Coordinate synthesis and turnover of heat shock proteins in Borrelia burgdorferi: degradation of DnaK during recovery from heat shock.

The synthesis and turnover of heat shock proteins (Hsps) by Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease spirochete, was investigated by radiolabeling of whole spirochetes and spheroplasts, comparison of one- and two-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and use of immunochemistry. The approximately 72-kDa DnaK homolog and three additional Hsps of 39, 27, and 21 kDa increased in amount by 3- to 15-fold between 2 and 6 h following temperature upshift from 28 to 39 degrees C. Temperature downshift experiments following the transfer of spirochetes from 40 to 28 degrees C showed that within 15 to 30 min, synthesis of most of the major Hsps returned to levels seen in spirochetes statically maintained at the lower temperature. Spheroplasts of B. burgdorferi produced by treatment with EDTA and lysozyme were radiolabeled, and specific Hsps were localized to either the cytoplasm or membrane fraction. Further analysis by two-dimensional electrophoresis demonstrated three constitutively expressed DnaK isoforms with pIs near 5.5. A pattern suggestive of DnaK degradation was observed following recovery from heat shock but not in spirochetes maintained entirely at a low temperature. Some of these putative degradation products were recognized by monoclonal antibodies directed against the B. burgdorferi DnaK protein. These data suggest that following a period of peak synthesis, DnaK is actively degraded as the spirochete reestablishes its metabolic thermometer. These findings provide a new interpretation of previous work suggesting that 10 to 15 B. burgdorferi polypeptides, including DnaK have a common epitope.     

Increased synthesis of DnaK, GroEL, and GroES homologs by Francisella tularensis LVS in response to heat and hydrogen peroxide.

The response of the facultative intracellular bacterium Francisella tularensis LVS to stress was assayed by pulse-labeling with [35S]methionine followed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. A temperature increase from 37 to 42 degrees C or exposure to 5 mM hydrogen peroxide induced increased syntheses of at least 15 proteins. Among these proteins were a 75-, a 60-, and a 10-kDa protein. By N-terminal sequence analysis, these three proteins were found to be extensively homologous to the highly conserved chaperone proteins DnaK, GroEL, and GroES of Escherichia coli. Antibodies specific to the DnaK homolog of E. coli reacted with the 75-kDa protein, and antibodies to the GroEL homolog of Legionella micdadei reacted with the 60-kDa protein. A readiness to respond to hydrogen peroxide with synthesis of the chaperone components may be fundamental to the intracellular survival of pathogens such as F. tularensis, which are exposed to oxidative stress while invading the host macrophages.     

Characterization of the heat shock response in Brucella abortus and isolation of the genes encoding the GroE heat shock proteins.

In an effort to define the heat shock response in the bovine intracellular pathogen Brucella abortus, a rough variant lacking extensive lipopolysaccharide was pulse-labeled with [35S]methionine following exposure to elevated temperatures. The major heat shock proteins observed following sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography migrate at 70, 62, 18, and 10 kDa. The maximum response was observed between 42 and 46 degrees C and within 2 to 3 h of the shif in temperature and varied slightly for the different proteins. Accumulation of the 62-kDa heat shock protein (62-kDa Hsp) was observed to continue for up to 5 h following the shift in temperature. In an effort to better define the heat shock response and its potential relationship with protective immunity, genes encoding the major heat shock proteins were isolated from recombinant libraries constructed from B. abortus S19 and S2308 and sequenced. The 62-kDa Hsp shares more than 60% amino acid homology with members of the GroEL family and is immunoprecipitated with polyclonal antibodies to Escherichia coli GroEL and monoclonal antibodies to mycobacterial Hsp 65. Western blot (immunoblot) analysis with pooled sera from vaccinated and infected cattle revealed that the 62-kDa Hsp is a predominantly recognized antigen. The roles of these gene products during environmental stress and in protective immunity against brucellosis are under investigation.     

Induction and characterization of heat shock proteins of Salmonella typhi and their reactivity with sera from patients with typhoid fever.

