Heat Shock Conditions Research Articles

Drosophila Heat Shock Response Requires the JNK Pathway and Phosphorylation of Mixed Lineage Kinase at a Conserved Serine-Proline Motif

Defining context specific requirements for proteins and pathways is a major challenge in the study of signal transduction. For example, the stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK) pathways are comprised of families of closely related transducers that are activated in a variety of tissues and contexts during development and organismal homeostasis. Consequently, redundant and pleiotropic effects have hampered a complete understanding of the individual contributions of transducers in distinct contexts. Here, we report on the function of a context-specific regulatory phosphorylation site, PXSP, in the Drosophila mixed lineage kinase protein, Slpr, a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase (MAP3K) in the Jun Kinase (JNK) pathway. Genetic analysis of the function of non-phosphorylatable (PXAP) and phosphomimetic mutant (PXEP) Slpr transgenes in several distinct contexts revealed minimal effects in JNK-dependent tissue closure processes but differential requirements in heat stress response. In particular, PXAP expression resulted in sensitivity of adults to sustained heat shock, like p38 and JNK pathway mutants. In contrast, PXEP overexpression conferred some resistance. Indeed, phosphorylation of the PXSP motif is enriched under heat shock conditions and requires in part, the p38 kinases for the enrichment. These data suggest that coordination of signaling between p38 and Slpr serves to maintain JNK signaling during heat stress. In sum, we demonstrate a novel role for JNK signaling in the heat shock response in flies and identify a posttranslational modification on Slpr, at a conserved site among MAP3K mixed lineage kinase family members, which bolsters stress resistance with negligible effects on JNK-dependent developmental processes.

Molecular characteristics of HSC70 gene and its expression in the golden apple snails, Pomacea canaliculata (Mollusca: Gastropoda)

The heat shock cognate 70 (PHSC70) gene of the golden apple snail, Pomacea canaliculata, was cloned and characterized, which was 2275base pairs (bp) containing a single 1950bp open reading frame (ORF) that encoded a polypeptide of 650 amino acids. Genomic DNA of PHSC70 in P. canaliculata confirmed the presence of nine introns located at the coding region as well as the 5′-terminal untranslated region (UTR). BLAST analysis revealed that the PHSC70 gene shared high similarity with other known HSC70 genes. The phylogenetic analysis demonstrated a separate clustering of the PHSC70 with constitutive members from other mollusk species. Expression of PHSC70 in different tissues (gill, digestive gland, kidney and foot muscle) of the snails exposed to high (36°C) and low (9°C) temperatures was investigated. The results showed that PHSC70 transcript levels were constitutively modulated in non-stressed condition in above tissues. After the cold treatment, PHSC70 transcript levels decreased significantly in the gill, but had no obvious changes in the digestive gland, kidney and foot muscle. However, PHSC70 transcript levels increased significantly in all the tissues under the heat shock condition. In addition, PHSC70 protein was detected in different tissues from both young and adult snails by a Western blot. The result of quantitative immunofluorescence indicated that a large amount of PHSC70 proteins localize in the gill lamella cells. These results strongly suggested that PHSC70 may play an important role in mediating the physiological responses to the high temperature.

Genetic variation for stress-response hormesis in C. elegans lifespan

Increased lifespan can be associated with greater resistance to many different stressors, most notably thermal stress. Such hormetic effects have also been found in C. elegans where short-term exposure to heat lengthens the lifespan. Genetic investigations have been carried out using mutation perturbations in a single genotype, the wild type Bristol N2. Yet, induced mutations do not yield insight regarding the natural genetic variation of thermal tolerance and lifespan. We investigated the genetic variation of heat-shock recovery, i.e. hormetic effects on lifespan and associated quantitative trait loci (QTL) in C. elegans. Heat-shock resulted in an 18% lifespan increase in wild type CB4856 whereas N2 did not show a lifespan elongation. Using recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between wild types N2 and CB4856 we found natural variation in stress-response hormesis in lifespan. Approx. 28% of the RILs displayed a hormesis effect in lifespan. We did not find any hormesis effects for total offspring. Across the RILs there was no relation between lifespan and offspring. The ability to recover from heat-shock mapped to a significant QTL on chromosome II which overlapped with a QTL for offspring under heat-shock conditions. The QTL was confirmed by introgressing relatively small CB4856 regions into chromosome II of N2. Our observations show that there is natural variation in hormetic effects on C. elegans lifespan for heat-shock and that this variation is genetically determined.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Possesses a Stress-Inducible Glycyl-tRNA Synthetase Gene

