Free messenger ribonucleoprotein complexes of chicken primary muscle cells following modification of protein synthesis by heat-shock treatment

Effect of heat shock on acetylcholinesterase activity in chick muscle cultures

The effect of heat shock was studied on the acetylcholinesterase activity of chick muscle primary cultures. In cultures transferred from 37 degrees C to 45 degrees C, a sharp drop in activity was followed by rapid spontaneous recovery. The time of onset of recovery resembled the time needed for expression of heat shock proteins. In cultures exposed to heat shock at 45 degrees C and allowed to recover at 37 degrees C, reappearance of acetylcholinesterase activity did not involve de novo protein synthesis since it was not prevented by cycloheximide. Our data raise the possibility of a role for heat shock proteins as molecular chaperones in rescuing heat-denaturing acetylcholinesterase.

Induction of a chicken small heat shock (stress) protein: evidence of multilevel posttranscriptional regulation

A novel form of regulation of expression of a vertebrate heat shock gene is described. A cDNA clone encoding human Hsp27 was shown to specifically recognize chicken Hsp23 RNA by Northern (RNA) blot analysis and hybrid-select translation. This probe was then used to measure chicken hsp23 gene activity in control and heat-stressed cells. The hsp23 gene(s) was transcriptionally active in non-heat-stressed cells, and its rate of transcription did not increase significantly upon heat shock. Cytoplasmic Hsp23 mRNA, which was metabolically very stable in nonstressed cells, underwent a fourfold increase in amount after a 1-h heat shock, resulting in a twofold increase in Hsp23 mRNA in polysomes. Hsp23 mRNA was relatively abundant and translationally active even in non-heat-shocked cells. Taken together, these data implicated posttranscriptional nuclear events as an important control point for induction of Hsp23 RNA transcripts. The protein half-life of Hsp23 increased from approximately 2 h in control cultures to 13 h in heat-shocked cells, revealing a second major control point. Hsp23 which was synthesized prior to heat shock also increased in stability and contributed to the overall accumulation of Hsp23 in heat-shocked cells. Cycloheximide had no effect on this change in Hsp23 half-life, while dactinomycin blocked the stabilization of Hsp23, suggesting a need for newly synthesized RNA. These data indicated that stabilization of Hsp23 protein and posttranscriptional nuclear events resulting in increased production of Hsp23 mRNA were primarily responsible for a 13-fold increase in the accumulation of newly synthesized Hsp23 after 1 h of heat shock. The regulation of the hsp23 gene is discussed in comparison with several other posttranscriptionally regulated genes, including the proto-oncogene c-fos, the developmentally regulated chicken delta-crystallin gene, and regulation of cellular gene expression by the proto-oncogene c-myc.

Induction of a chicken small heat shock (stress) protein: evidence of multilevel posttranscriptional regulation

A novel form of regulation of expression of a vertebrate heat shock gene is described. A cDNA clone encoding human Hsp27 was shown to specifically recognize chicken Hsp23 RNA by Northern (RNA) blot analysis and hybrid-select translation. This probe was then used to measure chicken hsp23 gene activity in control and heat-stressed cells. The hsp23 gene(s) was transcriptionally active in non-heat-stressed cells, and its rate of transcription did not increase significantly upon heat shock. Cytoplasmic Hsp23 mRNA, which was metabolically very stable in nonstressed cells, underwent a fourfold increase in amount after a 1-h heat shock, resulting in a twofold increase in Hsp23 mRNA in polysomes. Hsp23 mRNA was relatively abundant and translationally active even in non-heat-shocked cells. Taken together, these data implicated posttranscriptional nuclear events as an important control point for induction of Hsp23 RNA transcripts. The protein half-life of Hsp23 increased from approximately 2 h in control cultures to 13 h in heat-shocked cells, revealing a second major control point. Hsp23 which was synthesized prior to heat shock also increased in stability and contributed to the overall accumulation of Hsp23 in heat-shocked cells. Cycloheximide had no effect on this change in Hsp23 half-life, while dactinomycin blocked the stabilization of Hsp23, suggesting a need for newly synthesized RNA. These data indicated that stabilization of Hsp23 protein and posttranscriptional nuclear events resulting in increased production of Hsp23 mRNA were primarily responsible for a 13-fold increase in the accumulation of newly synthesized Hsp23 after 1 h of heat shock. The regulation of the hsp23 gene is discussed in comparison with several other posttranscriptionally regulated genes, including the proto-oncogene c-fos, the developmentally regulated chicken delta-crystallin gene, and regulation of cellular gene expression by the proto-oncogene c-myc.

