Functional analysis of a conserved amino-terminal region of HSP70 by site-directed mutagenesis

All in the family: atypical Hsp70 chaperones are conserved modulators of Hsp70 activity

Divergent relatives of the Hsp70 protein chaperone such as the Hsp110 and Grp170 families have been recognized for some time, yet their biochemical roles remained elusive. Recent work has revealed that these "atypical" Hsp70s exist in stable complexes with classic Hsp70s where they exert a powerful nucleotide-exchange activity that synergizes with Hsp40/DnaJ-type cochaperones to dramatically accelerate Hsp70 nucleotide cycling. This represents a novel evolutionary transition from an independent protein-folding chaperone to what appears to be a dedicated cochaperone. Contributions of the atypical Hsp70s to established cellular roles for Hsp70 now must be deciphered.

Heat shock proteins: new keys to the development of cytoprotective therapies

All cells, from bacterial to human, have a common, intricate response to stress that protects them from injury. Heat shock proteins (Hsps), also known as stress proteins and molecular chaperones, play a central role in protecting cellular homeostatic processes from environmental and physiologic insult by preserving the structure of normal proteins and repairing or removing damaged ones. An understanding of the interplay between Hsps and cell stress tolerance will provide new tools for treatment and drug design that maximise preservation or restoration of health. For example, the increased vulnerability of tissues to injury in some conditions, such as ageing, diabetes mellitus and menopause, or with the use of certain drugs,, such as some antihypertensive medications, is associated with an impaired Hsp response. Additionally, diseases that are associated with tissue oxidation, free radical formation, disorders of protein folding, or inflammation, may be improved therapeutically by elevated expression of Hsps. The accumulation of Hsps, whether induced physiologically, pharmacologically, genetically, or by direct administration of the proteins, is known to protect the organism from a great variety of pathological conditions, including myocardial infarction, stroke, sepsis, viral infection, trauma, neurodegenerative diseases, retinal damage, congestive heart failure, arthritis, sunburn, colitis, gastric ulcer, diabetic complications and transplanted organ failure. Conversely, lowering Hsps in cancer tissues can amplify the effectiveness of chemo- or radiotherapy. Treatments and agents that induce Hsps include hyperthermia, heavy metals (zinc and tin), salicylates, dexamethasone, cocaine, nicotine, alcohol, alpha-adrenergic agonists, PPAR-gamma agonists, bimoclomol, geldanamycin, geranylgeranylacetone and cyclopentenone prostanoids. Compounds that suppress Hsps include quercetin (a bioflavinoid), 15-deoxyspergualin (an immunosuppressive agent) and retinoic acid. Researchers who are cognisant of the Hsp-related effects of these and other agents will be able to use them to develop new therapeutic paradigms.

Role of the C-terminal region of mouse inducible Hsp72 in the recognition of peptide substrate for chaperone activity

Here, we produced the C-terminal truncation variants of mouse inducible heat shock protein 72 (Hsp72) to elucidate the regulatory role of the C-terminal helical lid of Hsp70 for substrate recognition. All of the truncation variants containing the substrate binding domain bound a short-length peptide substrate CLLLSAPRR. When a large mass reduced carboxymethyl alpha-lactalbumin (RCMLA) as a substrate was used in gel filtration experiment, we observed the complex formation only for the truncation variants containing the long alpha-helix C in the helical lid. However, RCMLA binding occurred even for the variants lacking alpha-helix C when their C-terminal region was anchored onto a solid phase. Together with the finding that helix C is involved in the self-association of Hsp70, our present data suggest that the C-terminal region of Hsp70 modulates the substrate recognition and its kinetics may be substrate-mass dependent.

Mutation of the ATP-binding pocket of SSA1 indicates that a functional interaction between Ssa1p and Ydj1p is required for post-translational translocation into the yeast endoplasmic reticulum

The translocation of proteins across the yeast ER membrane requires ATP hydrolysis and the action of DnaK (hsp70) and DnaJ homologues. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae the cytosolic hsp70s that promote post-translational translocation are the products of the Ssa gene family. Ssa1p maintains secretory precursors in a translocation-competent state and interacts with Ydj1p, a DnaJ homologue. Although it has been proposed that Ydj1p stimulates the ATPase activity of Ssa1p to release preproteins and engineer translocation, support for this model is incomplete. To this end, mutations in the ATP-binding pocket of SSA1 were constructed and examined both in vivo and in vitro. Expression of the mutant Ssa1p's slows wild-type cell growth, is insufficient to support life in the absence of functional Ssa1p, and results in a dominant effect on post-translational translocation. The ATPase activity of the purified mutant proteins was not enhanced by Ydj1p and the mutant proteins could not bind an unfolded polypeptide substrate. Our data suggest that a productive interaction between Ssa1p and Ydj1p is required to promote protein translocation.