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are a large family of housekeeping enzymes that are pivotal in protein translation and other vital cellular processes. Saccharomyces cerevisiae possesses two distinct nuclear glycyl-tRNA synthetase (GlyRS) genes, GRS1 and GRS2. GRS1 encodes both cytoplasmic and mitochondrial activities, while GRS2 is essentially silent and dispensable under normal conditions. We herein present evidence that expression of GRS2 was drastically induced upon heat shock, ethanol or hydrogen peroxide addition, and high pH, while expression of GRS1 was somewhat repressed under those conditions. In addition, GlyRS2 (the enzyme encoded by GRS2) had a higher protein stability and a lower KM value for yeast tRNAGly under heat shock conditions than under normal conditions. Moreover, GRS2 rescued the growth defect of a GRS1 knockout strain when highly expressed by a strong promoter at 37°C, but not at the optimal temperature of 30°C. These results suggest that GRS2 is actually an inducible gene that may function to rescue the activity of GRS1 under stress conditions.

YrhB is a highly stable small protein with unique chaperone-like activity in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3)

Escherichia coli YrhB (10.6kDa) from strain BL21(DE3) that is commonly used for protein overexpression is a stable chaperone-like protein and indispensable for supporting the growth of BL21(DE3) at 48°C but not defined as conventional heat shock protein (HSP). YrhB effectively prevented heat-induced aggregation of ribonucleotide synthetase (PurK). Without ATP, YrhB alone promoted in vitro refolding of uridine phosphorylase (UDP) and protected thermal denaturation of the refolded UDP. As a cis-acting fusion partner, YrhB also significantly reduced inclusion body formation of nine aggregation-prone heterologous proteins in BL21(DE3). Unlike conventional small HSPs, YrhB remained monomer under heat shock condition.

Temperature dependent N-glycosylation of plasma membrane heat shock protein Hsp30p in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The HSP30 gene of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes a seven-transmembrane heat shock protein expressed in response to various types of stress including heat shock. Although Hsp30p contains a potential N-glycosylation consensus sequence (Asn2-Asp3-Thr4), whether it is actually N-glycosylated has not been verified. Here we demonstrate that N-glycosylation is induced at Asn2 of Hsp30p by severe heat shock, ethanol stress, and acetic acid stress. Mild heat shock and glucose depletion induced the expression but not N-glycosylation of Hsp30p, indicating the N-glycosylation to be dependent on temperature and environmental conditions. N-glycosylation did not affect on the intracellular localization of Hsp30p but its physiological role under severe heat shock conditions. Since limited information is available on stress-responsive or condition-induced N-glycosylation, our findings provide new insight into the regulation of cellular stress response in yeast.

Molecular Characterization of the Putative Transcription Factor SebA Involved in Virulence in Aspergillus fumigatus

Aspergillus fumigatus is a major opportunistic pathogen and allergen of mammals. Nutrient sensing and acquisition mechanisms, as well as the capability to cope with different stressing conditions, are essential for A. fumigatus virulence and survival in the mammalian host. This study characterized the A. fumigatus SebA transcription factor, which is the putative homologue of the factor encoded by Trichoderma atroviride seb1. The ΔsebA mutant demonstrated reduced growth in the presence of paraquat, hydrogen peroxide, CaCl2, and poor nutritional conditions, while viability associated with sebA was also affected by heat shock exposure. Accordingly, SebA::GFP (SebA::green fluorescent protein) was shown to accumulate in the nucleus upon exposure to oxidative stress and heat shock conditions. In addition, genes involved in either the oxidative stress or heat shock response had reduced transcription in the ΔsebA mutant. The A. fumigatus ΔsebA strain was attenuated in virulence in a murine model of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. Furthermore, killing of the ΔsebA mutant by murine alveolar macrophages was increased compared to killing of the wild-type strain. A. fumigatus SebA plays a complex role, contributing to several stress tolerance pathways and growth under poor nutritional conditions, and seems to be integrated into different stress responses.

