Localization of the heat shock-induced proteins in Drosophila melanogaster tissue culture cells

Predictive Modeling of MAFLD Based on Hsp90α and the Therapeutic Application of Teprenone in a Diet-Induced Mouse Model

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The heat shock protein (Hsp) 90α is induced by stress and regulates inflammation through multiple pathways. Elevated serum Hsp90α had been found in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Geranylgeranylacetone (GGA, also called teprenone) is a terpenoid derivative. It was reported to induce Hsp and alleviate insulin resistance. We aimed to evaluate the Hsp90α as a biomarker in predicting metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and define the therapeutic effects of geranylgeranylacetone for the disease.

METHODS

A clinical study was conducted to analyze the elements associated with Hsp90α, and a predictive model of MAFLD was developed based on Hsp90α. The histopathological correlation between Hsp90α and MAFLD was investigated through a diet-induced mouse model. Furthermore, GGA was applied to the mouse model.

RESULTS

Serum Hsp90α was increased in patients with MAFLD. A positive linear relationship was found between age, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), MAFLD, and serum Hsp90α. Meanwhile, a negative linear relationship with body mass index (BMI) was found. A model using Hsp90α, BMI, HbA1c, and ALT was established for predicting MAFLD. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves was 0.94 (95% CI 0.909-0.971, p = 0.000). The sensitivity was 84.1%, and the specificity was 93.1%. In vitro experiments, GGA induced Hsp90α in steatosis cells. In the mice model, Hsp90α decreased in the GGA treatment group. Hepatic steatosis, inflammation, insulin resistance, and glucose intolerance were improved in the GGA-treated group. Serum Hsp90α was positively correlated with steatohepatitis activity according to hepatic histopathology.

CONCLUSIONS

Serum Hsp90α was elevated in MAFLD, and a positive correlation between serum Hsp90α and the grade of activity of steatohepatitis was observed. The model using BMI, HbA1c, and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) had a good value to predict MAFLD. The findings also revealed the effectiveness of GGA in the treatment of MAFLD.

The Nuclear and DNA-Associated Molecular Chaperone Network

Maintenance of a healthy and functional proteome in all cellular compartments is critical to cell and organismal homeostasis. Yet, our understanding of the proteostasis process within the nucleus is limited. Here, we discuss the identified roles of the major molecular chaperones Hsp90, Hsp70, and Hsp60 with client proteins working in diverse DNA-associated pathways. The unique challenges facing proteins in the nucleus are considered as well as the conserved features of the molecular chaperone system in facilitating DNA-linked processes. As nuclear protein inclusions are a common feature of protein-aggregation diseases (e.g., neurodegeneration), a better understanding of nuclear proteostasis is warranted.

Effect of In Ovo Injection of L-Arginine in Different Chicken Embryonic Development Stages on Post-Hatchability, Immune Response, and Myo-D and Myogenin Proteins

Simple Summary

In the current study, we hypothesized that the in ovo injection of L-arginine (L-Arg) at different stages of embryonic development, which would have positive effects on the survival rate, hatching rate, immunoglobulin M (IgM) levels, heat shock proteins (HSPs) such as HSP-47, HSP-60, and HSP-70, and muscle development markers as well: Mainly, myoblast determination protein (myoD) and myogenin in pectoral muscles. As indicated, the in ovo injection of L-Arg resulted in an increased hatch rate and weight, survival rate, higher levels of IgM, and myogenin and MyoD expression in the muscles. At the same time, a decrease in the level of HSP-47, HSP-60, and HSP-70 expressions in the tissues was observed on the 14th day of injection compared to the eighth and 18th day of the injection period. In addition, the in ovo injection of L-Arg decreased the serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT) and serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) concentration in serum as well micronuclei and nuclear abnormality in the blood on the 14th day of the incubation period. Hence, the 14th day would be a suitable day for the injection of L-Arg to promote the hatching rate and muscle growth of broiler chickens.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of in ovo injection with different ratios of L-arginine (L-Arg) into Ross broiler eggs at three different embryonic developmental stages (eighth day (d), 14th day, and 18th day) on the survival, hatchability, and body weight (BW) of one-day-old hatched chicks. Additionally, we have analyzed the levels of serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT) and serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), the protein expression of heat shock proteins (HSPs), and we have also determined micronuclei (MN) and nuclear abnormality (NA). In addition, the genotoxic effect was observed in peripheral blood cells such as the presence of micronuclei and nuclear abnormalities in the experimental groups. The results showed that survival and hatching rates as well as body weight were increased on the 14th day of incubation compared to the eighth and 18th day of incubation at lower concentrations of L-Arg. Moreover, the levels of SGOT and SGPT were also significantly (p < 0.05) increased on the 14th day of incubation at the same concentration (100 μg/μL/egg) of injection. In addition, immunoglobulin (IgM) levels were increased on the 14th day of incubation compared to other days. The protein expressions of HSP-47, HSP-60, and HSP-70 in the liver were significantly down-regulated, whereas the expression of myogenin and myoblast determination protein (MyoD) were significantly up-regulated on the 14th day after incubation when treated with all different doses such as 100 μg, 1000 μg, and 2500 μg/μL/egg, namely 3T1, 3T2, and 3T3, respectively. However, the treatment with low doses of L-Arg down-regulated the expression levels of those proteins on the 14th day of incubation. Histopathology of the liver by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining showed that the majority of liver damage, specifically intracytoplasmic vacuoles, were observed in the 3T1, 3T2, and 3T3 groups. The minimum dose of 100 μg/mL/egg on the 14th day of incubation significantly prevented intracytoplasmic vacuole damages. These results demonstrate that in ovo administration of L-Arg at (100 μg/μL/egg) may be an effective method to increase chick BW, hatch rate, muscle growth-related proteins, and promote the immune response through increasing IgM on the 14th day of the incubation period.

