Structure and mechanism of 70-kDa heat-shock-related proteins

A gene encoding a DnaK/hsp70 homolog in Escherichia coli

Eukaryotic organisms have been shown to have multiple forms of hsp70-class stress-related proteins, but only a single family member, DnaK, has been found in prokaryotes. We report here the identification of a heat shock cognate gene, designated hsc, in Escherichia coli. The amino acid sequence deduced from hsc predicts a 65,647-Da polypeptide having 41% sequence identity with DnaK from E. coli, and overexpression produces a protein (Hsc66) with properties similar to DnaK. In contrast to dnaK, however, the hsc gene lacks a consensus heat shock promoter sequence, and expression is not induced by elevated temperature. The hsc gene is located near 54 min on the physical map, immediately upstream of the fdx gene, which encodes a [2Fe-2S] ferredoxin; evidence is presented that the hsc and fdx genes make up a bicistronic operon in which expression of the ferredoxin is coupled to that of Hsc66. The function of Hsc66 is not known, but the coregulation of its expression with that of ferredoxin suggests the possibility of a specific role in association with the ferredoxin protein.

Molecular chaperones. Panning for chaperone-binding peptides

Experiments designed to define the substrate-binding preferences of the molecular chaperone BiP show that bound peptides are characterized by a heptameric motif with alternating hydrophobic residues.

Translational control during heat shock

Regulation of translation during heat shock of Drosophila and mammalian cells is reviewed. Protein synthesis is severely inhibited by elevated temperatures but synthesis of heat shock proteins (HSPs) is resistant to this inhibition. The primary site of regulation is polypeptide chain initiation. The activities of two initiation factors, eIF-2 and eIF-4F, are modulated during heat shock. A protein kinase which modulates eIF-2 activity appears to be associated with heat shock proteins (HSPs). Evidence is emerging that HSP70 acts as a heat sensor by detecting the presence of accumulating denatured proteins. In the rabbit reticulocyte lysate denatured proteins bind HSP70 releasing an eIF-2 kinase to shut down protein synthesis. It appears highly likely that a similar mechanism is acting in heat shocked cells. Cell-free protein synthesizing systems prepared from heat shocked cells are deficient in eIF-4F. Modulation of eIF-4F can explain in part the apparent preferential translation of HSP mRNAs.