Edwardsiella tarda DnaK: Expression, activity, and the basis for the construction of a bivalent live vaccine against E. tarda and Streptococcus iniae

Edwardsiella tarda and Streptococcus iniae are important aquaculture pathogens that affect many species of farmed fish. In this study, we analyzed the expression, activity, and immunoprotective potential of E. tarda heat shock protein DnaK. We found that dnaK expression was upregulated under conditions of heat shock, oxidative stress, and infection of host cells. Recombinant DnaK (rDnaK) purified from Escherichia coli exhibited ATPase activity and induced protection in Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) against lethal E. tarda challenge. On the basis of these results and our previous observation that a protective S. iniae antigen Sia10 which, when expressed heterogeneously in E. coli DH5α, is secreted into the extracellular milieu, we constructed a chimeric antigen by fusing DnaK to Sia10. The resulting fusion protein Sia10-DnaK was expressed in DH5α via the plasmid pTDK. Western blot analysis indicated that Sia10-DnaK was detected in the culture supernatant of DH5α/pTDK. When flounder were vaccinated with live DH5α/pTDK, strong protection was observed against both E. tarda and S. iniae. ELISA analysis detected specific serum antibody production in fish vaccinated with rDnaK and DH5α/pTDK. Taken together, these results indicate that rDnaK is an intrinsic ATPase with immunoprotective property and that Sia10-DnaK delivered by a live bacterial host is an effective bivalent vaccine candidate against E. tarda and S. iniae infection.

Stress regulation of the PAN–proteasome system in the extreme halophilic archaeon Halobacterium

In Archaea, the importance of the proteasome system for basic biological processes is only poorly understood. Proteasomes were partially purified from Halobacterium by native gradient density ultracentrifugation. The peptidase activity profiles showed that the 20S proteasome accumulation is altered depending on the physiological state of the cells. The amount of active 20S particles increases in Halobacterium cells as a response to thermal and low salt stresses. In the same conditions, Northern experiments showed a positive transcriptional regulation of the alpha and beta proteasome subunits as well as of the two proteasome regulatory ATPases, PANA and PANB. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated the existence of a physical interaction between the two Proteasome Activating Nucleotidase (PAN) proteins in cell extracts. Thus, a direct regulation occurs on the PAN-proteasome components to adjust the protein degradation activity to growth and environmental constraints. These results also indicate that, in extreme halophiles, proteasome mediated proteolysis is an important aspect of low salt stress response. The tri-peptide vinyl sulfone inhibitor NLVS was used in cell cultures to study the in vivo function of proteasome in Halobacterium. The chemical inhibition of proteasomes was measured in the cellular extracts. It has no effect on cell growth and mortality under normal growth conditions as well as under heat shock conditions. These results suggest that the PAN activators or other proteases compensate for loss of proteasome activity in stress conditions.