A role for cytosolic hsp70 in yeast [PSI(+)] prion propagation and [PSI(+)] as a cellular stress

[PSI(+)] is a prion (infectious protein) of Sup35p, a subunit of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae translation termination factor. We isolated a dominant allele, SSA1-21, of a gene encoding an Hsp70 chaperone that impairs [PSI(+)] mitotic stability and weakens allosuppression caused by [PSI(+)]. While [PSI(+)] stability is normal in strains lacking SSA1, SSA2, or both, SSA1-21 strains with a deletion of SSA2 cannot propagate [PSI(+)]. SSA1-21 [PSI(+)] strains are hypersensitive to curing of [PSI(+)] by guanidine-hydrochloride and partially cured of [PSI(+)] by rapid induction of the heat-shock response but not by growth at 37 degrees. The number of inheritable [PSI(+)] particles is significantly reduced in SSA1-21 cells. SSA1-21 effects on [PSI(+)] appear to be independent of Hsp104, another stress-inducible protein chaperone known to be involved in [PSI(+)] propagation. We propose that cytosolic Hsp70 is important for the formation of Sup35p polymers characteristic of [PSI(+)] from preexisting material and that Ssa1-21p both lacks and interferes with this activity. We further demonstrate that the negative effect of heat stress on [PSI(+)] phenotype directly correlates with solubility of Sup35p and find that in wild-type strains the presence of [PSI(+)] causes a stress that elevates basal expression of Hsp104 and SSA1.

Single allele knock-out of Candida albicans CGT1 leads to unexpected resistance to hygromycin B and elevated temperature

Almost all eukaryotic mRNAs are capped at their 5'-terminus. Capping is crucial for stability, processing, nuclear export and efficient translation of mRNA. We studied the phenotypic effects elicited by depleting a Candida albicans strain of mRNA 5'-guanylyltransferase (mRNA capping enzyme; CGT1). Construction of a Cgt1-deficient mutant was achieved by URA-blaster-mediated genetic disruption of one allele of the CGT1 gene, which was localized on chromosome III. The resulting heterozygous mutant exhibited an aberrant colony morphology resembling the 'irregular wrinkle' phenotype typically obtained from a normal C. albicans strain upon mild UV treatment. Its level of CGT1 mRNA was reduced two- to fivefold compared to the parental strain. Proteome analysis revealed a large number of differentially expressed proteins confirming the expected pleiotropic effect of CGT1 disruption. The disrupted strain was significantly more resistant to hygromycin B, an antibiotic which decreases translational fidelity, and showed increased resistance to heat stress. Proteome analysis revealed a 50-fold overexpression of Ef-1alphap and a more than sevenfold overexpression of the cell-wall heat-shock protein Ssa2p. Compared to a reference strain, the cgt1/CGT1 heterozygote was equally virulent for mice and guinea pigs when tested in an intravenous infection model of disseminated candidiasis.

N-Ethylmaleimide inactivates a nucleotide-free Hsp70 molecular chaperone

Hsp70 molecular chaperones are ATPases that bind to hydrophobic regions of proteins and guide their folding, assembly, and translocation across membranes. The ability of purified Hsp70s to uncoat clathrin-coated vesicles or to stimulate the post-translational translocation of precursor proteins into the endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, and the nucleus was previously shown not to be sensitive to the sulfhydryl-modifying reagent N-ethylmaleimide (NEM). During purification of factors required for protein folding in the cytosol, we found that the ATP-agarose binding activity of the yeast Hsp70 Ssa1p in postribosomal supernatants was inhibited by NEM. We also found that completely removing nucleotides from purified Ssa1p rendered its ATP-agarose binding activity, ATPase activity, and post-translational translocation-stimulating activity sensitive to NEM. We modified nucleotide-free Ssa1p with [14C]NEM and then digested it with proteases. Purification and sequencing of the radiolabeled proteolytic fragments revealed that each of Ssa1p's three cysteine residues (Cys-15, Cys-264, and Cys-303) was modified with [14C]NEM. ADP protected each of the cysteine residues from modification and protected Ssa1p from inactivation. The cysteine residues are the reactive centers of three NEM-reactive sites (NRS1-3). A comparison of Ssa1p's NRSs to sequences of other Hsp70s and actin revealed that Cys-15 of NRS1 is highly conserved and that sensitivity to NEM may be a property of many Hsp70s. Based on the three-dimensional structure of Hsc70, the predicted locations of Ssa1p's cysteine residues suggest that NEM may disrupt the conformation of Ssa1p or interfere with its ability to bind nucleotides. Together the results demonstrate that Ssa1p is an NEM-sensitive factor in cytosolic extracts from yeast that stimulates post-translational translocation of proteins into organelles.