Stable binding of Drosophila heat shock factor to head-to-head and tail-to-tail repeats of a conserved 5 bp recognition unit

Cloning of two related genes encoding the 56-kDa and 123-kDa subunits of trehalose synthase from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Preparations of intact trehalose synthase contain three polypeptides with molecular masses of 56, 102 and 123 kDa. We have cloned the genes TSS1 and TSL1 coding for the 56- and 123-kDa subunits, respectively. These genes are located on chromosomes II (TSS1) and XIII (TSL1). The TSS1 gene was found to be identical with CIF1, a gene required for normal growth on glucose. The product of the entire TSS1 gene exhibits 37% identity with a 502-amino-acid stretch from the middle of the TSL1 product. Disruption of the TSS1 gene in yeast eliminates both trehalose 6-phosphate synthase (Tre6P synthase) and trehalose 6-phosphate phosphatase (Tre6Pase) activities, and reintroduction of this gene restores these activities. Transformation of Escherichia coli with TSS1 increases its Tre6P synthase activity. Specific proteolytic degradation of the 123-kDa polypeptide from the N-terminus greatly influences the Tre6P synthase activity, decreasing its inhibition by phosphate and activatability by fructose 6-phosphate but has little effect on the Tre6Pase activity. These results suggest that this N-terminal part confers regulatory properties upon the Tre6P synthase activity.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae HSP70 heat shock elements are functionally distinct

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae HSP70 gene SSA1 has multiple heat shock elements (HSEs). To determine the significance of each of these sequences for expression of SSA1, we analyzed expression from a set of promoters containing point mutations in each of the HSEs, individually and in pairwise combinations. Of the three HSE-like sequences, two (HSE2 and HSE3) were active promoter elements; only one, HSE2, was active under basal growth conditions. Either HSE2 or HSE3 alone was able to drive SSA1 transcription at near-normal rates after heat shock. Both HSE2 and HSE3 were capable of driving basal transcription when placed in the context of the CYC1 promoter. Previous analysis had identified an upstream repressing sequence overlapping HSE2 that repressed basal transcription driven by HSE2. Our analysis showed that basal transcription driven by HSE3 was repressed both by the distant upstream repressing sequence and by closer flanking sequences. The ability to drive basal transcription is not inherent in all natural HSEs, since the HSEs from the heat-inducible SSA3 and SSA4 genes showed no basal activity when placed in the CYC1 vector. Gel mobility shift experiments showed that the same population of heat shock transcription factor molecules bound to HSEs capable of driving basal activity and to HSEs having very low or undetectable basal activity.

Induction temperature of human heat shock factor is reprogrammed in a Drosophila cell environment

Heat shock factor (HSF), the transcriptional activator of eukaryotic heat shock genes, is induced to bind DNA by a monomer to trimer transition involving leucine zipper interactions. Although this mode of regulation is shared among many eukaryotic species, there is variation in the temperature at which HSF binding activity is induced. We investigated the basis of this variation by analysing the response of a human HSF expressed in Drosophila cells and Drosophila HSF expressed in human cells. We report here that the temperature that induces DNA binding and trimerization of human HSF in Drosophila was decreased by approximately 10 degrees C to the induction temperature for the host cell, whereas Drosophila HSF expressed in human cells was constitutively active. The results indicate that the activity of HSF in vivo is not a simple function of the absolute environmental temperature.

Targeted single-cell induction of gene products in Caenorhabditis elegans: a new tool for developmental studies

Heat shock promoters have been employed to achieve tightly regulated expression of transformed genes in a wide variety of model systems including tissue culture cells, bacteria, yeast, Drosophila, and more recently Caenorhabditis elegans. Here we investigate the feasibility of using a laser microbeam to induce a sub-lethal heat shock response in individual cells of C. elegans. We demonstrate that in transgenic strains carrying heat shock promoter-lacZ fusions, single cell expression of beta-galactosidase in a variety of cell types of endodermal, mesodermal, or ectodermal origin can be achieved after pulsing with a laser. A tissue-general, inducible promoter can therefore be converted into one of single cell specificity which can be induced rapidly at any point in development, offering unique opportunities to study cell-cell interactions in C. elegans. This technique defines a new approach to generate mosaic animals and may be adaptable to other organisms or tissues.

Mouse heat shock transcription factors 1 and 2 prefer a trimeric binding site but interact differently with the HSP70 heat shock element

To understand the function of multiple heat shock transcription factors in higher eukaryotes, we have characterized the interaction of recombinant mouse heat shock transcription factors 1 and 2 (mHSF1 and mHSF2) with their binding site, the heat shock element (HSE). For our analysis, we utilized the human HSP70 HSE, which consists of three perfect 5'-nGAAn-3' sites (1, 3, and 4) and two imperfect sites (2 and 5) arranged as tandem inverted repeats. Recombinant mHSF1 and mHSF2, which exist as trimers in solution, both bound specifically to this HSE and stimulated transcription of a human HSP70-CAT construct in vitro. Footprinting analyses revealed differential binding of mHSF1 and mHSF2 to the HSP70 HSE. Specifically, mHSF1 bound all five pentameric sites, whereas mHSF2 failed to interact with the first site of the HSE but bound to sites 2 to 5. Missing-nucleoside analysis demonstrated that the third and fourth nGAAn sites were essential for mHSF1 and mHSF2 binding. The binding of the initial mHSF1 trimer to the HSE exhibited preference for sites 3, 4, and 5, and then binding of a second trimer occurred at sites 1 and 2. These results suggest that HSF may recognize its binding site through the dyad symmetry of sites 3 and 4 but requires an adjacent site for stable interaction. Our data demonstrate that mHSF1 and mHSF2 bind specifically to the HSE through major groove interactions. Methidiumpropyl-EDTA footprinting revealed structural differences in the first and third repeats of the HSE, suggesting that the DNA is distorted in this region. The possibility that the HSE region is naturally distorted may assist in understanding how a trimer of HSF can bind to what is essentially an inverted repeat binding site.