The core stimulon of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis strain 1002 identified using ab initio methodologies

Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is a bacterium which causes diseases such as caseous lymphadenitis in small ruminants, resulting in large-scale economic losses for agribusiness worldwide. Consequently, this bacterium including its transcriptional profile analysis has been the focus of various studies. Identification of the transcripts that appear under conditions that simulate the environment encountered by this bacterial species in the host is of great importance in discovering new targets for the production of more efficient vaccines. We sequenced the cDNA of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis strain 1002, using the SOLiD V3 system, under the following conditions: osmotic stress (2 M), acidity (pH), heat shock (50 °C) and control condition (N). To identify the transcripts shared among the stimulons and integrate this information with the results from BLAST and BLAST2GO, we developed the software CoreStImulon (CSI) which allows the user to individually distinguish the genes in terms of their participation in biological processes, their function and cellular location. In the biosynthetic processes, eleven genes represented in the core stimulon and twenty genes in the control were observed. This validates the hypothesis that the organisms strategy for surviving in a hostile environment is through growth reduction. The oxidation reduction process, response to stress process, and cell adhesion are controlled by genes that contribute to bacterial cell maintenance under stress conditions; these could be involved in their pathogenicity. The methodology for identification of transcripts obtained by ab initio assembly and shared among the stimulons permitted candidates selection for vaccine studies. CSI is available at https://sourceforge.net/projects/corestimulon/.

A powerful ubiquitous activity of Bombyx mori heat shock protein 70 promoter

For stable germline transformation, the promoter of Bombyx mori cytoplasmic actin gene (BmA3) has been used for ubiquitous expression of transgenes. So far, no strong promoter is available for ubiquitous expression in B. mori, excluding BmA3 promoter. To identify more powerful promoter than previously reported BmA3 promoter, we isolated 9 clones that show stronger signal compared to BmA3 by a dot blot hybridization. Among these 9 clones, we focused on one clone which has high amino acid homology (94%) with heat shock protein 70 gene of Trichoplusia ni. This clone, named bHsp70 was ubiquitously expressed in all tissues and developmental stage of 5th instar B. mori larvae, and stimulated by thermal and ER stress. As result of promoter assay using dual luciferase assay system, we found the highest transcription activity region (−1003/+147) in the 5′-flanking region of bHsp70 gene, which has about 264 fold more intensive promoter activity than BmA3 promoter. Transcription activity of bHsp70 promoter under heat shock condition (42°C, 4 hr) was increased over 2 fold than normal condition. In bHsp70 promoter, there are an ER stress response element (ERSE) and a heat shock element (HSE). Accordingly, we suppose that the bHsp70 promoter may be used for conditional expression of heterogonous proteins under thermal or ER stress. Moreover, the bHsp70 promoter was normally regulated in Bm5, Sf9, and S2 cells. Therefore, we suggest that bHsp70 promoter may be used more powerful and effectively for transgene expression in various insects containing B. mori as a universal promoter.

P38 MAPK Signalling Is Not Sufficient to Induce γ-Globin Gene Expression

Abstract 1083Several recent publications have implicated p38 MAPK signalling in the pharmacologic induction of γ-globin gene expression. These conclusions are primarily based on demonstrations of increased p38 phosphorylation (P-p38) by inducing compounds and inhibition of induction by the p38 inhibitor SB203580 (SB). Based on these studies and work from our own lab, we proposed that p38 signalling might be the key mechanism underlying γ-globin gene induction by most active agents. We have performed a series of experiments in K562 cells designed to critically test this hypothesis and to better define the role of p38 signalling in γ-globin gene induction. We first performed dose-response experiments with sodium butyrate (NaB), an agent that induces γ-globin mRNA in vitro and in vivo and has been proposed to work through p38 signalling. If p38 signalling is inducing γ-globin gene expression, then p38 phosphorylation should correlate with increased γ-globin mRNA levels. We found 3–3.5-fold induction of steady-state γ-globin mRNA at doses ranging from 0.25 to 2mM NaB. SB suppressed induction at all dose levels. However, P-p38 was increased only at doses below 1mM and was actually suppressed compared to untreated controls at 2mM NaB. We next examined the effects of heat shock and UV and X-irradiation, all well-known activators of p38 signalling. Here too we found specific stress “doses” that did not increase P-p38 but still strongly induced γ-globin mRNA and were inhibited by SB. These results demonstrated a lack of correlation between p38 phosphorylation and γ-globin induction but for every experimental condition tested, SB inhibits basal or induced γ-globin mRNA levels. To more closely examine this discrepancy, we transiently expressed a constitutively active MKK6 mutant (MKK6-Glu; the direct upstream activator of p38), to mimic transient increases in P-p38 seen with drugs and stresses. While MKK6-Glu expression elevated p38 phosphorylation to levels seen with NaB and physical stresses, it did not increase basal γ-globin mRNA levels. Furthermore, increased p38 activation by MKK6-Glu did not enhance NaB-induced γ-globin expression. We next used p38 siRNA in combination with NaB and heat shock conditions that induce γ-globin mRNA. This allowed us to decrease downstream p38 signalling (as judged by Hsp27 phosphorylation) to levels equivalent to those achieved with SB. While SB still completely inhibited induction, there was only a partial decrease in NaB induction and no effect on heat shock induction with the p38 knockdown. Our results show that p38 phosphorylation does not strictly correlate with γ-globin induction suggesting that it is not required for at least some degree of γ-globin induction by NaB and stress. The fact that we saw no γ-globin mRNA induction with targeted activation of p38 by MKK6-Glu suggests that p38 activation is not sufficient for induction. Our results also suggest that SB inhibits γ-globin mRNA induction by a mechanism other than direct p38 inhibition. Upon investigating potential mechanisms, we observed SB to promote ERK phosphorylation, suggesting that a modulation of ERK signalling or p38/ERK cross-talk may be involved. Additionally, we find that SB treatment appears to decrease steady-state mRNA levels but not nascent γ-globin mRNA, suggesting a role in transcript processing or stability. Disclosures:No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

