• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.554-561
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• 2007

Shen and colleagues (Lin et al., 2004) have recently shown that overexpression of the Drosophila DNA methyltransferase 2 isoform C, dDnmt2c, extended life span of fruit flies, probably due to increased expression of small heat shock proteins such as Hsp22 or Hsp26. Here, I demonstrate with immunoprecipitations that overexpressed dDnmt2c interacts with endogenous Hsp70 protein in vivo in S2 cells. However, its C-terminal half, dDnmt2c(178-345) forms approximately 10-fold more Hsp70-containing protein complexe than wild-type dDnmt2c. Overexpressed dDnmt2c(178-345) but not the full length dDnmt2c is able to increase endogenous mRNA levels of the small heat shock proteins, Hsp26 and Hsp22. I provide evidence that dDnmt2c(178-345) increases Hsp26 promoter activity via two heat shock elements, HSE6 and HSE7. Simultaneously overexpressed Hsp40 or a dominant negative form of heat shock factor abrogates the dDnmt2c(178-345)-dependent increase in Hsp26 transcription. The data support a model in which the activation of heat shock factor normally found as an inactive monomer bound to chaperones is linked to the overexpressed C-terminus of dDnmt2c. Despite the differences observed in flies and S2 cells, these findings provide a possible explanation for the extended lifespan in dDnmt2c-overexpressing flies with increased levels of small heat shock proteins.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.26-31
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• 2009

Heat shock proteins are a class of molecular chaperones that can be found in nearly all organisms from Bacteria, Archaea and Eukarya domains. Heat shock proteins experience increased transcription during periods of heat induced osmotic stress and are involved in protein disaggregation and refolding as part of a cell's danger signaling cascade. Heat shock protein, Hsp20 is a small molecular chaperone that is approximately 20kDa in weight and is hypothesized to prevent aggregation and denaturation. Hsp20 can be found in several strains of Proteobacteria, which comprises the largest phyla of the Bacteria domain and also contains several medically significant bacterial strains. Genomic analyses were performed to determine a common evolutionary pattern among Hsp20 sequences in Proteobacteria. It was found that Hsp20 shared a common ancestor within and among the five subclasses of Proteobacteria. This is readily apparent from the amount of sequence similarities within and between Hsp20 protein sequences as well as phylogenetic analysis of sequences from proteobacterial and non-proteobacterial species.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.1118-1122
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• 2014

The present study shows that DR1114 (Hsp20), a small heat shock protein of the radiation-resistant bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans, enhances tolerance to hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) stress when expressed in Escherichia coli. A protein profile comparison showed that E. coli cells overexpressing D. radiodurans Hsp20 (EC-pHsp20) activated the redox state proteins, thus maintaining redox homeostasis. The cells also showed increased expression of pseudouridine (psi) synthases, which are important to the stability and proper functioning of structural RNA molecules. We found that the D. radiodurans mutant strain, which lacks a psi synthase (DR0896), was more sensitive to $H_2O_2$ stress than wild type. These suggest that an increased expression of proteins involved in the control of redox state homeostasis along with more stable ribosomal function may explain the improved tolerance of EC-pHsp20 to $H_2O_2$ stress.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.328-333
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• 2005

Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) are widely distributed, and their function and diversity of structure have been much studied in the field of molecular chaperones. In plants, which frequently have to cope with hostile environments, sHSPs are much more abundant and diverse than in other forms of life. In response to high temperature stress, sHSPs of more than twenty kinds can make up more than 1% of soluble plant proteins. We isolated a genomic clone, NtHSP18.3, from Nicotiana tabacum that encodes the complete open reading frame of a cytosolic class I small heat shock protein. To investigate the function of NtHSP18.3 in vitro, it was overproduced in Escherichia coli and purified. The purified NtHSP18.3 had typical molecular chaperone activity as it protected citrate synthase and luciferase from high temperature-induced aggregation. When E. coli celluar proteins were incubated with NtHSP18.3, a large proportion of the proteins remained soluble at temperatures as high as $70^{\circ}C$. Native gel analysis suggested that NtHSP18.3 is a dodecameric oligomer as the form present and showing molecular chaperone activity at the condition tested. Binding of bis-ANS to the oligomers of NtHSP18.3 indicated that exposure of their hydrophobic surfaces increased as the temperature was raised. Taken together, our data suggested that NtHSP18.3 is a molecular chaperone that functions as a dodecameric complex and possibly in a temperature-induced manner.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.285-290
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• 2020

To understand the role of small heat shock protein (sHSPs) in rice plant response to various stresses such as the heat and oxidative stresses, a cDNA encoding a 24.1 kDa mitochondrial small HSP (Oshsp24.1) was isolated from rice by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) PCR. The deduced amino acid sequence shows very high similarity with other plant small HSPs. DNA gel blot analysis suggests that the rice genome contains more than one copy of Oshsp24.1. High level of expression of Oshsp24.1 transcript was observed in rice seedlings in response to heat, methyl viologen, hydrogen peroxide, ozone, salt and heavy metal stresses. Recombinant OsHSP24.1 protein was produced in E. coli cells for biochemical assay. The protein formed oligomeric complex when incubated with Sulfo-EGS (ethylene glycol bis (succinimidyl succinate)). Our results shows that Oshsp24.1 has an important role in abiotic stress response and have potential for developing stress-tolerant plants.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.287-295
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• 2017

