An induction effect of heat shock on the transcript of globular acetylcholinesterase in NG108-15 cells

Abstract

Heat shock response, an induced transcription of a set of genes in response to high temperature, occurs in all organisms. In neurons, the catalytic subunit of acetylcholinesterase (AChE T) interacts with proline-rich membrane anchor (PRiMA) to form a globular tetrameric form (G 4 form). In this study, we examined the effects of heat shock on the transcription and protein assembly of AChE T in cultured NG108-15 cells. The transcription of AChE T was rapidly induced by heat shock at 40 °C, reaching a 15-fold increase in 3 h and decreasing thereafter. On the other hand, the level of PRiMA mRNA was not affected after the heat shock. In parallel with AChE T mRNA, the enzymatic activity of cellular AChE, in terms of G 1 and G 2 forms, was increased after heat shock; however, the PRiMA-linked G 4 remained unchanged. These results suggest that heat shock can induce the expression level of AChE T by the regulation of AChE T transcripts in NG108-15 cells.