누에를 이용한 시기 특이적 발현 조절 유전자 promoter 개발

본 연구에서는 누에의 초기 배아시기에 유전자 발현 조절이 가능한 EEG-704 promoter를 개발하고자 하였다. Promoter의 핵심 영역을 결정하기 위하여, 10개의 서로 다른 partial mutant clone들을 만들고 이를 Sf9 곤충세포주에 도입하여 luciferase assay 방법을 사용하여 각각의 clone의 활성을 분석하였다. Constitutive promoter인 BmA3 promoter에 의한 활성과 비교하였을 때, 약 1.5 kb의 promoter 염기서열을 포함하는 clone이 가장 높은 luciferase 발현율을 나타내었다. 특히 EEG-704 유전자의 경우 BLAST를 이용한 유전자 비교 분석의 결과 누에의 열충격 단백질20.8 (BmHsp20.8) 과 동일한 것으로 밝혀졌으며, 정상 온도조건과 비교하였을 때 열충격을 가한 조건하에서 발현율이 증가하는 현상을 나타내었다. 특이적으로 발생단계에서 직 간접적으로 발현 조절이 가능한 이러한 promoter는 여러 유용 재조합 단백질 생산을 위한 형질전환 누에 개발 시 매우 유용할 것으로 생각된다. We characterized embryo early gene (EEG)-704 promoter of the silkworm Bombyx mori, which is specifically regulated in the development stages. To determine core promoter region, 10 different partial mutant clones were tested by luciferase assay in Sf9 cells. About 1.5 kb promoter shows higher luciferase activity than constitutive promoter (BmA3). Interestingly, EEG-704 shares the same DNA sequences with BmHsp20.8 by the result of BLAST analysis; its expression is also increased under heat shock condition. Development of such promoter inducible, directly or indirectly in the developmental-stage, is very useful in making recombinant proteins in transgenic silkworms.

Hul5 HECT ubiquitin ligase plays a major role in the ubiquitylation and turnover of cytosolic misfolded proteins

Cellular toxicity introduced by protein misfolding threatens cell fitness and viability. Failure to eliminate these polypeptides is associated with numerous aggregation diseases. Several protein quality control mechanisms degrade non-native proteins by the ubiquitin proteasome system. Here, we use quantitative mass spectrometry to demonstrate that heat-shock triggers a large increase of ubiquitylation associated with misfolding of cytosolic proteins. We discover that the Hul5 HECT ubiquitin ligase participates in this heat-shock stress response. Hul5 is required to maintain cell fitness after heat-shock and to degrade short-lived misfolded proteins. In addition, localization of Hul5 in the cytoplasm is important for its quality control function. We identify potential Hul5 substrates in heat-shock and physiological conditions to reveal that Hul5 is required for ubiquitylation of low solubility cytosolic proteins including the Pin3 prion-like protein. These findings indicate that Hul5 is involved in a cytosolic protein quality control pathway that targets misfolded proteins for degradation.