The HSP90 Family: Structure, Regulation, Function, and Implications in Health and Disease

The mammalian HSP90 family of proteins is a cluster of highly conserved molecules that are involved in myriad cellular processes. Their distribution in various cellular compartments underlines their essential roles in cellular homeostasis. HSP90 and its co-chaperones orchestrate crucial physiological processes such as cell survival, cell cycle control, hormone signaling, and apoptosis. Conversely, HSP90, and its secreted forms, contribute to the development and progress of serious pathologies, including cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, targeting HSP90 is an attractive strategy for the treatment of neoplasms and other diseases. This manuscript will review the general structure, regulation and function of HSP90 family and their potential role in pathophysiology.

Heat shock proteins of higher plants

The pattern of protein synthesis changes rapidly and dramatically when the growth temperature of soybean seedling tissue is increased from 28 degrees C (normal) to about 40 degrees C (heat shock). The synthesis of normal proteins is greatly decreased and a new set of proteins, "heat shock proteins," is induced. The heat shock proteins of soybean consist of 10 new bands on one-dimensional NaDodSO(4) gels; a more complex pattern is observed on two-dimensional gels. When the tissue is returned to 28 degrees C after 4 hr at 40 degrees C, there is progressive decline in the synthesis of heat shock proteins and reappearance of a normal pattern of synthesis by 3 or 4 hr. In vitro translation of poly(A)(+)RNAs isolated from tissues grown at 28 and 40 degrees C shows that the heat shock proteins are translated from a new set of mRNAs induced at 40 degrees C; furthermore, the abundant class mRNAs for many of the normal proteins persist even though they are translated weakly (or not at all) in vivo at 40 or 42.5 degrees C. The heat shock response in soybean appears similar to the much-studied heat shock phenomenon in Drosophila.

Specific heat shock proteins are transported into chloroplasts

We demonstrate that in three plant species-soybean, pea, and corn-certain nuclear-encoded heat shock proteins are transported into chloroplasts. In vitro translation products of poly(A)-RNA from control or heat-shocked plants were incubated with isolated intact pea chloroplasts and differences in the profile of imported proteins were analyzed. In all three species, abundant polypeptides between 21 and 27 kDa are present in the heat shock sample and absent in the controls. These polypeptides are protected from trypsin and chymotrypsin digestion after their import into chloroplasts and are recovered primarily with the soluble chloroplast protein fraction. Chloroplasts isolated from pea or corn leaves labeled in vivo at heat shock temperatures, but not at normal growth temperatures, contain the same polypeptides observed in vitro. Synthesis of the heat shock polypeptides can be inhibited in vivo by cycloheximide but not by chloramphenicol, further indicating they are products of cytoplasmic protein synthesis. The in vitro transport experiments demonstrate that synthesis of the chloroplast-localized heat shock proteins results from heat-induced accumulation of the corresponding poly(A)-RNAs. The same mRNAs are also produced in response to heat shock by a nonphotosynthetic tissue, the etiolated soybean hypocotyl.

Constitutive expression of heat shock protein p23 correlates with proneural territories in imaginal discs ofDrosophila melanogaster

2-DE followed by MALDI-TOF was used to purify and identify a Drosophila protein (catalogued as SSP 6002) that showed marked differences in the level of expression in the different imaginal discs of third instar larvae. Fingerprinting showed that the spot of interest was the heat shock 23 polypeptide (hsp23). We characterized the kinetics of its induction by heat shock in wing imaginal discs and raised an antiserum against the denatured protein, which recognizes a single unphosphorylated spot on 2-D gels. The difference in its expression in discs was corroborated by analyzing its level in the imaginal discs of postbithorax mutants. We also investigated the developmental expression of hsp23 in imaginal discs with antiserum raised against the native protein. Its spatial and temporal pattern of expression is related to the proneural territories and maintained even under heat shock conditions. In addition, its pattern of expression is regulated by transcription factors and signaling pathways (notch and epidermal growth factor receptor) involved in proneural specification.

Distinct domains mediate the early and late functions of the Drosophila ovarian tumor proteins

The Drosophila melanogaster ovarian tumor (otu) gene encodes two novel protein isoforms that are required at multiple stages of oogenesis. We have examined the activity of a set of C-terminal truncation Otu proteins as well as a GFP-tagged Otu (Otu-GFP). These experiments have shown that a putative Tudor domain in the central region of the large Otu isoform and a separate domain in the C-terminal region are required for regulation of cyst formation and oocyte maturation, respectively. We also present evidence that a portion of Otu co-fractionates with mRNA/protein complexes (mRNPs) and show that Otu-GFP associates with cytoplasmic aggregates at periphery of the nucleus at an intermediate stage of oogenesis. This study substantially clarifies the relationship between Otu structure and function and reveals new clues about interacting components.

Transient expression and heat-stress-induced co-aggregation of endogenous and heterologous small heat-stress proteins in tobacco protoplasts

Heat-stress granules (HSG) are highly ordered, cytoplasmic chaperone complexes found in all heat-stressed plant cells. We have developed an experimental system involving expression of cytosolic class I and class II small heat-stress proteins (Hsps) of pea, Arabidopsis and tomato in tobacco protoplasts to study the structural prerequisites for the assembly of HSG or HSG-like complexes. Class I and class II small Hsps formed class-specific dodecamers of 210-280 kDa, which, upon heat stress, were incorporated into HSG complexes. Interestingly, class II dodecamers alone could form HSG-like complexes (auto-aggregation), whereas class I dodecamers could do so only in the presence of class II proteins (recruitment). By analysing C-terminal deletion forms of Hsp17 class II, we obtained evidence that the intact C-terminus is critical for the oligomerization state, for the heat-stress-induced auto-aggregation and for recruitment of class I proteins. The class-specific formation of dimers as a prerequisite for oligomerization was analysed by the yeast two-hybrid system. In the presence of the endogenous (tobacco) set of heat-stress-induced proteins, all heterologous class I and class II proteins were incorporated into HSG complexes, whose ultrastructure was different from that of complexes formed by class I and class II proteins alone. Although other, more distantly related, members of the Hsp20 family, i.e. the plastidic pea Hsp21, the Drosophila Hsp23 and the mouse Hsp25, were well expressed in tobacco protoplasts and formed homo-oligomers of 200-700 kDa, none of them could be recruited to HSG complexes.