Activation of Drosophila heat shock factor: conformational change associated with a monomer-to-trimer transition

The induction of heat shock genes in eukaryotic cells is regulated by the transcription factor heat shock factor (HSF). Activation of HSF occurs at two independent levels, DNA binding and the acquisition of transcriptional competence. The binding of HSF to DNA is accomplished by a stress-induced oligomeric switch of HSF protein. We have defined the oligomeric state of the latent and induced forms of HSF by measuring the sedimentation coefficient and the Stokes radius of the protein in Drosophila cell extracts. Calculation of the native molecular mass indicates that the two forms of Drosophila HSF are best described as a monomer and trimer, respectively, of the 77-kDa HSF polypeptide. The monomeric and trimeric states of HSF were verified by chemical cross-linking experiments. The finding of a monomeric composition for the latent form of HSF is incompatible with speculative models which suggest that molecular chaperones such as hsp70 feed back to inhibit trimerization of HSF by forming a stable heteromeric complex. We also found that both HSF monomers and HSF trimers exhibit unusually high frictional ratios, indicating that they have asymmetric shapes. The degree of asymmetry is significantly greater for the HSF trimer, suggesting that the monomer undergoes a conformational change to a more extended structure upon trimerization. These findings are consistent with a model for the inert HSF protein that is based on a monomer constrained by intramolecular coiled-coil interactions between amino- and carboxy-terminal domains.

Proline isomerases function during heat shock

The cyclophilins (CYPs) and FK506 binding proteins (FKBPs) are two families of distinct proline isomerases that are targets for a number of clinically important immunosuppressive drugs. Members of both families catalyze cis/trans isomerization of peptidyl-prolyl bonds, which can be a rate-limiting step during protein folding in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrate in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that heat shock causes a 2- to 3-fold increase in the level of mRNA encoded by the major cytoplasmic CYP gene, CYP1. The cloned CYP1 promoter confers heat-inducible expression upon a reporter gene, and transcriptional induction is mediated through sequences similar to the consensus heat shock response element. Disruption of CYP1 decreases survival of cells following exposure to high temperatures, indicating that CYP1 plays a role in the stress response. A second CYP gene, CYP2, encodes a cyclophilin that is located within the secretory pathway. Its expression is also stimulated by heat shock, and cells containing a disrupted CYP2 allele are more sensitive than wild-type cells to heat. By contrast, expression of the FKB1 gene, which encodes a cytoplasmic member of the yeast FKBP family, is neither heat responsive nor necessary for survival after exposure to heat stress.

Activation of Drosophila heat shock factor: conformational change associated with a monomer-to-trimer transition

The induction of heat shock genes in eukaryotic cells is regulated by the transcription factor heat shock factor (HSF). Activation of HSF occurs at two independent levels, DNA binding and the acquisition of transcriptional competence. The binding of HSF to DNA is accomplished by a stress-induced oligomeric switch of HSF protein. We have defined the oligomeric state of the latent and induced forms of HSF by measuring the sedimentation coefficient and the Stokes radius of the protein in Drosophila cell extracts. Calculation of the native molecular mass indicates that the two forms of Drosophila HSF are best described as a monomer and trimer, respectively, of the 77-kDa HSF polypeptide. The monomeric and trimeric states of HSF were verified by chemical cross-linking experiments. The finding of a monomeric composition for the latent form of HSF is incompatible with speculative models which suggest that molecular chaperones such as hsp70 feed back to inhibit trimerization of HSF by forming a stable heteromeric complex. We also found that both HSF monomers and HSF trimers exhibit unusually high frictional ratios, indicating that they have asymmetric shapes. The degree of asymmetry is significantly greater for the HSF trimer, suggesting that the monomer undergoes a conformational change to a more extended structure upon trimerization. These findings are consistent with a model for the inert HSF protein that is based on a monomer constrained by intramolecular coiled-coil interactions between amino- and carboxy-terminal domains.

Mouse heat shock transcription factors 1 and 2 prefer a trimeric binding site but interact differently with the HSP70 heat shock element

To understand the function of multiple heat shock transcription factors in higher eukaryotes, we have characterized the interaction of recombinant mouse heat shock transcription factors 1 and 2 (mHSF1 and mHSF2) with their binding site, the heat shock element (HSE). For our analysis, we utilized the human HSP70 HSE, which consists of three perfect 5'-nGAAn-3' sites (1, 3, and 4) and two imperfect sites (2 and 5) arranged as tandem inverted repeats. Recombinant mHSF1 and mHSF2, which exist as trimers in solution, both bound specifically to this HSE and stimulated transcription of a human HSP70-CAT construct in vitro. Footprinting analyses revealed differential binding of mHSF1 and mHSF2 to the HSP70 HSE. Specifically, mHSF1 bound all five pentameric sites, whereas mHSF2 failed to interact with the first site of the HSE but bound to sites 2 to 5. Missing-nucleoside analysis demonstrated that the third and fourth nGAAn sites were essential for mHSF1 and mHSF2 binding. The binding of the initial mHSF1 trimer to the HSE exhibited preference for sites 3, 4, and 5, and then binding of a second trimer occurred at sites 1 and 2. These results suggest that HSF may recognize its binding site through the dyad symmetry of sites 3 and 4 but requires an adjacent site for stable interaction. Our data demonstrate that mHSF1 and mHSF2 bind specifically to the HSE through major groove interactions. Methidiumpropyl-EDTA footprinting revealed structural differences in the first and third repeats of the HSE, suggesting that the DNA is distorted in this region. The possibility that the HSE region is naturally distorted may assist in understanding how a trimer of HSF can bind to what is essentially an inverted repeat binding site.