Expression of multiple tfb genes in different Halobacterium salinarum strains and interaction of TFB with transcriptional activator GvpE

Halobacterium salinarum NRC-1 contains multiple TBP and TFB proteins required for the recruitment of RNA polymerase for transcription initiation. The presence and the expression of genes encoding TFB were investigated in the two Hbt. salinarum strains NRC-1 and PHH1 and the mutant strain PHH4. The plasmid-encoded tfbC and tfbE genes of NRC-1 were lacking in PHH1 and PHH4. The 5'-end of the tfbF transcript was determined and contained a 5'-untranslated region of 39 nucleotides able to form a stem-loop structure. The expression of these tfb genes was studied in cultures growing at 15, 37°C and under heat shock conditions. Cold temperatures reduced growth and except for tfbF also the amounts of all tfb transcripts. However, the formation of gas vesicles increased in PHH1 and NRC-1. Heat shock reduced growth of PHH1 and NRC-1, but PHH4 was not affected. A 100-fold increase in tfbA and tfbB mRNA was observed in PHH1 and PHH4, whereas NRC-1 reduced the amounts of these transcripts and increased the expression of tfbG. All TFB proteins tested were able to interact with the transcription activator GvpE involved in gas vesicle formation that thus is able to recruit TFB to the gvp promoter.

Simple, Economical Heat-Shock Devices for Zebrafish Housing Racks

One reason for the popularity of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model vertebrate is the ability to manipulate gene expression in this organism. A common method is to induce gene expression transiently under control of a heat-shock promoter (e.g., hsp70l). By making simple mechanical adjustments to small aquarium heaters (25-50W), we were able to produce consistent and reliable heat-shock conditions within a conventional zebrafish housing system. Up to two heat-shock intervals per day (>37°C) could be maintained under conditions of continuous flow (5-25 mL/min). Temperature logging every 30 s indicated rapid warm up times, consistent heat-shock lengths, and accurate and precise peak water temperatures (mean±SD=38°C±0.2°C). The biological effects of these heat-shock treatments were confirmed by observing inducible expression of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) and inhibition of caudal fin regeneration in a transgenic fish line expressing a dominant negative fibroblast growth factor receptor (Tg(hsp70l:dnfgfr1-EGFP)(pd1)). These devices are inexpensive, easily modified, and can be calibrated to accommodate a variety of experimental designs. After setup on a programmable timer, the heaters require no intervention to produce consistent daily heat shocks, and all other standard care protocols can be followed in the fish facility. The simplicity and stability of these devices make them suitable for long-term heat shocks at any stage of the zebrafish lifecycle (>7 days postfertilization), and useful for both laboratory and classroom experiments on transgenic zebrafish.

Functional Conservation of Cis-Regulatory Elements of Heat-Shock Genes over Long Evolutionary Distances

Transcriptional control of gene regulation is an intricate process that requires precise orchestration of a number of molecular components. Studying its evolution can serve as a useful model for understanding how complex molecular machines evolve. One way to investigate evolution of transcriptional regulation is to test the functions of cis-elements from one species in a distant relative. Previous results suggested that few, if any, tissue-specific promoters from Drosophila are faithfully expressed in C. elegans. Here we show that, in contrast, promoters of fly and human heat-shock genes are upregulated in C. elegans upon exposure to heat. Inducibility under conditions of heat shock may represent a relatively simple “on-off” response, whereas complex expression patterns require integration of multiple signals. Our results suggest that simpler aspects of regulatory logic may be retained over longer periods of evolutionary time, while more complex ones may be diverging more rapidly.