Protein biosynthesis changes in Trypanosoma cruzi induced by supra-optimal temperature

Early during vertebrate infection, T. cruzi is exposed to the host blood at an elevated temperature. Bearing this in mind, the pattern of protein synthesis of two parasite forms was examined. SDS-PAGE of heated organisms showed an increase in at least four proteins (103, 92, 75 and 61 kD). The temperature effect is also manifested in cells whose RNA synthesis is reduced by actinomycin D treatment. The synthesis of the '29 degrees proteins' is inhibited at 40 degrees C in organisms growing in culture medium; when the organisms were maintained in serum, the inhibition was not observed. The inhibitory effect observed at 40 degrees C was reversed when the temperature was shifted to 29 degrees C. These proteins were synthesized for 180 min at 37 degrees C or 360 min at 40 degrees C. The increased protein synthesis manifested at 37 degrees C had decreased 45 min after the temperature was lowered to 29 degrees C. When the cells were pre-incubated at 40 degrees C and shifted to 29 degrees C, the synthesis of the heat-induced proteins proceeded for at least 180 min. This pattern of heat induction in epimastigotes and trypomastigotes is the same irrespective of whether the incubation medium is LIT (for epimastigotes), M-16 (for trypomastigotes), or when serum was used for both cell types.

Cytoplasmic mRNA-protein complexes of chicken muscle cells and their role in protein synthesis

Irradiation of chicken muscle cells with ultraviolet light (254 nm) to cross-link RNA and protein moieties was used to examine the polypeptide complements of cytoplasmic mRNA-protein complexes (mRNP). The polypeptides of translationally active mRNP complexes released from polysomes were compared to the repressed nonpolysomal cytoplasmic (free) mRNP complexes. In general, all of the polypeptides present in free mRNPs were also found in the polysomal mRNPs. In contrast to polysomal mRNPS, polypeptides of Mr 28 000, 32 000, 46 000, 65 000 and 150 000 were either absent or present in relatively smaller quantities in free mRNP complexes. On the other hand, the relative proportion of polypeptides of Mr 130 000 and 43 000 was higher in free mRNPs than in polysomal mRNP complexes. To examine the role of cytoplasmic mRNP complexes in protein synthesis or mRNA metabolism, the changes in these complexes were studied following (a) inhibition of mRNA synthesis and (b) heat-shock treatment to alter the pattern of protein synthesis. Actinomycin D was used to inhibit mRNA synthesis in chick myotubes. The possibility of newly synthesized polypeptides of cytoplasmic mRNP complexes being assembled into these complexes in the absence of mRNA synthesis was examined. These studies showed that the polypeptides of both free and polysomal mRNP complexes can bind to pre-existing mRNAs, therefore suggesting that polypeptides of mRNP complexes can be exchanged with a pool of RNA-binding proteins. In free mRNP complexes, this exchange of polypeptides is significantly slower than in the polysomal mRNP complexes. Heat-shock treatment of chicken myotubes induces the synthesis of three polypeptides of Mr = 81 000, 65 000 and 25 000 (heat-shock polypeptides). Whether this altered pattern of protein synthesis following heat-shock treatment could affect the polypeptide composition of translationally active polysomal mRNPs was examined. The results of these studies show that, compared to normal cells, more newly synthesized polypeptides were assembled into polysomal mRNPs following heat-shock treatment. A [35S]methionine-labeled polypeptide of Mr = 80 000 was detected in mRNPs of heat-shocked cells, but not of normal cells. This polypeptide was, however, detected by AgNO3 staining of the unlabeled polypeptide of mRNP complexes of normal cells. These results, therefore, suggest that the assembly of newly synthesized 80 000-Mr polypeptide to polysomal mRNPs was enhanced following induction of new heat-shock mRNAs. The results of these studies reported here have been discussed in relation to the concept that free mRNP complexes are inefficiently translated in vivo.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)