Structure of the gene encoding the mouse 47-kDa heat-shock protein (HSP47)

HSP47, a 47-kDa heat-shock protein (HSP), is a member of a group of HSPs with the unique characteristics of collagen binding as well as transformation sensitivity. The protein belongs to the serpin (serine protease inhibitor) superfamily as determined from its amino acid sequence homology. We have isolated and characterized the mouse HSP47 including about 1 kb of the 5'-flanking region. This gene spans about 7.8 kb, consisting of six exons separated by five introns. This exon-intron structure is different from other serpin family proteins. Southern blot analysis revealed the existence of a single copy of HSP47. The promoter region contains a TATA box, four Sp1-binding sites and one AP-1-binding site. A complete heat-shock element (HSE) was found between nucleotides (nt) -61 and -79. Furthermore, the heat inducibility was reproduced by transfecting mouse BALB/3T3 cells with a plasmid carrying cat under the control of the HSE-containing fragment (nt -197 and +38) of HSP47. Computer analysis of the promoter region did not show marked homology to other vertebrate promoters.

Characterization of a novel chicken heat shock transcription factor, heat shock factor 3, suggests a new regulatory pathway

We have cloned three avian heat shock transcription factor (HSF) genes corresponding to a novel factor, HSF3, and the avian homologs of mammalian HSF1 and HSF2. The predicted amino acid sequence of HSF3 is approximately 40% related to the sequence of HSF1 and HSF2. The sequences for all three factors exhibit extensive identify in the DNA binding motifs and the heptad repeats of hydrophobic amino acids which are common to all eukaryotic HSFs. Despite these overall similarities, each avian HSF exhibits distinct DNA binding properties. HSF2 when expressed in vitro binds constitutively to the heat shock element promoter sequence, whereas neither HSF1 nor HSF3 expressed in vitro binds to DNA. HSF1 DNA binding is induced upon heat shock or treatment with nonionic detergents, whereas the DNA binding properties of HSF3 are not induced by these conditions in vitro. These results suggest that HSF3 activation may involve an induction pathway distinct from the traditional forms of heat shock gene induction. HSF3 DNA binding activity, however, is obtained when the carboxyl-terminal region including the distal heptad repeat is deleted, indicating the presence of negative cis-regulatory sequences. The HSF3 message, like HSF1 and HSF2 messages, is coexpressed during development and in most tissues, which suggests a general role for the regulatory pathway involving HSF3.

Contribution of sequences downstream of the TATA element to a protein-DNA complex containing the TATA-binding protein

A TATA complex that forms on the hsp70 promoter has been found to depend on sequence-specific interactions that occur at the transcription start and regions further downstream. The complex was detected with a gel shift assay and further characterized with interference assays. Antibodies reveal that the TATA-binding protein is in the complex. Interference assays localize specific contacts in the TATA element, the start site, and in a region approximately 25 bp downstream of the start site that contribute to either the assembly or the maintenance of the complex. Contact at the TATA element is made in the minor groove, as has been reported for the recombinant TATA-binding protein. Mutation in the TATA element or the start site of hsp70 causes complex formation to be more strongly dependent on contacts in the +25 region than in the normal core promoter. Examination of the hsp26 and histone H4 genes indicates that similar contacts contribute to the TATA complexes that form on these promoters. The results suggest that specific contacts downstream of the TATA element could play a key role in establishing the transcriptional potential of a gene by contributing to the interaction of the TATA-binding protein.

Activation of human heat shock genes is accompanied by oligomerization, modification, and rapid translocation of heat shock transcription factor HSF1

Transcriptional activity of heat shock (hsp) genes is controlled by a heat-activated, group-specific transcription factor(s) recognizing arrays of inverted repeats of the element NGAAN. To date genes for two human factors, HSF1 and HSF2, have been isolated. To define their properties as well as the changes they undergo during heat stress activation, we prepared polyclonal antibodies to these factors. Using these tools, we have shown that human HeLa cells constitutively synthesize HSF1, but we were unable to detect HSF2. In unstressed cells HSF1 is present mainly in complexes with an apparent molecular mass of about 200 kDa, unable to bind to DNA. Heat treatment induces a shift in the apparent molecular mass of HSF1 to about 700 kDa, concomitant with the acquisition of DNA-binding ability. Cross-linking experiments suggest that this change in complex size may reflect the trimerization of monomeric HSF1. Human HSF1 expressed in Xenopus oocytes does not bind DNA, but derepression of DNA-binding activity, as well as oligomerization of HSF1, occurs during heat treatment at the same temperature at which hsp gene expression is induced in this organism, suggesting that a conserved Xenopus protein(s) plays a role in this regulation. Inactive HSF1 resides in the cytoplasm of human cells; on activation it rapidly translocates to a soluble nuclear fraction, and shortly thereafter it becomes associated with the nuclear pellet. On heat shock, activatable HSF1, which might already have been posttranslationally modified in the unstressed cell, undergoes further modification. These different process provide multiple points of regulation of hsp gene expression.