Binding of the protein disulfide isomerase isoform ERp60 to the nuclear matrix-associated regions of DNA

Protein ERp60, previously found in the internal nuclear matrix in chicken liver nuclei, is a member of the protein disulfide isomerase family. It binds DNA and double helical polynucleotides in vitro with a preferential recognition toward the matrix-associated regions of DNA and poly(dA) x poly(dT), and its binding is inhibited by distamycin. ERp60 can be cross-linked chemically to DNA in the intact nuclei, suggesting that its association with DNA is present in vivo. As a whole, these results indicate that ERp60 is a component of the subset of nuclear matrix proteins that are responsible for the attachment of DNA to the nuclear matrix and for the formation of DNA loops. A distinctive feature of this protein, which has two thioredoxin-like sites, is that its affinity to poly(dA) x poly(dT) is strongly dependent on its redox state. Only its oxidized form, in fact, does it bind poly(dA) x poly(dT). The hypothesis can be made that through the intervention of ERp60, the redox state of the nucleus influences the formation or the stability of some selected nuclear matrix-DNA interactions.

The 90-kDa molecular chaperone family: structure, function, and clinical applications. A comprehensive review

The 90-kDa molecular chaperone family (which comprises, among other proteins, the 90-kDa heat-shock protein, hsp90 and the 94-kDa glucose-regulated protein, grp94, major molecular chaperones of the cytosol and of the endoplasmic reticulum, respectively) has become an increasingly active subject of research in the past couple of years. These ubiquitous, well-conserved proteins account for 1-2% of all cellular proteins in most cells. However, their precise function is still far from being elucidated. Their involvement in the aetiology of several autoimmune diseases, in various infections, in recognition of malignant cells, and in antigen-presentation already demonstrates the essential role they likely will play in clinical practice of the next decade. The present review summarizes our current knowledge about the cellular functions, expression, and clinical implications of the 90-kDa molecular chaperone family and some approaches for future research.

Specific intranucleolar distribution of Hsp70 during heat shock in polytene cells

Hsp70, the most abundant and conserved heat shock protein, has been described as strongly concentrating in the nucleolus during heat shock. The important metabolic processes that take place in the nucleolus, rDNA transcription, processing, and assembling with ribosomal proteins, and the nucleolar architecture itself are very sensitive to temperature changes. In this work, we have analyzed in detail the nucleolar changes, in structure and activity, induced by temperature in Chironomus thummi salivary gland cells and the fine subnucleolar localization of Hsp70 during heat shock. The optimum temperature chosen to induce the heat shock response was 35 degrees C. Under these conditions transcription of heat shock genes, inactivation of previously active genes and maximum synthesis of Hsps take place, while survival of larvae and recovery were ensured. After 1 h at 35 degrees C, nucleoli change from a uniform control pattern to a segregated pattern of nucleolar components that can be observed even at the light microscopic level. The dense fibrillar component (DFC) and the granular component appeared perfectly differentiated and spatially separated, the former occupying mainly the central inner region surrounded by a rim of granular component. Hsp70 was specifically localized within the DFC upon heat shock as shown by immunolocalization by both light and electron microscopy. Pulse labeling with [3H]uridine proves that rRNA transcription continues during heat shock. The pattern of Hsp70 distribution within the nucleolus correlates with that of newly produced rRNA transcripts. Hsp70 also colocalizes with RNA polymerase I, both being restricted to the DFC. These data show that the DFC seems to be the intranucleolar target for Hsp70 in heat-shocked cells. We discuss these results in relation to the possible function of Hsp70 in the first steps of preribosome synthesis.

Thermal sensitivity in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts transformed by the v-fos oncogene. Correlation with reduced accumulation of 68-kDa and 25-kDa stress proteins after heat shock

The effect of v-fos transformation on the cellular response to heat shock has been investigated. NIH 3T3 fibroblasts were transfected with the FBR p75gag-fos gene fusion under the control of the long terminal repeat (LTR) promoter of Finkel-Biskin-Reilly (FBR) murine sarcoma virus and with the gene encoding hygromycin resistance. Several hygromycin-resistant clone isolates, that expressed various levels of p75gag-fos oncoprotein, were analyzed as they displayed properties of transformed cells, such as altered morphology, shorter doubling time, serum-independent growth and foci formation in soft agar. The thermal response of these clones was compared to that of the control cells expressing the hygromycin-resistance gene only. Here, we report that the v-fos-transformed clones displayed an enhanced thermosensitivity which resulted in a reduced tolerance to thermal stress. Heat-treated v-fos-transformed cells displayed a decreased expression and accumulation of the major stress proteins Hsp68 (68-kDa heat-shock protein) and Hsp25 which probably resulted of a reduced accumulation of the corresponding mRNAs. This effect was particularly intense at the level of Hsp25. These alterations in cell survival and stress-protein expression appeared correlated to the level of p75gag-fos. At least for Hsp68, the transcription of this gene was not found altered by v-fos expression suggesting that this oncogene increases the turn-over of Hsp68 mRNA. After the heat-shock treatment, v-fos transformation also reduced the time period during which the constitutively expressed stress protein Hsc70 redistributes inside the nucleus. Since Hsp68 and Hsp25 are molecular chaperones that in vivo protect cells against the deleterious effects of heat shock, it is conceivable that their reduced accumulation and altered cellular distribution following heat shock may contribute, at least in part, to the thermosensitivity of v-fos-transformed NIH 3T3 fibroblasts.

