• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.209-219
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• 1997

Previous studies have demonstrated that oxidative stress involving generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is responsible for the cytotoxic action of $TNF{\alpha}$. Protective effect of small heat shock proteins (small HSP) against diverse oxidative stress conditions has been suggeted. Although overexpression of small hsp was shown to provide an enhanced survival of $TNF{\alpha}$-sensitive cells when challenged with $TNF{\alpha}$, neither the nature of $TNF{\alpha}$-induced cytotoxicity nor the protective mechanism of small HSP has not been completely understood. In this study, we have attempted to determine whether $TNF{\alpha}$ induces oxidative DNA damage in $TNF{\alpha}$-sensitive L929 cells. We chose to measure the level of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8 ohdG), which has been increasingly recognized as one of the most sensitive markers of oxidative DNA damage. Our results clearly demonstrated that the level of 8 ohdG increased in L929 cells in a $TNF{\alpha}$ dose-dependent manner. Subsequently, we asked whether small HSP has a protective effect on $TNF{\alpha}$-induced oxidative DNA damage. To accomplish this goal, we have stably transfected L929 cells with mouse small hsp cDNA (hsp25) since these cells are devoid of endogenous small hsps. We found that $TNF{\alpha}$-induced 8 ohdG was decreased in cells overexpressing exogenous small hsp. We also found that the cell killing activity of $TNF{\alpha}$ was decreased in these cells as measured by clonogenic survival. Taken together, results from the current study show that cytotoxic mechanism of $TNF{\alpha}$ involves oxidative damage of DNA and that overexpression of the small hsp reduces this oxidative damage. We suggest that the reduction of oxidative DNA damage is one of the most important protective mechanisms of small HSP against $TNF{\alpha}$.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.13-18
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• 2000

To investigate the function of chloroplast small HSP, transgenic tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Samsun) that constitutively overexpress the chloroplast small HSP (NtHSP21) from N. tabacum cv. Petit Havana SR1 were generated. Five homozygous lines of transformants showing different constitutive expression levels of the NtHSP21 were selected. To determine whether constitutive overexpression of NtHSP21 protein affects thermotolerance, wild-type and transformants were grown in Petri dishes, heat-stressed at 52$^{\circ}C$ for 45 min, and then incubated in normal growth condition. When heat-stressed wild-type plantlets were incubated at $25^{\circ}C$, leaf color gradually became white and all trio plantlets finally died within a week. As for the transformants, however, more than 70% of them remained green and survived under the conditions in which all the wild-type plants were dying. It was also found that the levels of NtHSP21 were correlated with the degree of thermotolerance. These results suggest that the NtHSP21 protein in transformants is responsible for the increase in thermotolerance.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.83-89
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• 2003

To investigate the function of chloroplast small heat shock protein (HSP), transgenic tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum L, cv. SR-1) that constitutively overexpress the rice chloroplast small HSP (Oshsp26) were generated. Effects of constitutive expression of the Oshsp26 on thermotolerance were investigated with the chlorophyll fluorescence. After 5-min incubation of leaf discs at high temperatures, an increase in the Fo level, indication of separation of LHCII from PSII, was mitigated by constitutive expression of the chloroplast small HSP When tobacco plantlets grown in Petri dishes were incubated at $20^{\circ}C$/TEX> for 45 min and subsequently incubated at $20^{\circ}C$/TEX> leaf color of wild-type plant became gradually white and all plantlets were finally died. Under the conditions in which all the wild-type plants died, more than 80% of the transformants remained green and survived. It was also found that the levels of Oshsp26 protein accumulated in transgenic plants were correlated with the degree of thermotolerance. These results suggest that the chloroplast small HSP plays an important role in protecting photosynthetic machinery, as a results, increases thermotolerance of whole plant during heat stress.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.554-561
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• 2007

