage and a total of 13 small HSPs at the early tadpole stage. In the Xenopus A6 kidney epithelial cell line, a total of eight heat-inducible small HSPs were detected by this antibody. Comparison of the pattern of protein synthesis in embryos and somatic cells revealed a number of common and unique heat inducible proteins in Xenopus embryos and cultured kidney epithelial cells. To specifically identify the protein product of the HSP30C gene, we made a chimeric gene construct with the Xenopus HSP30C coding sequence under the control of a constitutive promoter. This construct was microinjected into fertilized eggs and resulted in the premature and constitutive synthesis of the HSP30C protein in gastrula stage embryos. Through a series of mixing experiments, we were able to specifically identify the protein encoded by the HSP30C gene in embryos and somatic cells and to conclude that HSP30C synthesis was first heat-inducible at the early tailbud stage of development. The differential pattern of heat-inducible accumulation of members of the HSP30 family during Xenopus development suggests that these proteins may have distinct functions at specific embryonic stages during a stress response.     

Phylogenetic analysis of the stress-70 protein family

The eukaryotic cyto-/nucleoplasmatic 70-kDa heat-shock protein (HSP70) has homologues in the endoplasmic reticulum as well as in bacteria, mitochondria, and plastids. We selected a representative subset from the large number of sequenced stress-70 family members which covers all known branches of the protein family and calculated and manually improved an alignment. Here we present the consensus sequence of the aligned proteins and putative nuclear localization signals (NLS) in the eukaryotic HSP70 homologues. The phylogenetic relationships of the stress-70 group family members were estimated by use of different computation methods. We present a phylogenetic tree containing all known stress-70 subfamilies and demonstrate the usefulness of stress-70 protein sequences for the estimation of intertaxonic phylogeny. Correspondence to: S.A. Reusing     

Nitric oxide is involved in heat-induced HSP70 accumulation

Heat shock potentiated the nitric oxide production (EPR assay) in the liver, kidney, heart, spleen, intestine, and brain. The heat shock-induced sharp transient increase in the rate of nitric oxide production preceded the accumulation of heat shock proteins (HSP70) (Western blot analysis) as measured in the heart and liver. In all organs the nitric oxide formation was completely blocked by the NO-synthase inhibitor (L-NNA). L-NNA also markedly attenuated the heat shock-induced accumulation of HSP70. The results suggests that nitric oxide is involved in the heat shock-induced activation of HSP70 synthesis.     

Thermotolerance induced by heat shock in Chlorella

Thermotolerance in cultures of Chlorella zofingiensis was induced by heat shock treatment at supraoptimal temperatures (40and 45 °C for 30 min). Thermotolerance was assayed by two methods: the survival of the cells at 70 °C and the growth of diluted cultures at 35 and 45 °C. A culture without heat shock treatment was unable to grow at 45 °C. According to eletrophoretic analyses, the synthesis of proteins of 95, 73, 60, 43 and 27 kDa was induced by heat shock treatment. The large molecular weight proteins (95, 73, 60 and43 kDa) were present in non-heat treated cells, but the heat shock treatment increased their quantity in cells. The synthesis of a low molecular weight protein (27 kDa) was induced by heat shock treatment. The induced thermotolerance could be inhibited by the presence of an 80S ribosomal translation inhibitor, cycloheximide(CHI). The first 12 amino acid residues from the N-terminus of the27 kDa heat shock induced protein are Val-Glu-Trp-Try-Gly-Pro-Asn-Arg-Ala-Lys-Phe-Leu. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

热胁迫对二化螟幼虫血淋巴细胞内活性氧、HSP90及细胞凋亡的影响

为探讨热激条件下二化螟Chilo suppressalis幼虫体内生理上的保护反应,本研究应用流式细胞术分析了热胁迫对二化螟幼虫血淋巴细胞内活性氧（ROS）、热休克蛋白90（HSP90）的产生和对细胞凋亡的影响。结果表明：暴露于33℃,36℃和39℃的二化螟5龄幼虫的ROS与对照（28℃）相比显著提高,分别增加了1.71,1.69和1.38倍;当温度达到33℃以后,ROS不再显著增加。实时定量PCR结果显示,二化螟HSP90基因在热胁迫诱导下表达。流式细胞术检测表明,HSP90的变化与在mRNA水平上的变化高度一致,热胁迫处理没有造成血淋巴细胞凋亡的显著变化。这些研究结果进一步证明热胁迫产生的ROS激活HSP90基因的表达,HSP90蛋白在保护机体免受ROS引起的伤害中起着重要作用,能够抑制血淋巴细胞凋亡的发生。     

小菜蛾热休克蛋白基因的鉴定及其表达模式分析

热休克蛋白(heat shock protein, HSP)在昆虫应对外界胁迫刺激时起着重要作用。为了系统研究小菜蛾Plutella xylostella HSP基因家族, 根据家蚕的HSP蛋白序列, 采用本地Blast程序对小菜蛾全基因组数据库进行同源序列检索, 从小菜蛾基因组数据库中鉴定了25个HSP基因, 包括2个HSP90、 8个HSP70和15个sHSP（small heat shock protein, sHSP）基因。小菜蛾、 家蚕Bombyx mori、 黑腹果蝇Drosophila melanogaster和赤拟谷盗Tribolium castaneum的HSP系统进化分析显示, 昆虫的小分子量热休克蛋白sHSP具有很强的种属特异性, HSP70家族的保守性比sHSP强。小菜蛾HSP基因表达模式分析显示, 与敏感品系对比, 抗性品系（抗毒死蜱和抗氟虫氰品系）中HSP基因具有不同的表达模式。小菜蛾1, 2和3龄幼虫HSP基因表达模式较为接近, 而与4龄幼虫中的表达模式相差较大; 4龄幼虫和蛹中的表达模式相近; 雌成虫和雄成虫中的表达模式显著不同, 与果蝇精子形成有关的两个热休克蛋白HSP23和HSP27基因［分别为CCG003980.1 (Px23.5)和CCG005412.2 (Px27.5)］, 在小菜蛾雄成虫中的表达量显著高于雌成虫。研究结果表明小菜蛾HSP基因不仅在杀虫剂抗性、 发育分化, 甚至在生殖上均可能起着重要的作用。本研究为深入研究小菜蛾HSP与生长发育、 抗逆行为的相互关系奠定了基础。