HSP90 associates with specific heat shock puffs (hsr omega) in polytene chromosomes of Drosophila and Chironomus

The heat shock protein HSP90, which is mainly cytoplasmic, has recently been reported to be present in the nucleus. We have found a specific chromosomal localization of HSP90 in different species of Drosophila and Chironomus using immunocytochemical techniques with different mono- and polyclonal antibodies for this hsp. HSP90 was found associated with heat shock-induced puffs at 93D and 48B in salivary gland chromosomes of Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila hydei, respectively. The localization of HSP90 to locus 93D occurred rapidly after the onset of heat shock and disappeared during recovery, concomitant with puff regression. The association of HSP90 with the 93D locus was strictly heat shock dependent as shown by the absence of HSP90 in puff 93D induced by either benzamide or colchicine. No specific nuclear staining was observed in unstressed control cells. HSP90 was also found in the temperature-induced telomeric Balbiani ring puffs (T-BRs) in Chironomus thummi and in one heat shock puff at I-1C in Chironomus tentans. Other heat shock puffs also appeared lightly stained with the HSP90 polyclonal antibody in both species of Chironomus. HSP90 was absent from the T-BRs when RNA synthesis was inhibited with Actinomycin D suggesting that the localization of HSP90 is dependent on transcription. Inhibition of protein synthesis did not prevent association of this hsp with the T-BRs, indicating that pre-existing HSP90 can associate with this locus. HSP90 did not associate with any telomeric chromosomal regions of unstressed cells. The present observations suggest that heat shock gene products such as HSP90 may somehow be involved in the regulation at the chromosomal level of other members of the heat shock gene family. Puffs 93D (D. melanogaster) and 48B (D. hydei) are equivalent and correspond to homologous gene loci (hsr omega) that have unusual features that distinguish them from other heat shock puffs. The binding of HSP90 at T-BRs and at puff I-1C in the genus Chironomus is the first demonstration, albeit indirect, of the existence of hsr omega analogous loci in species other than Drosophila.

The expression of small heat shock proteins in the microfilaria of Brugia pahangi and their possible role in development

Development of the microfilariae of Brugia pahangi in the mammalian host is blocked until uptake by a mosquito vector when the developmental cycle is re-initiated. Comparison of the profile of polypeptides labelled in microfilariae cultured at mammalian temperature (37 degrees C) or mosquito temperature (28 degrees C) revealed a complex of low-molecular-weight proteins (18 kDa and 22-24 kDa) synthesized only in microfilariae at 37 degrees C. The synthesis of these proteins was also induced by transfer of microfilariae to 41 degrees C (i.e., heat shock conditions), suggesting that these are heat shock proteins. The expression of the small heat shock proteins in the Brugia life cycle is developmentally regulated, as they are not observed in the mature adult female. Their synthesis is strictly temperature dependent and is repressed upon transfer of the microfilariae to 28 degrees C.

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.

Expression of heat shock proteins during development in Drosophila

Studies on the expression of heat shock proteins during development in Drosophila clearly show that individual Hsps accumulate in a tissue- and developmental stage-specific manner. This is in contrast to their coordinate expression in response to stress. Therefore, the Hsps may play at least two roles, one as housekeeping proteins during development and/or differentiation and the second one in restoring cellular functions after environmental stress. Research in the first two decades following the discovery of the heat shock response have focused on a search for functions in stressed cells. The next few years should bring us further understanding on the role of these fascinating proteins during development in Drosophila as well as in other eukaryotes.

Tissue-specific expression of the heat shock protein HSP27 during Drosophila melanogaster development

The alpha-crystallin-related heat shock (stress) protein hsp27 is expressed in absence of heat shock during Drosophila melanogaster development. Here, we describe the tissue distribution of this protein using an immunoaffinity-purified antibody. In embryos, hsp27 translated from maternal RNA is uniformly distributed, except in the yolk. During the first, second, and early third larval stages, hsp27 expression is restricted to the brain and the gonads. These tissues are characterized by a high level of proliferating cells. In late third instar larvae and early pupae, in addition to the central nervous system and the gonads, all the imaginal discs synthesize hsp27. The disc expression seems restricted to the beginning of their differentiation since it disappears during the second half of the pupal stage: no more hsp27 is observed in the disc-derived adult organs. In adults, hsp27 is still present in some regions of the central nervous system, and is also expressed in the male and female germ lines where it accumulates in mature sperm and oocytes. The transcript and the protein accumulate in oocytes since the onset of vitellogenesis with a uniform distribution similar to that found in embryos. The adult germ lines transcribe hsp27 gene while no transcript is detected in the late pupal and adult brain. These results suggest multiple roles of hsp27 during Drosophila development which may be related to both the proliferative and differentiated states of the tissues.

Tumor necrosis factor induces the rapid phosphorylation of the mammalian heat shock protein hsp28

Tumor necrosis factor alpha was found to rapidly phosphorylate the unique mammalian small heat shock protein hsp28 without impairing its cytoplasmic localization and without inducing the synthesis of the heat shock proteins. In contrast to the C-kinase-dependent phosphorylation of hsp28 in response to the tumor promoter phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate, the heat- and tumor necrosis factor-mediated phosphorylation of this heat shock protein appears to occur independently of C kinase. These observations suggest that a C-kinase-independent phosphorylation of hsp28 may be an early event in the cellular action of tumor necrosis factor alpha.

Tumor necrosis factor induces the rapid phosphorylation of the mammalian heat shock protein hsp28

Tumor necrosis factor alpha was found to rapidly phosphorylate the unique mammalian small heat shock protein hsp28 without impairing its cytoplasmic localization and without inducing the synthesis of the heat shock proteins. In contrast to the C-kinase-dependent phosphorylation of hsp28 in response to the tumor promoter phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate, the heat- and tumor necrosis factor-mediated phosphorylation of this heat shock protein appears to occur independently of C kinase. These observations suggest that a C-kinase-independent phosphorylation of hsp28 may be an early event in the cellular action of tumor necrosis factor alpha.

Prosomes and heat shock complexes in Drosophila melanogaster cells

Prosomes and heat shock protein (HSP) complexes isolated from the cytoplasm of Drosophila cells in culture were biochemically and immunologically characterized. The two complexes were found to separate on sucrose gradients, allowing the analysis of their protein constituents by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and by reaction with anti-HSP sera and prosome-specific monoclonal antibodies. All of the prosomal proteins were found to be clearly distinct from the HSP; none of the prosomal proteins was synthesized de novo in heat shock. However, an antiprosome (anti-p27K) monoclonal antibody (mouse anti-duck) recognizing the Drosophila p29K prosomal protein allowed immunoprecipitation from a heat-shocked postmitochondrial supernatant of the crude HSP complex, including the low- and the high-molecular-weight components, in particular the 70 x 10(3)-molecular weight HSP. The highly purified small 16S HSP complex still contained this preexistent p29K prosomal protein, which thus also seems to be a metabolically stable constituent of the HSP complex. The significance of this structural and possibly functional relationship between prosomes and HSP, involving the highly ubiquitous and evolutionarily conserved prosomal protein p27/29K, remains to be elucidated.