The heat shock protein (HSP) response of Salmonella typhi following exposure to elevated growth temperatures was studied. Three major proteins with molecular sizes of 58, 68, and 88 kDa were abundantly expressed when S. typhi cells were shifted from 37 to 45 degrees C and to 55 degrees C. These proteins were also constitutively expressed at 37 degrees C. Western blotting and immunoprecipitation studies with anti-HSP monoclonal antibodies revealed that the 58- and 68-kDa proteins were analogous to the GroEL and DnaK proteins, respectively, of Escherichia coli. These HSPs are also abundantly present in the outer membrane fraction of disrupted cells and, to a lesser extent, in the cytosol. Immunoblotting experiments with sera from patients with a culture-positive diagnosis of typhoid fever showed the presence of antibodies to these HSPs. Nine of twelve sera reacted with the 58-, 68-, and 88-kDa proteins, while three sera reacted only with the 68- and 88-kDa proteins. All 10 sera from healthy individuals showed no binding to these HSPs. In light of the well-documented roles of HSPs in the pathogenesis of microbial infections and as immunodominant antigens, these findings may be relevant for a better understanding of disease processes and for the future development of diagnostic and preventive strategies.     

Heat shock response and heat shock protein antigens of Vibrio cholerae.

Sixteen heat shock proteins (Hsps) have been identified in the hypertoxinogenic strain 569B of Vibrio cholerae which are synthesized in response to small and large elevations of temperature. The induction of the Hsps is necessary for the cells to survive the deleterious effects of heat. There is no difference in the pattern of induction of the Hsps in V. cholerae strains varying in levels of toxinogenicity. One of the major low-molecular-mass Hsps, a 16-kDa protein, is preferentially degraded following shift down of temperature. This protein is induced at a much lower level at high temperatures in cells maintained in the laboratory for a prolonged period. The only Hsp located in the outer membrane of V. cholerae cells is a 23-kDa protein. Western immunoblot analysis with human immune sera collected from convalescent cholera patients revealed that this protein is markedly immunogenic. The human immune serum also reacted with the 69- and 16-kDa major Hsps and the 88-, 66-, and 46-kDa Hsps but not with the 61-kDa major Hsp identified as the groEL gene product. All major Hsps reacted with rabbit anti-V. cholerae sera. Ethanol stress leads to the induction of four of the major Hsps and three additional proteins.     

Enhanced Levels of Staphylococcus aureus Stress Protein GroEL and DnaK Homologs Early in Infection of Human Epithelial Cells

Antibodies to Staphylococcus aureus heat shock proteins (Hsps) are present in the sera of patients with S. aureus endocarditis (M. W. Qoronfleh, W. Weraarchakul, and B. J. Wilkinson, Infect. Immun. 61:1567–1570, 1993). Although these proteins are immunogenic, their role in infection has not been established. We developed a cell culture system as a model to examine the potential involvement of staphylococcal Hsps in the initial events of infection. This study supports a model in which a clinical endocarditis isolate responds to host cell signals by selectively regulating the synthesis of numerous proteins, including the stress proteins Hsp60 (GroEL homolog) and Hsp70 (DnaK homolog) and a unique 58-kDa protein.     

Molecular analysis of the Haemophilus ducreyi groE heat shock operon.

Chancroid is a sexually transmitted genital ulcer disease caused by Haemophilus ducreyi. Previously, we developed diagnostic DNA probes for H. ducreyi (L. M. Parsons, M. Shayegani, A. L. Waring, and L. H. Bopp, J. Clin. Microbiol. 27:1441-1445, 1989). In the present study, DNA sequencing of one of the diagnostic probes revealed two adjacent open reading frames (ORFs). These H. ducreyi ORFs and the encoded proteins show significant homology with the groE genes and GroES and GroEL heat shock proteins from several bacterial pathogens and with conserved eukaryotic 60-kDa heat shock proteins. The first H. ducreyi ORF (groES) is preceded by sequences similar to those of the Escherichia coli consensus heat shock promoters and is 288 nucleotides long and is capable of encoding a protein of 10.3 kDa. The second ORF (groEL) is 1,641 nucleotides long and is capable of encoding a protein of 57.8 kDa. Northern (RNA blot) analysis demonstrated the presence of a high level of groE mRNA in exponential-phase H. ducreyi grown in hemin broth at the organism's optimal growth temperature (33 degrees C), with increased levels seen following heat shock. Heat shock also increased the thermostability of the organisms, since stressed cells were more resistant to the lethal effects of rapid chilling. Electrophoretic analysis and immunoblots demonstrated that the predominant protein produced by exponential-phase H. ducreyi was a heat-inducible, immunoreactive protein of approximately 60 kDa (GroEL). Also, H. ducreyi groE mRNA and GroEL were expressed and inducible by heat in E. coli. This is the first report describing the cloning, sequencing, and expression of H. ducreyi protein-encoding genes.     