Molecular characterization of three heat shock protein 70 genes and their expression profiles under thermal stress in the citrus red mite

Three heat shock protein 70 family transcripts, named PcHsp70-1, PcHsp70-2 and PcHsp70-3, were isolated from the citrus red mite, Panonychus citri. PcHsp70-1, PcHsp70-2, and PcHsp70-3 contained an open reading frame of 1977, 1968, and 2028 nucleotides that encoded 658, 655 and 675 amino acid residues, respectively. Comparison of deduced amino acid sequences of PcHsp70-1 and PcHsp70-2 showed 86.34% identity, while the amino acid sequence of PcHsp70-3 was only 57.39 and 58.75% identical to that of PcHsp70-1 and PcHsp70-2, respectively. Sequences and phylogenetic analyses suggested that PcHsp70-1 and PcHsp70-2 were cytosolic Hsps, whereas PcHsp70-3 was located in ER (endoplasmic reticulum). To accurately validate mRNA expression profiles of the three Hsp70s under thermal stress conditions, seven housekeeping genes were evaluated. Alpha-tubulin and RpII were selected as optimal endogenous references for cold shock and heat shock conditions, respectively. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR revealed that only the mRNA expression of PcHsp70-2 was up-regulated under heat shocks, and all of the three Hsp70s were constitutively expressed under cold shocks. The results suggest that the three Hsp70s were more critical to coping with heat than cold shocks.

Expression analysis of 5 hsp70 genes in Tetrahymena thermophila

Thirteen hsp70 genes with complete conserved domains were identified in Tetrahymena thermophila, and expression of five similar and non-intron hsp70 genes were analyzed. Under heat shock conditions of 37, 39 and 41oC, hsp70-2 mRNA had the highest relative expression level, suggesting it is closely related to heat shock. The basal level of constitutive T. thermophila hsp70-4 gene was high during 20 physiological/developmental stages of growth, starvation and conjugation, and it changed little upon exposure to heat shock: evidence that hsp70-4 is an hsc70 gene. The hsp70-4 cDNA is 2 208 bp long, and contains an open reading frame of 1 959 bp encoding 635 amino acids. Microarray data indicated that T. thermophila hsp70-3 gene probably participated in early starvation (0-12 h) stress and late conjugation (6-10 h) events, such as new macronuclear and micronuclear anlagen formation and old macronuclear elimination. However, hsp70-5 gene possibly participates in late starvation (12-15 h) stress and early conjugation (0-6 h) events such as micronuclear meiosis, micronuclear exchange and pronuclear fusion. Blast2GO indicated that they participated in dissimilar biological processes, suggesting hsp70-3 and hsp70-5 perform different functions.

Optimization and evaluation of heat-shock condition for spore enumeration being used in thermal-process verification: Differential responses of spores and vegetative cells of Clostridium sporogenes to heat shock

To evaluate a heat-shock condition for the enumeration of Clostridium sporogenes spores, a surrogate for C. botulinum spores, we examined the heat tolerance of C. sporogenes spores and vegetative cells exposed to a heat shock at 90°C. From the D values of the spores determined in the temperature range of 113–121°C, z value (±SD) and D90°C value were estimated to be 10.16±0.90°C and 1,071.52 min, respectively, and the inactivation rates were predicted to be only approximately 2% at 90°C for up to 10 min. Meanwhile, the viable count of spores was significantly higher when activated under a heat-shock condition of 90°C for over 9 min than those activated for shorter time periods. The heat tolerance of vegetative cells was extremely low, showing a D90°C value (±SD) of 0.21±0.01 min. Finally, 3 different heat-shock conditions were compared: 70°C for 30 min, 80°C for 20 min, and 90°C for 10 min, and the experimental comparative data showed no significant differences in viable spore counts. Consequently, these results support that the heat-shock treatment at 90°C for 10 min is suitable to activate spores and to inactivate vegetative cells of C. sporogenes.