CspA, the major cold-shock protein of Escherichia coli, is an RNA chaperone, which is thought to facilitate translation at low temperature by destabilizing mRNA structures. Here we demonstrate that CspA, as well as homologous RNA chaperones CspE and CspC, are transcription antiterminators. In vitro, the addition of physiological concentrations of recombinant CspA, CspE, or CspC decreased transc...

Hyaluronidase release was used as an index of acrosomal membrane damage during cold shock of epididymal boar sperm and ejaculated sperm from intact and vesiculectomized boars. Sperm were also incubated with seminal plasma from intact and vasectomized boars to examine the contributions of male accessory gland secretions. Acrosomal membranes of epididymal sperm were more resistant to cold shock t...

The cold shock proteins are small peptides that share a conserved domain, called the cold shock domain (CSD), that is important for nucleic acid binding. The Caulobacter crescentus genome has four csp genes that encode proteins containing CSDs. Three of these (cspA, cspB, and cspC) encode peptides of about 7 kDa and are very similar to the cold shock proteins of other bacteria. Analysis by reve...

The effects of rapid cooling on the mechanical and electrical activities of the guinea pig taenia coli and circular muscle of the stomach were investigated. Lowering the temperature from 32 degrees to 10 degrees C (cold shock) depolarized the membrane and increased the membrane resistance in both tissues. However, in the taenia coli, an initial reduction of membrane resistance was observed. In ...

Trehalose accumulates dramatically in microorganisms during heat shock and osmotic stress and helps protect cells against thermal injury and oxygen radicals. Here we demonstrate an important role of this sugar in cold-adaptation of bacteria. A mutant Escherichia coli strain unable to produce trehalose died much faster than the wild type at 4 degrees C. Transformation of the mutant with the otsA...

Cold storage and reperfusion injury to transplanted kidneys contributes to increased incidence of delayed graft function and may have a negative impact on graft survival. This study examined the mechanisms by which previous heat shock protects against cell death in an in vitro model of kidney storage. Cold storage is mimicked by incubating human renal proximal tubular epithelial (HK-2) cells in...

In response to cold, Escherichia coli produces cold shock proteins (CSPs) that have essential roles in cold adaptation as RNA chaperones. Here, we demonstrate that Arabidopsis cold shock domain protein 3 (AtCSP3), which shares a cold shock domain with bacterial CSPs, is involved in the acquisition of freezing tolerance in plants. AtCSP3 complemented a cold-sensitive phenotype of the E. coli CSP...

Survival and molting incidence were studied after heat (40 degrees C) and cold (0 degree C) shocks in specimens of Panstrongylus megistus with the aim of establishing its response to temperature stress under laboratory rearing conditions and to understand occasional changes in the biological characteristics of specimens captured in nature. The response to the thermal shocks was found to vary as...

DNA microarray was used as a tool to define the heat- and cold-shock stimulons in Yersinia pestis. Heat shock dramatically enhanced the transcription of genes encoding major heat-shock proteins (MHSPs) that are important for cell survival against the heat. Many other genes were also greatly up-regulated, but their roles in heat-shock response need to be elucidated. Meanwhile, heat shock retarde...