Dual control of heat shock response: involvement of a constitutive heat shock element-binding factor

Heat shock factor (HSF) has been implicated as the key regulatory protein in the heat shock response. Our studies on the response of rodent cells to heat shock or sodium arsenite indicate that a high level of HSF-DNA-binding activity, by itself, is not sufficient for the induction of hsp70 mRNA synthesis; furthermore, a high level of HSF binding is also not necessary for this induction. Analysis of the binding of protein factors to the heat shock element (HSE) in extracts of stressed rodent cells indicates that the regulation of heat shock response involves the heat-inducible HSF and a constitutive HSE-binding factor. Our results also suggest that overexpression of human hsp70 may decrease the level of heat-induced HSF-HSE-binding activity in rat cells.

Activation of human heat shock genes is accompanied by oligomerization, modification, and rapid translocation of heat shock transcription factor HSF1

Transcriptional activity of heat shock (hsp) genes is controlled by a heat-activated, group-specific transcription factor(s) recognizing arrays of inverted repeats of the element NGAAN. To date genes for two human factors, HSF1 and HSF2, have been isolated. To define their properties as well as the changes they undergo during heat stress activation, we prepared polyclonal antibodies to these factors. Using these tools, we have shown that human HeLa cells constitutively synthesize HSF1, but we were unable to detect HSF2. In unstressed cells HSF1 is present mainly in complexes with an apparent molecular mass of about 200 kDa, unable to bind to DNA. Heat treatment induces a shift in the apparent molecular mass of HSF1 to about 700 kDa, concomitant with the acquisition of DNA-binding ability. Cross-linking experiments suggest that this change in complex size may reflect the trimerization of monomeric HSF1. Human HSF1 expressed in Xenopus oocytes does not bind DNA, but derepression of DNA-binding activity, as well as oligomerization of HSF1, occurs during heat treatment at the same temperature at which hsp gene expression is induced in this organism, suggesting that a conserved Xenopus protein(s) plays a role in this regulation. Inactive HSF1 resides in the cytoplasm of human cells; on activation it rapidly translocates to a soluble nuclear fraction, and shortly thereafter it becomes associated with the nuclear pellet. On heat shock, activatable HSF1, which might already have been posttranslationally modified in the unstressed cell, undergoes further modification. These different process provide multiple points of regulation of hsp gene expression.

Activation of heat shock gene transcription by heat shock factor 1 involves oligomerization, acquisition of DNA-binding activity, and nuclear localization and can occur in the absence of stress

The existence of multiple heat shock factor (HSF) genes in higher eukaryotes has promoted questions regarding the functions of these HSF family members, especially with respect to the stress response. To address these questions, we have used polyclonal antisera raised against mouse HSF1 and HSF2 to examine the biochemical, physical, and functional properties of these two factors in unstressed and heat-shocked mouse and human cells. We have identified HSF1 as the mediator of stress-induced heat shock gene transcription. HSF1 displays stress-induced DNA-binding activity, oligomerization, and nuclear localization, while HSF2 does not. Also, HSF1 undergoes phosphorylation in cells exposed to heat or cadmium sulfate but not in cells treated with the amino acid analog L-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid, indicating that phosphorylation of HSF1 is not essential for its activation. Interestingly, HSF1 and HSF2 overexpressed in transfected 3T3 cells both display constitutive DNA-binding activity, oligomerization, and transcriptional activity. These results demonstrate that HSF1 can be activated in the absence of physiological stress and also provide support for a model of regulation of HSF1 and HSF2 activity by a titratable negative regulatory factor.

Characterization of a novel chicken heat shock transcription factor, heat shock factor 3, suggests a new regulatory pathway

We have cloned three avian heat shock transcription factor (HSF) genes corresponding to a novel factor, HSF3, and the avian homologs of mammalian HSF1 and HSF2. The predicted amino acid sequence of HSF3 is approximately 40% related to the sequence of HSF1 and HSF2. The sequences for all three factors exhibit extensive identify in the DNA binding motifs and the heptad repeats of hydrophobic amino acids which are common to all eukaryotic HSFs. Despite these overall similarities, each avian HSF exhibits distinct DNA binding properties. HSF2 when expressed in vitro binds constitutively to the heat shock element promoter sequence, whereas neither HSF1 nor HSF3 expressed in vitro binds to DNA. HSF1 DNA binding is induced upon heat shock or treatment with nonionic detergents, whereas the DNA binding properties of HSF3 are not induced by these conditions in vitro. These results suggest that HSF3 activation may involve an induction pathway distinct from the traditional forms of heat shock gene induction. HSF3 DNA binding activity, however, is obtained when the carboxyl-terminal region including the distal heptad repeat is deleted, indicating the presence of negative cis-regulatory sequences. The HSF3 message, like HSF1 and HSF2 messages, is coexpressed during development and in most tissues, which suggests a general role for the regulatory pathway involving HSF3.

Contribution of sequences downstream of the TATA element to a protein-DNA complex containing the TATA-binding protein

A TATA complex that forms on the hsp70 promoter has been found to depend on sequence-specific interactions that occur at the transcription start and regions further downstream. The complex was detected with a gel shift assay and further characterized with interference assays. Antibodies reveal that the TATA-binding protein is in the complex. Interference assays localize specific contacts in the TATA element, the start site, and in a region approximately 25 bp downstream of the start site that contribute to either the assembly or the maintenance of the complex. Contact at the TATA element is made in the minor groove, as has been reported for the recombinant TATA-binding protein. Mutation in the TATA element or the start site of hsp70 causes complex formation to be more strongly dependent on contacts in the +25 region than in the normal core promoter. Examination of the hsp26 and histone H4 genes indicates that similar contacts contribute to the TATA complexes that form on these promoters. The results suggest that specific contacts downstream of the TATA element could play a key role in establishing the transcriptional potential of a gene by contributing to the interaction of the TATA-binding protein.