Cytoplasmic heat shock granules are formed from precursor particles and are associated with a specific set of mRNAs

In heat-shocked tomato cell cultures, cytoplasmic heat shock granules (HSGs) are tightly associated with a specific subset of mRNAs coding mainly for the untranslated control proteins. This messenger ribonucleoprotein complex was banded in a CsCl gradient after fixation with formaldehyde (approximately 1.30 g/cm3). It contains all the heat shock proteins and most of the RNA applied to the gradient. During heat shock, a reversible aggregation of HSGs from 15S precursor particles can be shown. These pre-HSGs are not identical to the 19S plant prosomes. Ultrastructural analysis supports the ribonucleoprotein nature of HSGs and their composition of approximately 10-nm precursor particles. A model summarizes our results. It gives a reasonable explanation for the striking conservation of untranslated mRNAs during heat shock and may apply also to animal cells.

Prosomes and heat shock complexes in Drosophila melanogaster cells

Prosomes and heat shock protein (HSP) complexes isolated from the cytoplasm of Drosophila cells in culture were biochemically and immunologically characterized. The two complexes were found to separate on sucrose gradients, allowing the analysis of their protein constituents by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and by reaction with anti-HSP sera and prosome-specific monoclonal antibodies. All of the prosomal proteins were found to be clearly distinct from the HSP; none of the prosomal proteins was synthesized de novo in heat shock. However, an antiprosome (anti-p27K) monoclonal antibody (mouse anti-duck) recognizing the Drosophila p29K prosomal protein allowed immunoprecipitation from a heat-shocked postmitochondrial supernatant of the crude HSP complex, including the low- and the high-molecular-weight components, in particular the 70 x 10(3)-molecular weight HSP. The highly purified small 16S HSP complex still contained this preexistent p29K prosomal protein, which thus also seems to be a metabolically stable constituent of the HSP complex. The significance of this structural and possibly functional relationship between prosomes and HSP, involving the highly ubiquitous and evolutionarily conserved prosomal protein p27/29K, remains to be elucidated.

Dynamic changes in the structure and intracellular locale of the mammalian low-molecular-weight heat shock protein

Mammalian cells grown at 37 degrees C contain a single low-molecular-weight heat shock (or stress) protein with an apparent mass of 28 kilodaltons (kDa) whose synthesis increases in cells after exposure to elevated temperatures or other forms of physiologic stress. Herein we present data demonstrating that heat shock protein 28 exists in a number of dynamic states depending upon the physiologic state of the cell. Biochemical fractionation of 37 degrees C cells in the absence of nonionic detergent revealed that the 28-kDa protein partitioned approximately equally between the soluble and insoluble fractions. The addition of detergent in the fractionation procedure resulted in all of the protein distributed within the soluble phase. In contrast, in cells first heat shocked and then fractionated in the presence of detergent, most of the 28-kDa protein was found within the insoluble fraction. These biochemical results appeared entirely consistent with indirect immunofluorescence experiments, demonstrating that the 28-kDa protein resided within the perinuclear region of 37 degrees C cells in close proximity to the Golgi complex. After heat shock treatment, the 28-kDa protein relocalized within the nucleus and resisted detergent extraction. The extent of 28-kDa protein redistribution into the nucleus and its detergent insolubility increased as a function of the severity of the heat shock treatment. With time of recovery from the heat treatment there occurred a gradual return of the 28-kDa protein into the detergent-soluble phase. Concomitant with these changes in 28-kDa protein solubility was a corresponding change in the apparent size of the protein as determined by gel filtration. While at 37 degrees C cells the protein exhibited a mass of 200 to 800 kDa; after heat shock the protein assumed sizes of 2 MDa or greater. Using immunoelectron microscopy, we show an accumulation of these aggregates of 28-kDa protein within the nucleus. Finally, we show that the heat-dependent redistribution of the 28-kDa protein from the cytoplasm into the nucleus was greatly diminished when the cells were first rendered thermotolerant, and we suggest that this simple assay (i.e., 28-kDa protein detergent solubility) may prove useful in evaluating the thermotolerant status of a cell or tissue.

Co-isolation of heat stress and cytoskeletal proteins with plasma membrane proteins

Previous reports have suggested the possible existence of a plasma-cell-membrane function associated with some heat stress proteins (HSPs). To investigate the effect of hyperthermia on plasma membrane proteins, rat mammary tumour clone C (MTC) cells were heated at 42 degrees C for 1 h. Their surface proteins were (1) labelled with [3H]leucine, (2) biotinylated, (3) affinity isolated with streptavidin-agarose beads under denaturing or non-denaturing conditions, and (4) analysed by one- and two-dimensional polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and protein blotting under denaturing conditions. Affinity isolation of biotinylated proteins enriched for a protein subfraction believed to be membrane-associated. Several proteins analogous to HSP or their heat-stress cognates (HSC) were present with these biotinylated protein subfractions in control or heated cells. The major and most consistent feature of affinity isolates from heated cells was the presence of a small fraction of the induced 68-kD HSP. The 112-, 90-, 70- and 22-kD HSC/HSP were also present in small amounts in affinity isolates of control cells, and the fraction increased in heated cells. Several structural proteins, including actin and the tubulins were present in the same affinity isolates. Protein blotting experiments indicated that none were exposed on the exterior of the plasma-cell membrane or biotinylated and thus none were exposed on the exterior of the plasma-cell membrane or biotinylated intracellularly through membrane damage. These results suggest that small fractions of several HSC are located at or near the cytoplasmic face of the plasma membrane along with cytoskeletal proteins, and that additional submembranous localization of HSP occurs after heat stress and may be part of the processes associated with membrane damage or cellular responses to heat. Further studies will be directed at establishing the relationships between these proteins and the role, if any, of the changes associated with heat stress.

