Heat Shock Proteins of Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan)

The proteins synthesized in response to higher temperature ina tropical legume-plant pigeon pea (Cajanus cajari) have beenstudied using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Ten to twelveheat shock proteins (hsps) of molecular weights ranging from15 to 81 kDa are synthesized by excised roots when temperatureis raised by 10?C above their normal growth temperature (30?C).The heat shock response is rapid and the presence of hsps canbe detected just 30 min after raising the temperature. Hspscan not be seen in stained gels, and their presence can onlybe monitored by fluorography. The results indicate the transientnature of their synthesis. Most of the hsps are of nuclear origin,however, at least two of them, 18 and 60 kDa proteins appearto be synthesized in mitochondria. (Received September 2, 1987; Accepted February 3, 1988)