Heat shock response of spirochetes.

We examined the heat shock response of the pathogenic spirochetes Treponema pallidum, Borrelia burgdorferi, and Leptospira interrogans and certain saprophytic spirochetes. Cellular proteins synthesized after shifts to higher temperatures were [35S]methionine labeled and analyzed by gel electrophoresis and fluorography. Only T. pallidum failed to exhibit an obvious heat shock response. GroEL and DnaK homologs were identified in the various species, although these proteins were not thermoinducible in T. pallidum or Treponema denticola. DNA hybridization studies indicate that spirochetal groEL and dnaK genes are highly conserved.     

Heat shock proteins form part of a danger signal cascade in response to lipopolysaccharide and GroEL

An increasing number of cell types, including peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), have been demonstrated to release heat shock proteins (Hsps). In this paper we investigate further the hypothesis that Hsps are danger signals. PBMCs and Jurkat cells released Hsp70 (0.22 and 0.7 ng/10(6) cells, respectively) into medium over 24 h at 37 degrees C. Release of Hsp70 was stimulated 10-fold by GroEL (P < 0.001) and more than threefold by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (P < 0.001). Although Hsp60 could be detected in the medium of cells cultured at 37 degrees C for 24 h, the low rates of release were due probably to cell damage. Significant release of Hsp60 was observed when Jurkat cells were exposed to GroEL (2.88 ng/10(6) cells) or LPS (1.40 ng/10(6) cells). The data are consistent with the hypothesis that Hsp70 and Hsp60 are part of a danger signalling cascade in response to bacterial infection.     

Cloning and temperature-dependent expression in Escherichia coli of a Legionella pneumophila gene coding for a genus-common 60-kilodalton antigen.

All Legionella species express a 60-kilodalton (kDa) protein which contains a genus-specific epitope recognized by murine monoclonal antibody GW2X4B8B2H6. A genomic cosmid library of Legionella pneumophila chromosomal DNA was constructed in pHC79 and screened for 60-kDa antigen-expressing clones with the monoclonal antibody. A 3.2-kilobase EcoRI fragment from cosmid 14B11 expressing a 60-kDa protein was subcloned into pUC19 (pSH16), and deletion of a 1.2-kilobase HindIII fragment (pSH16A) generated a 33-kDa truncated polypeptide no longer reactive with the monoclonal antibody. Southern blot analysis of chromosomal DNA from selected Legionella species restricted with EcoRI and probed with the 1.2-kilobase fragment coding for the carboxyl region of the protein revealed DNA homology which was not observed with DNA from Escherichia coli. Maxicell analysis of pSH16 identified a second polypeptide of approximately 15 kDa expressed from a gene (htpA) upstream of the gene coding the 60-kDa protein (htpB). Both proteins were preferentially synthesized by L. pneumophila following heat shock (temperature shift from 25 to 42 degrees C), and under steady-state growth conditions the relative level of 60-kDa protein was unaffected by temperature. In E. coli, expression of a 60-kDa protein from pSH16 also increased following heat shock (25 to 42 degrees C), but under steady-state conditions expression was temperature dependent. Temperature-dependent expression from pSH16 was not observed in an rpoH (htpR) mutant strain of E. coli. The Legionella 60-kDa protein appears to be a heat shock protein which shares cross-reactive epitopes with the GroEL homolog of E. coli. In addition, a region of htpB encoding the 27-kDa carboxyl portion of the protein containing the monoclonal antibody-reactive epitope also contains DNA sequences unique to and conserved within the genus.     

Identification and purification of a cpn60 heat shock protein homolog from Helicobacter pylori.