Activation of heat shock gene transcription by heat shock factor 1 involves oligomerization, acquisition of DNA-binding activity, and nuclear localization and can occur in the absence of stress

The existence of multiple heat shock factor (HSF) genes in higher eukaryotes has promoted questions regarding the functions of these HSF family members, especially with respect to the stress response. To address these questions, we have used polyclonal antisera raised against mouse HSF1 and HSF2 to examine the biochemical, physical, and functional properties of these two factors in unstressed and heat-shocked mouse and human cells. We have identified HSF1 as the mediator of stress-induced heat shock gene transcription. HSF1 displays stress-induced DNA-binding activity, oligomerization, and nuclear localization, while HSF2 does not. Also, HSF1 undergoes phosphorylation in cells exposed to heat or cadmium sulfate but not in cells treated with the amino acid analog L-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid, indicating that phosphorylation of HSF1 is not essential for its activation. Interestingly, HSF1 and HSF2 overexpressed in transfected 3T3 cells both display constitutive DNA-binding activity, oligomerization, and transcriptional activity. These results demonstrate that HSF1 can be activated in the absence of physiological stress and also provide support for a model of regulation of HSF1 and HSF2 activity by a titratable negative regulatory factor.

Transcriptional regulation in Drosophila during heat shock: a nuclear run-on analysis

We used a nuclear run-on assay as a novel approach to study the changes in transcriptional activity that take place in Drosophila melanogaster during heat shock. In response to a rapid temperature upshift, total transcriptional activity in cultured KC161 cells decreased proportionally to the severity of the shock. After extended stress at 37 degrees C (15 min or more), transcription was severely reduced, and at 39 degrees C most transcription was instantaneously arrested. However, strikingly different responses were observed for individual genes. Transcription of histone H1 genes was severely inhibited even under mild heat shock conditions. Transcription of the actin 5C gene decreased progressively with increasing temperature, while transcription of the core histone genes or of the heat shock cognate genes was repressed only under severe heat shock conditions. Transcriptional activation of the D. melanogaster heat shock genes was also investigated. In unshocked cells, hsp84 was moderately transcribed, while transcriptional activity at the other protein-coding heat shock genes was undetectable (less than 0.2 polymerases per gene). Engaged but paused RNA polymerase molecules were found at the hsp70 and hsp26 genes, but not at the other heat shock genes. The rates of transcription increased with increasing temperature with a peak of expression at around 35 degrees C. At 37 degrees C, induction was less efficient, and no induction was achieved after a rapid shift to 39 degrees C. Increased transcription of the heat shock genes was observed within 1-2 min of heat shock, and maximal rates were reached within 2-5 min. Despite very similar profiles of response, different heat shock genes were transcribed at strikingly different rates, which varied over a 20-fold range. The noncoding heat shock locus 93D was transcribed at a very high rate under non-heat shock conditions, and showed a transcriptional response to elevated temperatures different from that of protein-coding heat shock genes. An estimation of the absolute rates of transcription at different temperatures was obtained.

Transient gene expression of foreign genes in preheated protoplasts: stimulation of expression of transfected genes lacking heat shock elements

Transfection of preheated petunia protoplasts with several biologically active DNA constructs resulted in a significantly higher gene expression than that observed in transfected unheated protoplasts. It was observed with supercoiled, linearized and single-stranded DNA structures that stimulation of transient gene expression in preheated protoplasts was neither dependent on the reporter gene nor on the regulatory elements used. Heat treatment at 42 degrees C also increased expression in protoplasts transfected with a plasmid bearing the tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) translational enhancer, omega. Northern blot analysis revealed that heat treatment of protoplasts before the transfection event greatly increased the amount of the newly synthesized transcripts. Preheating of protoplasts did not affect the transfection efficiency, namely the number of transfected cells in the population, nor the amount of DNA in transfected nuclei, as was inferred from histochemical staining and Southern blot analysis, respectively. The possible mechanism by which heat treatment stimulates transient gene expression of genes lacking obvious heat shock elements is offered. The relevance of the present findings to transient gene expression in plants in general and to viral gene expression in particular is discussed.

Crystal structure of a synthetic triple-stranded alpha-helical bundle

The x-ray crystal structure of a peptide designed to form a double-stranded parallel coiled coil shows that it is actually a triple-stranded coiled coil formed by three alpha-helices. Unlike the designed parallel coiled coil, the helices run up-up-down. The structure is stabilized by a distinctive hydrophobic interface consisting of eight layers. As in the design, each alpha-helix in the coiled coil contributes one leucine side chain to each layer. The structure suggests that hydrophobic interactions are a dominant factor in the stabilization of coiled coils. The stoichiometry and geometry of coiled coils are primarily determined by side chain packing in the solvent-inaccessible interior, but electrostatic interactions also contribute.

