Caenorhabditis elegans Hsp70-1 expresses highly in bacteria, is sufficiently soluble, and has a catalytic constant similar to Hsc70 and BiP

Characterization of Inducible HSP70 Genes in an Antarctic Yeast, Glaciozyma antarctica PI12, in Response to Thermal Stress

The induction of highly conserved heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) is often related to a cellular response due to harmful stress or adverse life conditions. In this study, we determined the expression of Hsp70 genes in the Antarctic yeast, Glaciozyma antarctica, under different several thermal treatments for several exposure periods. The main aims of the present study were (1) to determine if stress-induced Hsp70 could be used to monitor the exposure of the yeast species G. antarctica to various types of thermal stress; (2) to analyze the structures of the G. antarctica HSP70 proteins using comparative modeling; and (3) to evaluate the relationship between the function and structure of HSP70 in G. antarctica. In this study, we managed to amplify and clone 2 Hsp70 genes from G. antarctica named GaHsp70-1 and GaHsp70-2. The cells of G. antarctica expressed significantly inducible Hsp70 genes after the heat and cold shock treatments. Interestingly, GaHsp70-1 showed 2–6-fold higher expression than GaHsp70-2 after the heat and cold exposure. ATP hydrolysis analysis on both G. antarctica HSP70s proved that these psychrophilic chaperones can perform activities in a wide range of temperatures, such as at 37, 25, 15, and 4 °C. The 3D structures of both HSP70s revealed several interesting findings, such as the substitution of a β-sheet to loop in the N-terminal ATPase binding domain and some modest residue substitutions, which gave the proteins the flexibility to function at low temperatures and retain their functional activity at ambient temperatures. In conclusion, both analyzed HSP70s played important roles in the physiological adaptation of G. antarctica.

Size of Protein is a Major Factor that Affects Retention on Preparative IMAC Columns

Immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) is a specific high-capacity technique used in large-scale purification of proteins. IMAC exploits the ability of immobilized metal ions to form coordination bonds with atoms in the side chains of certain amino acids. The technique is generally robust. However, several factors still affect column binding capacity, retention, yield and purity of proteins during IMAC. It was observed that the recovery of 6× histidine, (His)₆-tagged proteins from metal affinity columns differ significantly depending on the size of the protein. To test this observation, we determined the effect of protein size, flow-rate, number and position of (His)₆ tag on the retention of highly expressing proteins on commercial Ni²⁺ and Co²⁺ IMAC columns. All experiments were performed in phosphate buffer to eliminate interference of amine-containing buffers with the binding of the (His)₆ tag to the columns. Column retention was determined as the ratio of protein of interest in the supernatant (input) to flow-through (output). Data obtained suggest that regardless of the flow-rate, (His)₆ tag position and number, the size of protein is a major factor affecting column retention and therefore recovery during column IMAC purification. Small and medium-sized proteins (~ 50 kDa) have higher column retention than bigger proteins, resulting in higher recovery. These outcomes provide important information to consider when performing IMAC.

Involvement of heat shock proteins on Mn-induced toxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans

BACKGROUND

All living cells display a rapid molecular response to adverse environmental conditions, and the heat shock protein family reflects one such example. Hence, failing to activate heat shock proteins can impair the cellular response. In the present study, we evaluated whether the loss of different isoforms of heat shock protein (hsp) genes in Caenorhabditis elegans would affect their vulnerability to Manganese (Mn) toxicity.

METHODS

We exposed wild type and selected hsp mutant worms to Mn (30 min) and next evaluated further the most susceptible strains. We analyzed survival, protein carbonylation (as a marker of oxidative stress) and Parkinson's disease related gene expression immediately after Mn exposure. Lastly, we observed dopaminergic neurons in wild type worms and in hsp-70 mutants following Mn treatment. Analysis of the data was performed by one-way or two way ANOVA, depending on the case, followed by post-hoc Bonferroni test if the overall p value was less than 0.05.

RESULTS

We verified that the loss of hsp-70, hsp-3 and chn-1 increased the vulnerability to Mn, as exposed mutant worms showed lower survival rate and increased protein oxidation. The importance of hsp-70 against Mn toxicity was then corroborated in dopaminergic neurons, where Mn neurotoxicity was aggravated. The lack of hsp-70 also blocked the transcriptional upregulation of pink1, a gene that has been linked to Parkinson's disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, our data suggest that Mn exposure modulates heat shock protein expression, particularly HSP-70, in C. elegans. Furthermore, loss of hsp-70 increases protein oxidation and dopaminergic neuronal degeneration following manganese exposure, which is associated with the inhibition of pink1 increased expression, thus potentially exacerbating the vulnerability to this metal.

CRMPs Function in Neurons and Glial Cells: Potential Therapeutic Targets for Neurodegenerative Diseases and CNS Injury

Neurodegeneration in the adult mammalian central nervous system (CNS) is fundamentally accelerated by its intrinsic neuronal mechanisms, including its poor regenerative capacity and potent extrinsic inhibitory factors. Thus, the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases faces many obstacles. The degenerative processes, consisting of axonal/dendritic structural disruption, abnormal axonal transport, release of extracellular factors, and inflammation, are often controlled by the cytoskeleton. From this perspective, regulators of the cytoskeleton could potentially be a therapeutic target for neurodegenerative diseases and CNS injury. Collapsin response mediator proteins (CRMPs) are known to regulate the assembly of cytoskeletal proteins in neurons, as well as control axonal growth and neural circuit formation. Recent studies have provided some novel insights into the roles of CRMPs in several inhibitory signaling pathways of neurodegeneration, in addition to its functions in neurological disorders and CNS repair. Here, we summarize the roles of CRMPs in axon regeneration and its emerging functions in non-neuronal cells, especially in inflammatory responses. We also discuss the direct and indirect targeting of CRMPs as a novel therapeutic strategy for neurological diseases.