Helicobacter pylori is associated with gastritis and peptic ulcer disease in humans. We have identified a homolog of the chaperonin cpn60 family of heat shock proteins in H. pylori, referred to as Hp54K. Hp54K, purified from water-extractable H. pylori proteins, migrated as a single band at 54 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Its native molecular mass was 740 kDa; thus, Hp54K apparently comprises a 14-mer. The N-terminal 33 residues of Hp54K exhibited 60.6, 57.6, 54.5, 54.5, 51.5, and 51.5% identity with corresponding sequences in the following cpn60 homologs: HtpB (Legionella pneumophila), P1 (human mitochondria), GroEL (Escherichia coli), BA60K (Brucella abortus), HypB (Chlamydia trachomatis), and the 65-kDa immunodominant protein of Mycobacterium bovis BCG, respectively. Hp54K was the only protein recognized in whole-cell preparations of H. pylori by immunoblotting using monospecific antisera against cpn60 homologs from L. pneumophila, E. coli, C. trachomatis, and M. bovis BCG. Antiserum against Hp54K recognized proteins with molecular masses of 50 to 60 kDa in a large number of gram-negative bacteria, consistent with the known highly conserved nature of cpn60 proteins. Hp54K is a major protein and is immunogenic in humans infected with H. pylori. Thus, Hp54K shares many similarities with known cpn60 homologs. On the basis of the proposed role of other cpn60 proteins in induction of chronic inflammation, immune cross-reactivity between Hp54K and gastric tissue may provide an important link between H. pylori infection and gastritis.     

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis 65-kilodalton antigen is a heat shock protein which corresponds to common antigen and to the Escherichia coli GroEL protein.

Monoclonal hybridoma antibodies directed against a 65-kilodalton (kDa) mycobacterial protein could detect similarly sized antigens in many other bacterial species. In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the cross-reacting protein corresponded to a 62-kDa antigen that has been called Common Antigen. The mycobacterial 65-kDa antigen and Common Antigen are similar in that both (i) are highly immunoreactive molecules, (ii) contain species-specific and genus-specific epitopes in addition to the broadly cross-reactive epitopes, (iii) can be isolated as homomultimers of greater than 240 kDa, and (iv) have similar amino acid compositions. In Escherichia coli, the cross-reactive protein corresponded to the GroEL protein. Both the GroEL protein and the mycobacterial 65-kDa protein are expressed as heat shock proteins.     

Humoral immune response against a 70-kilodalton heat shock protein of Entamoeba histolytica in a group of patients with invasive amoebiasis.

In order to investigate the humoral immune response against Entamoeba histolytica a lambda ZapII cDNA library was constructed from trophozoites of the pathogenic E. histolytica strain SFL-3. The library was screened with serum IgG from a patient with invasive amoebiasis. Forty-nine immunopositive lambda clones were isolated and partial sequences from the inserts were obtained. By comparison of the sequences with the merged database MIPSX from the Martinsried Institute for Protein Sequences we were able to identify homologous proteins for 36 of the clones. Twenty-six of the clones encoded intracellular proteins, among these, the major part (16 clones) were highly homologous to the eukaryotic 70-kDa heat shock proteins (Hsps). The open reading frame of one complete clone encodes a protein of 656 amino acid residues of 71.5 kDa which has 69.8% sequence identity with the human Hsp70 protein. In a larger screening experiment only 3 out of 12 patients detected with their IgG the phage which expressed the 70-kDa heat shock protein(s).     

Legionella pneumophila htpAB heat shock operon: nucleotide sequence and expression of the 60-kilodalton antigen in L. pneumophila-infected HeLa cells

A 60-kilodalton (kDa) immunodominant antigen of Legionella pneumophila is a heat shock protein (HSP) of the GroEL class of HSPs. The gene (htpB) coding the 60-kDa protein was localized to a 3.2-kilobase DNA fragment of L. pneumophila cloned into pUC19 (pSH16) (P. S. Hoffman, C. A. Butler, and F. D. Quinn, Infect. Immun. 57:1731-1739, 1989). The nucleotide sequence of the DNA fragment cloned into M13 confirmed two open reading frames, htpA and htpB, that code for proteins of 96 and 548 amino acids, respectively. A consensus heat shock promoter sequence upstream of the start of htpA was identified, and no obvious promoter sequences were detected upstream of htpB. Amino acid sequence comparison studies revealed that the L. pneumophila HtpB protein exhibited 76% homology with the 65-kDa protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and 85% homology with both GroEL of Escherichia coli and HtpB of Coxiella burnetii. A comparison of the amino acid sequences among these proteins revealed several regions of nearly absolute sequence conservation, with the variable regions occurring in common areas. The purified L. pneumophila 60-kDa protein was antigenic for human T lymphocytes. Indirect fluorescent antibody studies indicated that the 60-kDa protein may be located in the periplasm or expressed on the surface by intracellular bacteria, suggesting that a stress-related mechanism may be involved in the expression of this immunodominant antigen.     

