Alteration by heat shock and immunological characterization of Drosophila small nuclear ribonucleoproteins.

Sera from human patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have been shown to react with snRNP particles of both mammals and Drosophila (Mount, S. M. and J. A. Steitz. 1981. Nucleic Acids Res. 9:6351-6368). We have utilized fully characterized monospecific sera and specifically purified antibodies to carry out indirect immunofluorescence experiments with frozen sections of Drosophila embryos. Embryos subjected to severe heat shock before sectioning showed reduced binding of anti-Sm sera. Anti-nRNP sera reacted identically with antigens of heat shocked and non-heat-shocked sections. The reduction in anti-Sm fluorescence was restored by a brief salt wash. These results imply a noncovalent alteration in the conformation of Sm antigens with the administration of heat shock that can revert with exposure to salt. Drosophila antigens have been compared to mammalian standards, showing partial identity with bovine spleen extract (BSE) antigens when reacted with anti-Sm sera. The antigenic relatedness between affinity-purified heat-shocked and non-heat-shocked Drosophila antigens and their mammalian homologues was examined by quantitative ELISA methodology. In all cases, the Drosophila antigens from heat-shocked and non-heat-shocked embryos were identical. We theorize that the heat shock-induced alteration of Sm antigen reverst during extraction. Because the snRNP antigens have been shown to be involved in splicing, and because splicing is inhibited during heat shock (Yost, H. J., and S. Lindquist. 1986. Cell. 45:185-193), our results provide information on the nature and stability of a change in these antigens which may be a central element in control of the heat shock response.

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The effect of the heat shock response on ultrastructure of the centrosome of Drosophila cultured cells in interphase: possible relation with changes in the chemical state of calcium.

Biochemistry and Cell Biology ◽

10.1139/o93-073 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 71 (11-12) ◽

pp. 507-517 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Christiane Marcaillou ◽

Alain Debec ◽

Sylvie Lauverjat ◽

Armelle Saihi

Keyword(s):

Heat Shock ◽

Heat Shock Response ◽

Cultured Cells ◽

Chemical State ◽

Ultrastructural Organization ◽

Heat Shock Stress ◽

Shock Response ◽

Pericentriolar Material ◽

Functional Inactivation ◽

Drosophila Embryos

Previous observations have shown that the heat shock response affects the centrosome function. We compared the ultrastructural organization of the centrosome in control (23 °C) and heat-shocked (37 °C, 50 min) interphase Drosophila cells to detect the nature of the lesions that could alter this organelle. The centrosome apparatus showed only minor modifications after the stress and the architecture of the centrioles appeared unaffected. The main difference concerned the organization of pericentriolar material which appeared more condensed and clotted. In extreme cases this material seemed to collapse on the centrioles. Recent reports proposed that Ca2+ concentrations could modify the distribution of pericentriolar material. In this study, we measured the changes in total and bound calcium in control or heat-shocked cell samples. The hyperthermia stress induced an increase of about 80% in global calcium. However, there was a decrease of about 50% in bound calcium. A heat shock stress seemed therefore to promote a change from the bound to the free state for a noticeable proportion of the element. As a preliminary hypothesis, these changes in the chemical state of calcium could be related to alterations in the pericentriolar material and thus with the functional inactivation of the centrosome. This view is also supported by calcium analysis on early Drosophila embryos. Contrary to cultured cells, Drosophila embryos did not present a stress inactivation of centrosomes. Equally, a heat shock did not disturb the bound calcium level in embryos.Key words: Centrosome, ultrastructure, calcium, heat shock, Drosophila.

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