Identification of a nuclear protein that constitutively recognizes the sequence containing a heat-shock element. Its binding properties and possible function modulating heat-shock induction of the rat heme oxygenase gene

Heme oxygenase is an essential enzyme in heme catabolism, and also known as a 32-kDa heat-shock protein in rat. The rat heme-oxygenase gene promoter contains a functional heat-shock element (HSE) designated as HSE1 (-290 to -276 from the transcriptional initiation site), which consists of three copies of a 5-bp unit (5'-NGAAN-3';-->) in alternating orientation. Here we identified a putative HSE (-221 to -212), designated as HSE2, consisting of an inverted repeat of this 5-bp unit (<==>). Using transient expression assays, we show that HSE1 is sufficient to confer the heat-inducibility (a three fold to fourfold increase) on the reporter gene located downstream from the rat heme-oxygenase gene promoter, but HSE2 alone is not, suggesting that HSE2, a HSE of a tail-to-tail configuration, is not functional in vivo. However, the presence of both HSE1 and HSE2 in the promoter region increased the heat-mediated induction of the reporter-gene expression by more than 15-fold. Gel mobility-shift assays indicate that both HSE1 and HSE2 are recognized by activated heat-shock factor present only in heat-shocked rat glioma cells. Interestingly, the sequence containing HSE2 is also bound by a protein that is present in nuclear extracts prepared from either heat-shocked or non-shocked glioma cells, but this nuclear protein is unable to bind to HSE1. We suggest that a protein binding to the sequence containing HSE2 may be involved in transcriptional regulation of the rat heme oxygenase gene under thermal stress.

Stress response of yeast

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Identification of cis and trans components of a novel heat shock stress regulatory pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The stress-responsive DDR2 gene (previously called DDRA2) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is transcribed at elevated levels following stress caused by heat shock or DNA damage. Previously, we identified a 51-bp promoter fragment, oligo31/32, which conferred heat shock inducibility on the heterologous CYC1-lacZ reporter gene in S. cerevisiae (N. Kobayashi and K. McEntee, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87:6550-6554, 1990). Using a series of synthetic oligonucleotides, we have identified a pentanucleotide, CCCCT (C4T), as an essential component of this stress response sequence. This element is not a binding site for the well-characterized heat shock transcription factor which recognizes a distinct cis-acting heat shock element in the promoters of many heat shock genes. Here we demonstrate the ability of oligonucleotides containing the C4T sequence to confer heat shock inducibility on the reporter gene and show that the presence of two such elements produces more than additive effects on induction. Gel retardation experiments have been used to demonstrate specific complex formation between C4T-containing fragments and one or more yeast proteins. Formation of these complexes was not competed by fragments containing mutations in the C4T sequence nor by heat shock element-containing competitor DNAs. Fragments containing the C4T element bound to a single 140-kDa polypeptide, distinct from heat shock transcription factors in yeast crude extracts. These experiments identify key cis- and trans-acting components of a novel heat shock stress response pathway in S. cerevisiae.

Regulation of heat shock factor trimer formation: role of a conserved leucine zipper

The human and Drosophila heat shock transcription factors (HSFs) are multi-zipper proteins with high-affinity binding to DNA that is regulated by heat shock-induced trimerization. Formation of HSF trimers is dependent on hydrophobic heptad repeats located in the amino-terminal region of the protein. Two subregions at the carboxyl-terminal end of human HSF1 were identified that maintain the monomeric form of the protein under normal conditions. One of these contains a leucine zipper motif that is conserved between vertebrate and insect HSFs. These results suggest that the carboxyl-terminal zipper may suppress formation of trimers by the amino-terminal HSF zipper elements by means of intramolecular coiled-coil interactions that are sensitive to heat shock.

Identification of cis and trans components of a novel heat shock stress regulatory pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The stress-responsive DDR2 gene (previously called DDRA2) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is transcribed at elevated levels following stress caused by heat shock or DNA damage. Previously, we identified a 51-bp promoter fragment, oligo31/32, which conferred heat shock inducibility on the heterologous CYC1-lacZ reporter gene in S. cerevisiae (N. Kobayashi and K. McEntee, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87:6550-6554, 1990). Using a series of synthetic oligonucleotides, we have identified a pentanucleotide, CCCCT (C4T), as an essential component of this stress response sequence. This element is not a binding site for the well-characterized heat shock transcription factor which recognizes a distinct cis-acting heat shock element in the promoters of many heat shock genes. Here we demonstrate the ability of oligonucleotides containing the C4T sequence to confer heat shock inducibility on the reporter gene and show that the presence of two such elements produces more than additive effects on induction. Gel retardation experiments have been used to demonstrate specific complex formation between C4T-containing fragments and one or more yeast proteins. Formation of these complexes was not competed by fragments containing mutations in the C4T sequence nor by heat shock element-containing competitor DNAs. Fragments containing the C4T element bound to a single 140-kDa polypeptide, distinct from heat shock transcription factors in yeast crude extracts. These experiments identify key cis- and trans-acting components of a novel heat shock stress response pathway in S. cerevisiae.

Heat-induced unresponsiveness of heat shock gene expression is regulated at the transcriptional level

The induction kinetics of the heat shock proteins hsp68, hsp70 and hsp84 were studied. Studies on hsp mRNA levels and protein synthetic rates, with or without the presence of actinomycin D, showed that regulation took place at the transcriptional level. Hsp mRNA induction was followed by a transient state of unresponsiveness. At the time point where the induced hsp mRNAs were decreasing again, hsp68, hsp70 and hsp84 mRNA could not be induced by a second, identical, heat shock. Hsp68 mRNA could be induced again 12-16 h after the first heat shock. Apparently, this state really seems to be a state of reduced sensitivity, since a higher heat dose could partially overcome this unresponsiveness.