Cytoplasmic heat shock granules are formed from precursor particles and are associated with a specific set of mRNAs

In heat-shocked tomato cell cultures, cytoplasmic heat shock granules (HSGs) are tightly associated with a specific subset of mRNAs coding mainly for the untranslated control proteins. This messenger ribonucleoprotein complex was banded in a CsCl gradient after fixation with formaldehyde (approximately 1.30 g/cm3). It contains all the heat shock proteins and most of the RNA applied to the gradient. During heat shock, a reversible aggregation of HSGs from 15S precursor particles can be shown. These pre-HSGs are not identical to the 19S plant prosomes. Ultrastructural analysis supports the ribonucleoprotein nature of HSGs and their composition of approximately 10-nm precursor particles. A model summarizes our results. It gives a reasonable explanation for the striking conservation of untranslated mRNAs during heat shock and may apply also to animal cells.

The intracellular location of yeast heat-shock protein 26 varies with metabolism

An antibody highly specific for heat-shock protein (hsp)26, the unique small hsp of yeast, and mutants carrying a deletion of the HSP26 gene were used to examine the physical properties of the protein and to determine its intracellular distribution. The protein was found in complexes with a molecular mass of greater than 500 kD. Thus, it has all of the characteristics, including sequence homology and induction patterns, of small hsps from other organisms. When log-phase cells growing in glucose were heat shocked, hsp26 concentrated in nuclei and continued to concentrate in nuclei when these cells were returned to normal temperatures for recovery. However, hsp26 did not concentrate in nuclei under a variety of other conditions. For example, in early stationary-phase cells hsp26 is induced at normal growth temperatures. This protein was generally distributed throughout the cells, even after heat shock. Similarly, in cells genetically engineered to synthesize hsp26 in the presence of galactose, hsp26 did not concentrate in nuclei, with or without a heat shock. To determine if the failure of hsp26 to concentrate in the nucleus of these cells was due to the fact that the protein had been produced at 25 degrees C or to a difference in the physiological state of the cell, we investigated the distribution of the heat-induced protein in cells grown under several different conditions. In wild-type cells grown in galactose or acetate and in mitochondrial mutants grown in glucose or galactose, hsp26 also failed to concentrate in nuclei with a heat shock. We conclude that the intracellular location of hsp26 in yeast depends upon the physiological state of the cell and not simply upon the presence or absence of heat stress. Our findings may explain why previous investigations of the intracellular localization of small hsps in a variety of organisms have yielded seemingly contradictory results.

Cell cycle-dependent association of HSP70 with specific cellular proteins

In asynchronous populations of HeLa cells maintained at control or heat shock temperatures, HSP70 levels and its subcellular distribution exhibit substantial heterogeneity as demonstrated by indirect immunofluorescence with HSP70-specific monoclonal antibodies. Of particular interest is a subpopulation of cells in which the characteristic nuclear accumulation and nucleolar association of HSP70 is not detected after heat shock treatment. This apparent variation in the heat shock response is not observed when synchronized cells are examined. In this study, we demonstrate that three monoclonal antibodies to HSP70, in particular, do not detect nucleolar-localized HSP70 in heat-shocked G2 cells. This is not due to an inability of G2 cells to respond to heat shock as measured by increased HSP70 mRNA and protein synthesis, or due to a lack of accumulation of HSP70 after heat shock in G2. Rather the epitopes recognized by the various antibodies appear to be inaccessible, perhaps due to the association of HSP70 with other proteins. Non-denaturing immunoprecipitations with these HSP70-specific antibodies suggest that HSP70 may interact with other cellular proteins in a cell cycle-dependent manner.

Dynamic changes in the structure and intracellular locale of the mammalian low-molecular-weight heat shock protein

Mammalian cells grown at 37 degrees C contain a single low-molecular-weight heat shock (or stress) protein with an apparent mass of 28 kilodaltons (kDa) whose synthesis increases in cells after exposure to elevated temperatures or other forms of physiologic stress. Herein we present data demonstrating that heat shock protein 28 exists in a number of dynamic states depending upon the physiologic state of the cell. Biochemical fractionation of 37 degrees C cells in the absence of nonionic detergent revealed that the 28-kDa protein partitioned approximately equally between the soluble and insoluble fractions. The addition of detergent in the fractionation procedure resulted in all of the protein distributed within the soluble phase. In contrast, in cells first heat shocked and then fractionated in the presence of detergent, most of the 28-kDa protein was found within the insoluble fraction. These biochemical results appeared entirely consistent with indirect immunofluorescence experiments, demonstrating that the 28-kDa protein resided within the perinuclear region of 37 degrees C cells in close proximity to the Golgi complex. After heat shock treatment, the 28-kDa protein relocalized within the nucleus and resisted detergent extraction. The extent of 28-kDa protein redistribution into the nucleus and its detergent insolubility increased as a function of the severity of the heat shock treatment. With time of recovery from the heat treatment there occurred a gradual return of the 28-kDa protein into the detergent-soluble phase. Concomitant with these changes in 28-kDa protein solubility was a corresponding change in the apparent size of the protein as determined by gel filtration. While at 37 degrees C cells the protein exhibited a mass of 200 to 800 kDa; after heat shock the protein assumed sizes of 2 MDa or greater. Using immunoelectron microscopy, we show an accumulation of these aggregates of 28-kDa protein within the nucleus. Finally, we show that the heat-dependent redistribution of the 28-kDa protein from the cytoplasm into the nucleus was greatly diminished when the cells were first rendered thermotolerant, and we suggest that this simple assay (i.e., 28-kDa protein detergent solubility) may prove useful in evaluating the thermotolerant status of a cell or tissue.

Localization and quantitation of hsp84 in mammalian cells

In order to investigate the function of heat shock protein 84 (hsp84) we have isolated the protein from mouse neuroblastoma cells and raised a polyclonal antiserum which was affinity-purified. The specificity of the antibody was established by immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting. Immunofluorescence studies revealed both a cytoplasmic and a nuclear localization of hsp84 in five different mammalian cell lines (mouse neuroblastoma cells and fibroblasts, rat hepatoma cells, and HeLa cells). In none of the five cell lines were found significant differences in the total cellular levels of hsp84 before and immediately after a heat shock (4 h, 42 degrees C) by immunoblot quantification. Furthermore after heat shock the fluorescence of anti-hsp84-labeled nuclei was increased relative to that of the surrounding cytoplasm. The increased fluorescence disappeared upon reincubation at 37 degrees C. The heat-induced increase in contrast between cytoplasmic and nuclear fluorescence could be explained by a combination of three factors: (a) decrease in nuclear projection area, (b) increase in cytoplasmic projection area, and (c) translocation of hsp84. The contribution of these factors to the increase after heat treatment was different for the cell lines.

