Mechanism and function of heat shock-dependent IκBα expression

Abstract

Heat shock is known to inhibit activation of the NF-kappa B pathway. One potential mechanism of this effect is de novo expression of the intracellular NF-kappaB inhibitor, Ikappa Balpha. Herein we sought to elucidate the mechanisms by which heat shock induces Ikappa Balpha gene expression and the functional consequences of heat shock-mediated Ikappa Balpha gene expression in A549 cells. Nuclear run-on assays demonstrated that heat shock had a small effect on transcription of the Ikappa Balpha gene relative to the level of steady state Ikappa Balpha mRNA that is seen following heat shock. Accordingly, we determined the effect of heat shock on Ikappa Balpha mRNA stability by treating cells with actinomycin D to induce transcriptional arrest. The half-life of IkappaBalpha mRNA was 36 +/- 7.2 min in control cells and 101 +/- 3.7 min in cells subjected to heat shock. These data were consistent with heat shock-mediated increased stability of Ikappa Balpha mRNA. Heat shock induced activation of p38 MAP kinase and inhibition of p38 MAP kinase substantially reduced heat shock-dependent expression of Ikappa Balpha mRNA. After a 4 h recovery period from heat shock, there was inhibition of tumor necrosis factor-alpha-mediated NF-kappaB activation. The introduction of an Ikappa Balpha anti-sense oligonucleotide reversed this inhibitory effect of heat shock. We conclude that heat shock increases IkappaBalpha gene expression primarily by increasing Ikappa Balpha mRNA stability and this effect is partially dependent on p38 MAP kinase. The functional consequence of heat shock-mediated Ikappa Balpha gene expression is inhibition of NF-kappaB activation.