Trimerization of the heat shock transcription factor by a triple-stranded alpha-helical coiled-coil

We have isolated and characterized a 91 amino acid fragment of the heat shock transcription factor from both Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kluyveromyces lactis. The two protein fragments behave similarly: they form homotrimers, as indicated by sedimentation equilibrium and cross-linking, and contain approximately 80% alpha-helix, as indicated by circular dichroism. Sedimentation velocity and diffusion coefficients indicate that they have an elongated, nonspherical shape. We conclude the following: these fragments contain a domain which forms a trimer via a triple-stranded alpha-helical coiled-coil, similar to that found in influenza hemagglutinin.

Characterization of a new member of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus hsp70 gene family and its expression

We have sequenced a second gene of the hsp70 family derived from a genomic clone of the sea urchin, Paracentrotus lividus. The structure of this gene, named hsp70IV gene, is interrupted by one intron and differs from the previously analyzed sea urchin hsp70II gene, which contains several introns. Two open reading frames of hsp70IV gene encode a predicted protein of 639 amino acids with an M(r) of 69,672. The 5' flanking region of the gene contains a putative TATA element, three heat-shock elements made up of some arrays of the 5-bp units, NGAAN and NTTCN (N = A,C,G or T), a canonic consensus sequence for binding of the regulatory activating transcription factor (ATF), and a purine box. The 3' flanking region contains four putative polyadenylation sites located at different sites downstream from the stop codon. Using Northern blot hybridization analysis, carried out using a probe corresponding to a 3' noncoding fragment (UTR) peculiar to hsp70IV gene, we found that this gene is transcribed only under heat shock (Hs) and that the transcript can be recovered from the polysomal pellet. The hsp70IV gene may be classified as a Hs gene 70 although it contains one intron.

Heat-induced transcription from RNA polymerases II and III and HSF binding activity are co-ordinately regulated by the products of the heat shock genes

Heat shock leads to co-ordinate increases in transcription of a family of heat shock genes, including the mouse hsp70.1 and B2 genes. Activation of the heat shock transcription factor (HSF) by heat shock stimulates transcription of the murine hsp70.1 gene (by RNA polymerase II). B2 genes are short, repetitive sequences whose transcription (by RNA polymerase III) are also increased after heat shock. We have studied whether heat-induced transcription is auto-regulated by the products of the heat shock genes. The results indicate: (1) after an initial heat shock, transcription of the heat shock genes by RNA polymerases II and III becomes desensitized to further heat shock, and the heat-induced DNA binding activity of the HSF is lost, (2) if accumulation of heat shock gene products is inhibited, the desensitizing effect of a prior heat shock is removed, and (3) transcription of the hsp70.1 and B2 genes apparently involves different mechanisms, with hsp70.1 employing the HSF and the B2 gene using a separate, heat-activated transcriptional mechanism. However, the level of transcription from the hsp70.1 and B2 genes and the stability of their respective RNAs are co-ordinately regulated by the level of heat shock protein in the cell. The data indicate that auto-regulation of the level of mouse heat shock gene products is mediated by RNA polymerase II transcripts but that the regulatory mechanism can control transcription from RNA polymerase III genes as well.

DNA sequencing and analysis of a 24.7 kb segment encompassing centromere CEN11 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveals nine previously unknown open reading frames

A 24.7 kb segment of the cosmid clone pUKG047 containing a Sau3AI-partial fragment from the centromere region of Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosome XI was sequenced and analysed. A mixed strategy of directed methods including exonuclease III nested deletion, restriction fragment subcloning and oligonucleotide-directed sequences was carried out. Exclusive use was made of the Applied Biosystems Taq DyeDeoxy Terminator Cycle technology and a laser-based AB1373A sequencing system for reactions, gel electrophoresis and automated reading. A total of 12 open reading frames (ORFs) was found. Nine new ORFs (YK102 to YK110) were identified, three of which (YK102, YK107, YK108) showed homologies to proteins of known function from other organisms. In addition, sequence analysis revealed three recently functionally characterized genes (MET14, VPS/SPO15, PAP1), which could be joined to the earlier published CEN11 region.

Inhibition of the activation of heat shock factor in vivo and in vitro by flavonoids

Transcriptional activation of human heat shock protein (HSP) genes by heat shock or other stresses is regulated by the activation of a heat shock factor (HSF). Activated HSF posttranslationally acquires DNA-binding ability. We previously reported that quercetin and some other flavonoids inhibited the induction of HSPs in HeLa and COLO 320DM cells, derived from a human colon cancer, at the level of mRNA accumulation. In this study, we examined the effects of quercetin on the induction of HSP70 promoter-regulated chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) activity and on the binding of HSF to the heat shock element (HSE) by a gel mobility shift assay with extracts of COLO 320DM cells. Quercetin inhibited heat-induced CAT activity in COS-7 and COLO 320DM cells which were transfected with plasmids bearing the CAT gene under the control of the promoter region of the human HSP70 gene. Treatment with quercetin inhibited the binding of HSF to the HSE in whole-cell extracts activated in vivo by heat shock and in cytoplasmic extracts activated in vitro by elevated temperature or by urea. The binding of HSF activated in vitro by Nonidet P-40 was not suppressed by the addition of quercetin. The formation of the HSF-HSE complex was not inhibited when quercetin was added only during the binding reaction of HSF to the HSE after in vitro heat activation. Quercetin thus interacts with HSF and inhibits the induction of HSPs after heat shock through inhibition of HSF activation.