Effect of heat shock on RNA metabolism in HeLa cells

Incubation of HeLa cells at 42 degrees C results in pronounced inhibition of the accumulation of 18S and 28S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and non-heat shock polyadenylated messenger RNA (mRNA) in the cytoplasm. Accumulation of transfer RNA and 5S ribosomal RNA is not affected. Transcription of rRNA precursor is reduced to approximately 50% of the 37 degrees C rate after 10 min of hyperthermia and declines to 30% of the control rate after 1 hr. In contrast, the accumulation of mature rRNA in the cytoplasm is inhibited more than 95%. Quantitative hybridization experiments and Northern blot analysis detect little accumulation of rRNA precursor sequences in nuclei, suggesting that the majority of the rRNA that is synthesized is degraded. Heat stress at 42 degrees C was found to have little effect on transcription of most non-heat shock mRNAs. However, accumulation of individual non-heat shock mRNAs in the cytoplasm proceeds at reduced rates. These results indicate that the primary effect of elevated temperature on RNA metabolism in mammalian cells is inhibition of processing and/or transport. Despite this, steady-state levels of abundant and rapidly turning over mRNA species remain unchanged during prolonged heat stress. We find that the half-life of c-myc mRNA increases greater than twofold at 42 degrees C. Thus, 42 degrees C heat stress appears to inhibit both accumulation and turnover of non-heat shock mRNA.

Ultrastructural and biochemical analysis of the stress granule in chicken embryo fibroblasts

The ultrastructure and biochemical composition of cytoplasmic particles that form in chicken embryo fibroblasts during stress have been analyzed. We showed previously that these particles contained the small stress protein, sp 24, and antibodies specific to sp 24 were used here to identify the stress granule. In thin sections, the stress granule was a densely staining, membraneless, cytoplasmic body and appeared as a highly condensed area of cytoplasm in freeze-fracture preparations. Hypotonic swelling of cells before freeze-fracture analysis revealed a basketlike structure composed of interconnecting protein cables. No other proteins could be cross-linked to sp 24 when stress granules were treated with dithiobis-(succinimidyl propionate). High resolution autoradiographic analysis with [3H]uridine failed to identify any associated RNA synthesized in the period immediately before the stress. Thus the stress granule appears to be composed predominantly of sp 24 aggregates. Sp 24 could be purified to homogeneity from the stress granule by solubilization in 8 M urea and anion exchange chromatography.

Members of the Drosophila HSP 70 family share ATP-binding properties

In Drosophila, the hsp 70 family consists of a group of proteins of similar molecular masses (hsps 68, 70 and 72) that exist as multiple isoforms. In this report, it is shown that hsps 68, 70 and 72 from Drosophila cells can be purified by affinity chromatography on ATP-agarose. Furthermore it is demonstrated that the multiple members of the hsp 70 family, which accumulate in large amounts in the nucleus during a heat shock, can be specifically solubilized from the isolated nuclei fraction by ATP. One of the major cognate proteins (hsc 70) also shows similar behavior. These data suggest that most, if not all, of the related Drosophila hsps 70 possess, like their mammalian counterparts, an ATP-binding site which could be related to their function in the stress response.

Comparative immunochemical and structural similarities of five stress proteins from various tissue types

1. Incorporation of radioactive phosphate or leucine by stress proteins from rodent lymphoma, submaxillary and liver nuclei were observed in two-dimensional gels following chemical and environmental stress. 2. The stress proteins were isolated from second-dimension gels and their similarities compared. Mol. wt determinations, immunochemical blotting and protease V8 peptide mapping confirmed the identical nature of the stress proteins possessing identical Mr, but from diverse tissue types. 3. These data imply that highly similar stress proteins exist in diverse tissues, are conserved during evolution, and possess some elemental and essential function.

Major E. coli heat-stress protein do not translocate: implications for cell survival

When Escherichia coli are exposed to heat stress, the majority of proteins in the process of synthesis at the time of heat stress are rapidly translocated to the outer membrane of the bacterium. The synthesis of most of these proteins appears to take place on membrane-bound polyribosomes. With the temperature shift, overall protein synthesis is inhibited while the synthesis of a small group of proteins is initiated. These proteins are not translocated, but remain in the cytosolic compartment, and they are identifiable as heat-stress proteins. Both the translocation phenomenon and the retention of heat-stress proteins in the cytosolic compartment in proximity to the nucleoid could counteract the effects of heat stress. The translocated proteins may operate by stabilizing the outer membrane prior to the induction of heat-stress proteins and the latter, which are confined to the cytoplasmic compartment, may serve to protect the integrity of the nucleoid structures.

Cellular localization of HSP23 during Drosophila development and following subsequent heat shock

The low-molecular-weight heat-shock protein HSP23 is synthesized in the absence of heat shock during Drosophila development. Here, I present a quantitative analysis of this phenomenon and describe the cellular localization of this protein during normal development and after a subsequent heat shock. HSP23 is first detected in the late third instar larvae and continues to accumulate reaching a maximum level in late pupae. In a 1-week-old adult, HSP23 can no longer be detected. Following lysis of whole pupae, HSP23 is found in the soluble lysate fraction in a form which sediments between 10 and 20 S. Exposure of larvae, pupae, and the adult fly to heat stress (37 degrees C) results in an increased amount of HSP23 which, however, is recovered in an insoluble particulate form following insect lysis. During recovery from heat shock, HSP23 is again found in the soluble 10- to 20-S lysate fraction. In pupae which are exposed to a severe heat stress (41 degrees C) HSP23 remains in the pellet fraction after the heat stress and no pupae are able to emerge as adult flies. However, when pupae are first exposed to a mild heat-shock treatment prior to the 41 degrees C stress, the thermotolerance process is induced and HSP23 is again rapidly found in the soluble lysate fraction during the recovery from heat shock. These observations suggest a possible correlation between the survival of pupae after heat shock and the recovery of HSP23 in the soluble lysate fraction as 10- to 20-S structures after the heat shock.

