Leucine incorporation was examined as a method for estimating rates of protein synthesis by bacterial assemblages in natural aquatic systems. The proportion of the total bacterial population that took up leucine in three marine environments was high (greater than 50%). Most of the leucine (greater than 90%) taken up was incorporated into protein, and little (less than 20%) was degraded to other amino acids, except in two oligotrophic marine environments. In samples from these two environments, ca. 50% of the leucine incorporated had been degraded to other amino acids, which were subsequently incorporated into protein. The degree of leucine degradation appears to depend on the organic carbon supply, as the proportion of 3H-radioactivity incorporated into protein that was recovered as [3H]leucine after acid hydrolysis increased with the addition of pyruvate to oligotrophic water samples. The addition of extracellular leucine inhibited total incorporation of [14C]pyruvate (a precursor for leucine biosynthesis) into protein. Furthermore, the proportion of [14C]pyruvate incorporation into protein that was recovered as [14C]leucine decreased with the addition of extracellular leucine. These results show that the addition of extracellular leucine inhibits leucine biosynthesis by marine bacterial assemblages. The molar fraction of leucine in a wide variety of proteins is constant, indicating that changes in leucine incorporation rates reflect changes in rates of protein synthesis rather than changes in the leucine content of proteins. The results demonstrate that the incorporation rate of [3H]leucine into a hot trichloroacetic acid-insoluble cell fraction can serve as an index of protein synthesis by bacterial assemblages in aquatic systems.

Leucine incorporation and its potential as a measure of protein synthesis by bacteria in natural aquatic systems.

Heat shock proteins (HSP) are a family of proteins expressed in response to a wide range of biotic and abiotic stressors. They are thus also referred to as stress proteins. Their extraordinarily high degree of identity at the amino acid sequence level and the fact that this cellular stress response has been described in nearly all organisms studied, make this group of proteins unique. We provide a brief historical overview of HSP research, as a background to summarizing what is known about HSP expression in fish. The expression of HSPs in fish has been described in cell lines, primary cultures of various cells, and in the tissues of whole organisms. Collectively, the data show that the expression of HSPs are affected in a wide variety of fish cells and tissues, in response both to biological stressors such as infectious pathogens, as well as to abiotic stressors such as heat and cold shock, and environmental contaminants. HSP research in fish is in its early stages and many studies are describing the expression of proteins in response to various stressors. Several studies have contributed to our understanding of the molecular nature and the molecular biology of HSPs in fish. Recent studies have shown a relationship between HSP expression and the generalized stress response in fish, but further research is needed to clarify the complex relationships between stress hormones and the cellular HSP response. In general, the HSP response seems to be related to the sensing of the stressor and the subsequent cellular effects which may adapt the cells to cope with the stressors. Consequently, such data may be of central importance in understanding the significance of HSP expression to the whole organism. We conclude with sections on laboratory methods used in HSP research and on potential applications of this knowledge in biomonitoring.

Heat shock protein expression in fish

https://www.cell.com/cell/pdf/0092-8674(84)90493-8.pdf

The htpR gene product of E. coli is a sigma factor for heat-shock promoters

When bacteria cells are exposed to higher temperature, a set of heat-shock proteins (hsps) is induced rapidly and transiently to cope with increased damage in proteins. The mechanism underlying induction of hsps has been a central issue in the heat-shock response and studied intensively in Escherichia coli. Immediately upon temperature upshift, the cellular level of sigma 32 responsible for transcription of heat-shock genes increases rapidly and transiently. The increase in sigma 32 results from both increased synthesis and stabilization of sigma 32, which is ordinarily very unstable. A clue to further understanding of early regulatory events came from recent analysis of translational induction and subsequent shut-off of sigma 32 synthesis. Whereas a 5'-coding region of mRNA for sigma 32 is involved in the induction mediated by the mRNA secondary structure, a distinct segment of sigma 32 polypeptide further downstream is involved in the DnaK/DnaJ-mediated shut-off and destabilization of sigma 32 that may be mutually interconnected.

Regulation of the heat-shock response in bacteria

hsp70: Nuclear concentration during environmental stress and cytoplasmic storage during recovery

Synthesis of total cellular proteins of Escherichia coli was studied upon transfer of a log-phase culture from 30 (or 37) to 42 degrees C. Cells were pulse-labeled with [3H]leucine, and the labeled proteins were analyzed by gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The rates of synthesis of at least five protein chains were found to increase markedly (5- to 10-fold) within 5 min after temperature shift-up and gradually decrease to the new steady-state levels, in contrast to the majority of proteins which gradually increase to the steady-state levels (about 1.5-fold the rate at 30 degrees C). Temperature shift-down did not cause any appreciable changes in the pattern of protein synthesis as detected by the present method. Among the proteins greatly affected by the temperature shift-up were those with apparent molecular weights fo 87,000 (87K), 76K, 73K, 64K, and 61K. Two of them (64K and 61K) were found to be precipitated with specific antiserum against proteins that had previously been shown to have an adenosine triphosphatase activity. The bearings of these findings on bacterial adaptation to variation in growth temperature are discussed.

Transient regulation of protein synthesis in Escherichia coli upon shift-up of growth temperature.

Although extensive workhasbeendevoted to elucidate theelementary processes ofgene expression andits regulation inEscherichia coli, relatively little isknownaboutthegross regulatory mechanisms atthecellular level. Toobtain anintegral picture ofgeneexpression during cell growth, itwouldbeimportant toknow, for example, howmanyproteins areregulated in their synthesis inresponse toachange ingrowth conditions. Changes insynthesis ofcellular proteins havebeenstudied underconditions of aminoacidlimitation ("stringent control") (3, 16)orunderconditions thatgive rise tolesions inDNA (6,18). Ithasbeenestablished thattherelative contentofmacromolecules doesnotchange appreciably whenbacterial cells aregrownatdifferent temperatures insteady state, despite thewide variation ingrowth rate(12). However, little attention hasbeenpaid tomacromolecular synthesis during transitions ingrowth temperature. Thepresent paper reports somenewfeatures of regulation ofE.coli protein synthesis thathave beenrevealed byexperiments involving transfer ofa log-phase culture froma lowtoa high temperature.

Y. Nakamura

Papers

Transient regulation of protein synthesis in Escherichia coli upon shift-up of growth temperature.

Transient Regulation ofProtein Synthesis inEscherichia coli UponShift-Up ofGrowthTemperature