Inhibition of the activation of heat shock factor in vivo and in vitro by flavonoids

Transcriptional activation of human heat shock protein (HSP) genes by heat shock or other stresses is regulated by the activation of a heat shock factor (HSF). Activated HSF posttranslationally acquires DNA-binding ability. We previously reported that quercetin and some other flavonoids inhibited the induction of HSPs in HeLa and COLO 320DM cells, derived from a human colon cancer, at the level of mRNA accumulation. In this study, we examined the effects of quercetin on the induction of HSP70 promoter-regulated chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) activity and on the binding of HSF to the heat shock element (HSE) by a gel mobility shift assay with extracts of COLO 320DM cells. Quercetin inhibited heat-induced CAT activity in COS-7 and COLO 320DM cells which were transfected with plasmids bearing the CAT gene under the control of the promoter region of the human HSP70 gene. Treatment with quercetin inhibited the binding of HSF to the HSE in whole-cell extracts activated in vivo by heat shock and in cytoplasmic extracts activated in vitro by elevated temperature or by urea. The binding of HSF activated in vitro by Nonidet P-40 was not suppressed by the addition of quercetin. The formation of the HSF-HSE complex was not inhibited when quercetin was added only during the binding reaction of HSF to the HSE after in vitro heat activation. Quercetin thus interacts with HSF and inhibits the induction of HSPs after heat shock through inhibition of HSF activation.

Heat shock response in Drosophila

Major alterations in genetic activity have been observed in every organism after exposure to abnormally high temperatures. This phenomenon, called the heat shock response, was discovered in the fruit fly Drosophila. Studies with this organism led to the discovery of the heat shock proteins, whose genes were among the first eukaryotic genes to be cloned. Several of the most important aspects of the regulation of the heat shock response and of the functions of the heat shock proteins have been unraveled in Drosophila.

Mutational analysis of a plant heat shock element

A total of 32 mutations were generated within the TATA-proximal site 1 (-72 to -47) of soybean heat shock gene Gmhsp17.5E in order to functionally define the optimal configuration of sequences within the heat shock element (HSE). Mutants were tested in vivo utilizing sunflower tumors transformed by a T-DNA based vector. Promoter activity was determined by S1 nuclease hybrid protection analysis of tumor transcripts. A total of five repeats (5'-nGAAn-3' or 5'-nTTCn-3') which comprise the HSE at site 1 were required for full transcription induction by heat stress. Analysis of non-conserved bases flanking the central trinucleotide block indicated that 5'-aGAAg'-3' is the optimum sequence for the 5 bp repeat.

Heat shock gene regulation by nascent polypeptides and denatured proteins: hsp70 as a potential autoregulatory factor

Heat shock genes encode proteins (hsp's) that play important structural roles under normal circumstances and are essential to the cells' ability to survive environmental insults. Evidence is presented herein that transcriptional regulation of hsp gene expression is linked with the regulation of overall protein synthesis as well as with the accumulation of proteins denatured by stressful events. The factor that connects the three processes appears to be one of the hsp's, presumably a member(s) of the hsp70 family. Biochemical experiments demonstrate that complexes containing hsp70 and heat shock transcription factor, the specific regulator of hsp gene activity, are formed in the cells.

Expression of the polyubiquitin-encoding gene (ubq-1) in transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans

The expression of the polyubiquitin-encoding gene (ubq-1) of Caenorhabditis elegans was analysed using transgenic nematode lines carrying translational ubq-1::lacZ fusions. Animals carrying a construct consisting of 938 bp of ubq-1 upstream sequences fused to lacZ (ubq938::lacZ) expressed beta Gal in embryos and in a tissue-general manner in 20% of L1 larvae. Somatic expression in later stages was usually confined to body muscle. Progressively larger deletions extending from the 5' end of ubq938::lacZ did not significantly alter the pattern of expression until 827 bp of sequence had been removed. Thus, sequences upstream from the transcription start point, including a G+C-rich block and a sequence resembling a TATA box (GAATAA), are not required to generate the expression pattern seen with ubq938::lacZ. Moreover, a basal level of expression was maintained in embryos when 903 bp were deleted. These results suggest that the promoter elements required for efficient expression of ubq-1 may reside within the transcribed region of the gene; alternatively, they must lie more than 1.7 kb upstream or 0.8 kb downstream from this region. Polymerase chain reaction analysis indicates that RNA molecules transcribed from the ubq938::lacZ and ubq delta 827::lacZ transgenes are trans-spliced to SL1, as is ubq-1 RNA.

The threshold induction temperature of the 90-kDa heat shock protein is subject to acclimatization in eurythermal goby fishes (genus Gillichthys)

Two extremely eurythermal goby fishes, Gillichthys mirabilis and Gillichthys seta, which encounter habitat temperature variations of approximately 30 degrees C, showed seasonal acclimatization of endogenous levels and of onset temperatures for enhanced synthesis of a 90-kDa-class heat shock protein (HSP90). Summer-acclimatized fishes had higher levels of HSP90 in brain tissue than winter-acclimatized specimens, as shown by Western blot analysis. For winter-acclimatized fishes, increased synthesis of HSP90 was observed when the temperature was raised from a control temperature (18 degrees C) to 28 degrees C. For summer-acclimatized fish, no significantly increased synthesis of HSP90 occurred until the experimental temperature was raised to 32 degrees C. These data suggest that the threshold temperature at which enhanced expression of HSP-encoding genes occurs is not hard-wired genetically but may be subject to acclimatization. A causal relationship between seasonal changes in steady-state levels of HSP90 and the threshold temperature for enhanced HSP90 synthesis is discussed in terms of existing models for the regulation of HSP gene expression.