Rationale: The human ether-a-go-go–related gene (hERG) encodes the subunit of the potassium current IKr. It is highly expressed in cardiomyocytes and its mutations cause long QT syndrome type 2. Heat shock protein (Hsp)70 is known to promote maturation of hERG. Hsp70 and heat shock cognate (Hsc70) 70 has been suggested to play a similar function. However, Hsc70 has recently been reported to cou...

NO is a cytotoxic and immunomodulatory cytokine produced by macrophages and dendritic cells. We show that stimulation of murine and human macrophages with the heat shock proteins gp96 and hsp70 results in induction of inducible NO synthase and the production of NO. The release of NO by monocytes exposed to hsp60 has been documented previously. Immature, but not mature, dendritic cells respond i...

RATIONALE The human ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG) encodes the α subunit of the potassium current I(Kr). It is highly expressed in cardiomyocytes and its mutations cause long QT syndrome type 2. Heat shock protein (Hsp)70 is known to promote maturation of hERG. Hsp70 and heat shock cognate (Hsc70) 70 has been suggested to play a similar function. However, Hsc70 has recently been reported to ...

Elevated temperature induces a rapid heat shock transcription factor (HSFs)-mediated expression of heat shock (hsp) genes. The effect of cold exposure on hsp gene expression has hardly been investigated, although ectothermic animals experience both cold and heat stress. We have previously shown in zebrafish that the expression of hsf1a and a unique isoform hsf1b vary in a tissue-specific manner...

SSA4 is the only one of five heat-inducible HSP70 genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae whose expression is restricted to conditions of stress. Comparison of the nucleotide sequences of the SSA4 gene with other HSP70 genes indicates that it diverged from its most closely related yeast homologues hundreds of millions of years ago. However, a high degree of identity has been maintained between Ssa4p ...

The general properties of the heat shock response of the archaebacterium Methanococcus voltae were characterized. The induction of 11 heat shock proteins, with apparent molecular weights ranging from 18,000 to 90,000, occurred optimally at 40 to 50 degrees C. Some of the heat shock proteins were preferentially enriched in either the soluble (cytoplasm) or particulate (membrane) fraction. Altern...

When cells are exposed to heat shock, heavy metals, amino acid ana logues, and other stresses, the heat shock transcription factor (HSF) is activated. The HSF then binds to the promoter of the heat shock genes, stimulating transcription of the heat shock proteins. Here, we demonstrate that exposure of NIH-3T3 cells to oxidanls iI1..O, or menadione) also causes activation of the HSF. This activa...

Myocardial ischemia markedly increases the expression of several members of the stress/heat shock protein (HSP) family, especially the inducible HSP70 isoforms. Increased expression of HSP70 has been shown to exert a protective effect against a lethal heat shock. We have examined the possibility of using this resistance to a lethal heat shock as a protective effect against an ischemic-like stre...

Certain kinetoplastid (Leishmania spp. and Tryapnosoma cruzi) and apicomplexan parasites (Plasmodium falciparum and Toxoplasma gondii) are capable of invading human cells as part of their pathology. These parasites appear to have evolved a relatively expanded or diverse complement of genes encoding molecular chaperones. The gene families encoding heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) and heat shock pro...

When cells are exposed to heat shock, heavy metals, amino acid analogues, and other stresses, the heat shock transcription factor (HSF) is activated. The HSF then binds to the promoter of the heat shock genes, stimulating transcription of the heat shock proteins. Here, we demonstrate that exposure of NIH-3T3 cells to oxidants (H2O2 or menadione) also causes activation of the HSF. This activatio...