A 20S particle ubiquitous from yeast to human

We have purified and characterized a particle sedimenting at 20S from the postribosomal fraction of yeast, wheat germ, Drosophila melanogaster tissue culture cells, chicken embryo fibroblasts, rabbit reticulocyte lysate, and HeLa cells. Most of the protein constituents of the 20S particle have molecular weights of 20-35 kd and differ between species; however, some do have similar molecular weights and isoelectric points, suggesting they are related. Several low-molecular-weight RNAs, distinct from tRNAs, co-purify with the particle isolated from all these species and show increasingly more complex patterns ascending the arbitrary order from yeast to human (yeast, plant, insect, bird, and mammals). In Drosophila, we present evidence that these small RNAs are tightly associated with this 20S structure.

Expression and localization of Drosophila melanogaster hsp70 cognate proteins

Monoclonal antibodies have been used to identify three proteins in Drosophila melanogaster that share antigenic determinants with the major heat shock proteins hsp70 and hsp68. While two of the proteins are major proteins at all developmental stages, one heat shock cognate protein, hsc70, is especially enriched in embryos. hsc70 is shown to be the product of a previously identified gene, Hsc4. We have examined the levels of hsp70-related proteins in adult flies and larvae during heat shock and recovery. At maximal induction in vivo, hsp70 and hsp68 never reach the basal levels of the major heat shock cognate proteins. Monoclonal antibodies to hsc70 have been used to localize it to a meshwork of cytoplasmic fibers that are heavily concentrated around the nucleus.

HSP 26 and 27 are phosphorylated in response to heat shock and ecdysterone in Drosophila melanogaster cells

Protein phosphorylation has been studied in Drosophila melanogaster 8.9 K cells following heat shock. By in vivo double labelling with [35S]-methionine and [32P]-orthophosphate, we observed that two proteins are newly phosphorylated among the 26,000-27,000 dalton heat-shock proteins group. These two proteins are also phosphorylated after ecdysterone treatment, albeit at a lower level. That this phosphorylation event is induced by two different treatments, i.e. ecdysterone, a key steroid hormone of development, and heat-shock, a cellular stress suggests a possible common pathway for those two events and an important function for the phosphorylated heat-shock proteins.

Control of ribosome biosynthesis in plant cell cultures under heat-shock conditions. Ribosomal RNA

The immediate block of ribosome biosynthesis in heat-shocked tomato cell cultures is primarily caused by the complete inhibition of pre-rRNP processing. Depending on the heat-shock conditions synthesis of pre-rRNP goes on, though at a reduced level. Synthesis and/or preservation of pre-rRNP during heat shock as well as its efficient processing in the recovery period are thoroughly improved by preconditioning of cells to the hyperthermic treatment. Such preinduced cultures are characterized by their content of preformed heat-shock proteins, whose dominant representative (hsp 70) becomes highly enriched in the characteristic granular rRNP material observed in nucleoli of heat-shocked cells. This is shown by immune fluorescence staining and microautoradiography.

Genes for low-molecular-weight heat shock proteins of soybeans: sequence analysis of a multigene family

Soybeans, Glycine max, synthesize a family of low-molecular-weight heat shock (HS) proteins in response to HS. The DNA sequences of two genes encoding 17.5- and 17.6-kilodalton HS proteins were determined. Nuclease S1 mapping of the corresponding mRNA indicated multiple start termini at the 5' end and multiple stop termini at the 3' end. These two genes were compared with two other soybean HS genes of similar size. A comparison among the 5' flanking regions encompassing the presumptive HS promoter of the soybean HS-protein genes demonstrated this region to be extremely homologous. Analysis of the DNA sequences in the 5' flanking regions of the soybean genes with the corresponding regions of Drosophila melanogaster HS-protein genes revealed striking similarity between plants and animals in the presumptive promoter structure of thermoinducible genes. Sequences related to the Drosophila HS consensus regulatory element were found 57 to 62 base pairs 5' to the start of transcription in addition to secondary HS consensus elements located further upstream. Comparative analysis of the deduced amino acid sequences of four soybean HS proteins illustrated that these proteins were greater than 90% homologous. Comparison of the amino acid sequence for soybean HS proteins with other organisms showed much lower homology (less than 20%). Hydropathy profiles for Drosophila, Xenopus, Caenorhabditis elegans, and G. max HS proteins showed a similarity of major hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions, which suggests conservation of functional domains for these proteins among widely dispersed organisms.

The dynamic state of heat shock proteins in chicken embryo fibroblasts

Subcellular fractionation and immunofluorescence microscopy have been used to study the intracellular distributions of the major heat shock proteins, hsp 89, hsp 70, and hsp 24, in chicken embryo fibroblasts stressed by heat shock, allowed to recover and then restressed. Hsp 89 was localized primarily to the cytoplasm except during the restress when a portion of this protein concentrated in the nuclear region. Under all conditions, hsp 89 was readily extracted from cells by detergent. During stress and restress, significant amounts of hsp 70 moved to the nucleus and became resistant to detergent extraction. Some of this hsp 70 was released from the insoluble form in an ATP-dependent reaction. Hsp 24 was confined to the cytoplasm and, during restress, aggregated to detergent-insoluble perinuclear phase-dense granules. These granules dissociated during recovery and hsp 24 could be solubilized by detergent. The nuclear hsps reappeared in the cytoplasm in cells allowed to recover at normal temperatures. Sodium arsenite also induces hsps and their distributions were similar to that observed after a heat shock, except for hsp 89, which remained cytoplasmic. We also examined by immunofluorescence the cytoskeletal systems of chicken embryo fibroblasts subjected to heat shock and found no gross morphological changes in cytoplasmic microfilaments or microtubules. However, the intermediate filament network was very sensitive and collapsed around the nucleus very shortly after a heat shock. The normal intermediate filament morphology reformed when cells were allowed to recover from the stress. Inclusion of actinomycin D during the heat shock--a condition that prevents synthesis of the hsps--did not affect the intermediate filament collapse, but recovery of the normal morphology did not occur. We suggest that an hsp(s) may aid in the formation of the intermediate filament network after stress.