Water temperature is one of the major factors that impacts the growth and life cycle of Pyropia tenera, one of the most valuable and cultivated marine red algae belonging to Bangiales (Rhodophytes). We analyzed transcriptome from gametophyte of P. tenera under normal and high temperature conditions, and identified four small heat shock proteins (sHSPs). They have no significant amino acid sequence homology with known proteins in public databases except PhsHSP22 from Pyropia haitanensis. PtsHSP19.3 gene responded to high temperature but slightly or not to desiccation, freezing or high salt condition. When the PtsHSP19.3 gene was overexpressed in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, transformed Chlamydomonas lines revealed much higher growth rate than that of control cells under heat stress condition. Transformed cells also grew well in those of the control cell onto the medium containing high salt or $H_2O_2$. When the PtsHSP19.3 was fused to GFP and introduced into tobacco protoplast, fluorescence was detected at several spots. Results indicate that PtsHSP19.3 may form super-molecular assembles and be involved in tolerance to heat stress.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.225-230
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• 1999

In mouse, the heat shock protein 70-2 (hsp70-2) is found to have special function in spermatogenesis. Based on the observation, the hypothesis that human hspA2 (human gene; 98.2% amino acid homology with hsp70-2) might have important function in spermatogenesis in human testes was proposed. To test the hypothesis, we examined the expression of hspA2 in human tissues. Expression vector pDMC4 for expression of the human hspA2 protein using pTricHisB (invitrogen, USA) was constructed and the expressed hspA2 protein was cross-reacted with antiserum 2A raised against mouse hsp70-2 protein. Based on the cross-reactivity, we determined the expression level of hspA2 protein in human tissues by western blot analysis using the antiserum 2A. We demonstrated that antiserum 2A antibodies detected human hspA2 protein with specificity which was produced in the E.coli expression system. On Western blot analyses, significant hspA2 expression was observed in testes with normal spermatogenesis, whereas a low level of hspA2 was expressed in testis with Sertoli-cell only syndrome. Also, a small amount of hspA2 was detected in breast, stomach, prostate, colon, liver, ovary, and epididymis. These results demonstrate that the hspA2 protein is highly expressed in male specific germ cells, which in turn suggests that hspA2 protein might playa specific role during meiosis in human testes as suggested in the murine model. However, further studies should be attempted to determine the function of hspA2 protein in human spermatogenesis.

• BMB Reports
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• v.44 no.12
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• pp.816-820
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• 2011

There is a broad range of different small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) that have diverse structural and functional characteristics. To better understand the functional role of mitochondrial sHSP, NtHSP24.6 was expressed in Escherichia coli with a hexahistidine tag and purified. The protein was analyzed by non-denaturing PAGE, chemical cross-linking and size exclusion chromatography and the $H_6NtHSP24.6$ protein was found to form a dimer in solution. The in vitro functional analysis of $H_6NtHSP24.6$ using firefly luciferase and citrate synthase demonstrated that this protein displays typical molecular chaperone activity. When cell lysates of E. coli were heated after the addition of $H_6NtHSP24.6$, a broad range of proteins from 10 to 160 kD in size remained in the soluble state. These results suggest that NtHSP24.6 forms a dimer and can function as a molecular chaperone to protect a diverse range of proteins from thermal aggregation.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.1503-1507
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• 2013

The two major symptoms characterizing Alzheimer's disease are the formation of amyloid-${\beta}$ extracellular deposits in the form of senile plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) that consist of pathological hyperphosphorylated tau protein aggregated into insoluble paired helical filaments (PHFs). Neurons of the central nervous system have appreciable amounts of tau protein, a microtubule-associated protein. To maintain an optimal operation of nerves, the microtubules are stabilized, which is necessary to support cell structure and cellular processes. When the modified tau protein becomes dysfunctional, the cells containing misfolded tau cannot maintain cell structure. One of the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease is hyperphosphorylated tau protein. This paper shows that the small heat shock protein from humans (Hsp27) reduces hyperphosphorylated tau and prevents hyperphosphorylated tau-induced cell death of the human neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y.

• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
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• v.17
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• pp.39-43
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• 1999

To investigate the function of chloroplast-localized small HSP in rice, the cDNA, Oshsp21, was introduced into rice plants via Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer system. Calli induced from rice immature embryos were co-cultivated with a A. tumafaciens EHA101 that contained a plasmid, pIHSP21. The efficiency of plant regeneration from the calli co-cultivated with the Agrobacterium was about 30%. PCR and Southern blot analyses using genomic DNA revealed that gene for the chloroplast small HSP was introduced into the genome of rice. Expression of transgene was investigated by northern blot analysis. Results indicate that the transgene, Oshsp21, was constitutively expressed at normal growth temperature.