Urease-associated heat shock protein of Helicobacter pylori.

Helicobacter pylori urease is an extracellular, cell-bound enzyme with a molecular weight of approximately 600,000 (600K enzyme) comprising six 66K and six 31K subunits. A 62K protein is closely associated with the H. pylori urease, both in crude preparations and after gel filtration; this protein can be removed from the urease by ion-exchange chromatography without inactivating the enzyme. We purified this urease-associated protein and determined its N-terminal amino acid sequence. The sequence is 80% homologous (identical plus conserved amino acid residues) to the Escherichia coli GroEL heat shock protein (HSP), 75% homologous to the human homolog, and 84% homologous to the HSP homolog found in species of Chlamydia. Thus, the 62K urease-associated protein of H. pylori belongs to the HSP60 family of stress proteins known as chaperonins. Evidently this protein, HSP62, participates in the extracellular assembly and/or protection of the urease against inactivation in the hostile environment of the stomach.     

Cloning and expression of the dnaK gene of Campylobacter jejuni and antigenicity of heat shock protein 70

Campylobacter jejuni is a leading cause of infectious diarrhea throughout the world. In addition, there is growing evidence that Guillain-Barré syndrome, an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the peripheral nervous system, is frequently preceded by C. jejuni infection. In the present study, the hrcA-grpE-dnaK gene cluster of C. jejuni was cloned and sequenced. The dnaK gene consists of an open reading frame of 1,869 bp and encodes a protein with a high degree of homology to other bacterial 70-kDa heat shock proteins (HSPs). The overall percentages of identity to the HSP70 proteins of Helicobacter pylori, Borrelia burgdorferi, Chlamydia trachomatis, and Bacillus subtilis were calculated to be 78.1, 60.5, 57.2, and 53. 8%, respectively. Regions similar to the Escherichia coli sigma70 promoter consensus sequence and to a cis-acting regulatory element (CIRCE) are located upstream of the hrcA gene. Following heat shock, a rapid increase of dnaK mRNA was detectable, which reached its maximum after 20 to 30 min. A 6-His-tagged recombinant DnaK protein (rCjDnaK-His) was generated in E. coli, after cloning of the dnaK coding region into pET-22b(+), and purified by affinity and gel filtration chromatography. Antibody responses to rCjDnaK-His were significantly elevated, compared to those of healthy individuals, in about one-third of the serum specimens obtained from C. jejuni enteritis patients.     

Higher levels of heat shock proteins in longer-lived mammals and birds

Cellular stress resistance is generally associated with longevity, but the mechanisms underlying this phenotype are not clear. In invertebrate models there is a clear role for heat shock proteins (Hsps) and organelle-specific unfolded protein responses (UPR) in longevity. However, this has not been demonstrated in vertebrates. Some Hsp amino acid sequences are highly conserved amongst mammals and birds. We used antibodies recognizing conserved regions of Hsp60 (primarily mitochondrial), Hsp70 (primarily cytosolic), GRP78 (Bip) and GRP94 (endoplasmic reticulum) to measure constitutive levels of these proteins in brain, heart and liver of 13 mammalian and avian species ranging in maximum lifespan from 3 to 30 years. In all three tissues, the expression of these proteins was highly correlated with MLSP, indicating higher basal levels of Hsp expression are characteristic of longer-lived species. We also quantified the levels of Hsp60, Hsp70 and GRP78 in brain and heart tissue of young adult (6-7 month old) Snell dwarf mice and normal littermates. Snell dwarf mice are characterized by a single gene mutation that is associated with an ～50% increase in lifespan. However, neither Hsp60, nor Hsp70, nor GRP78 levels were elevated in brain or heart tissue from Snell dwarf mice compared to normal littermates.