Shen and colleagues (Lin et al., 2004) have recently shown that overexpression of the Drosophila DNA methyltransferase 2 isoform C, dDnmt2c, extended life span of fruit flies, probably due to increased expression of small heat shock proteins such as Hsp22 or Hsp26. Here, I demonstrate with immunoprecipitations that overexpressed dDnmt2c interacts with endogenous Hsp70 protein in vivo in S2 cells. However, its C-terminal half, dDnmt2c(178-345) forms approximately 10-fold more Hsp70-containing protein complexe than wild-type dDnmt2c. Overexpressed dDnmt2c(178-345) but not the full length dDnmt2c is able to increase endogenous mRNA levels of the small heat shock proteins, Hsp26 and Hsp22. I provide evidence that dDnmt2c(178-345) increases Hsp26 promoter activity via two heat shock elements, HSE6 and HSE7. Simultaneously overexpressed Hsp40 or a dominant negative form of heat shock factor abrogates the dDnmt2c(178-345)-dependent increase in Hsp26 transcription. The data support a model in which the activation of heat shock factor normally found as an inactive monomer bound to chaperones is linked to the overexpressed C-terminus of dDnmt2c. Despite the differences observed in flies and S2 cells, these findings provide a possible explanation for the extended lifespan in dDnmt2c-overexpressing flies with increased levels of small heat shock proteins.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.460-469
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• 2017

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are induced as a self-defense mechanism of cells when exposed to various external stresses, such as high fever, infection, free radicals, and heavy metals. They affect the prognosis in the process of tumor formation. HSP is classified into four families: HSP27, HSP60, HSP90, and HSP100, depending on molecular weight. Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90), a molecular chaperone, plays an important role in the cellular protection against various stressful stimuli and in the regulation of cell cycle progression and apoptosis. In the present study, we assessed the differential expression of HSP90 family proteins in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and the correlation of their expression levels with clinicopathologic factors and patient survival rates. The result of this study can be summarized as follows; $HSP90{\alpha}$ showed higher expression in patients with no lymphovascular invasion (p=0.014). $HSP90{\beta}$ showed a higher expression of squamous cell carcinoma (p=0.003), and an over expression of glucose-related protein (GRP94) was significantly associated with poor differentiation (p=0.048). However, none of the HSP90 proteins showed a significant association with the survival status in patients with NSCLC. This study also indicates that $HSP90{\alpha}$ might contribute more to the carcinogenesis of NSCLC than $HSP90{\beta}$, and GRP94 and isoform selectivity should be considered when HSP90 inhibitors are studied or utilized in the treatment of NSCLC.

• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
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• v.17
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• pp.59-63
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• 1999

A cDNA encoding rice chloroplast small HSP, Oshsp21, was introduced into Escherichia coli using the pET expression vector to analyze the possible function of Oshsp21 under heat stress. We compared the viability of E. coli ${\lambda}BL21$ (DE3) cells transformed with recombinant plasmid containing Oshsp21 with the control E. coli cells transformed with pET28a vector under heat stress after IPTG induction. Upon heat treatment at $50^{\circ}C$, those cells that expressed Oshsp21 showed improved viability compared with control cells. When the cell lysates from E. coli transformants were heated at $55^{\circ}C$, the amounts of proteins denatured in the control and pEhsp21-transformed cells were about 60% and 35% of total cell proteins, respectively. These results indicate that rice chloroplast small HSP function as a molecular chaperone in cells.

• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
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• v.17
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• pp.15-20
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• 1999

To investigate the function of the chloroplast small heat shock protein (small HSP), transgenic tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum L., cv. SRI) that show constitutive expression of the chloroplast small HSP were generated. Effects of constitutive expression of the introduced gene on thermotolerance were first probed with the chlorophyll fluorescence. After a 5-min incubation of leaf discs at high temperatures, an increase in the Fo level and a decrease in the Fv level, indications of separation of LHCII from PSII and inactivation of electron transport reactions in PSII, were mitigated by constitutive expression of the small HSP. When tobacco plantlets grown in Petri dishes were incubated at $52^{\circ}C$ for 45 min and subsequently incubated at $25^{\circ}C$, leaf color of nontransformants was gradually became white and all plantlets finally were died. Under conditions in which all nontransformants were dying, more than 80% of the transformants remained green and survived. These results suggest that the chloroplast small HSP plays an important role in protecting photosynthetic machinery during heat stress.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.1118-1122
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• 2014

The present study shows that DR1114 (Hsp20), a small heat shock protein of the radiation-resistant bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans, enhances tolerance to hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) stress when expressed in Escherichia coli. A protein profile comparison showed that E. coli cells overexpressing D. radiodurans Hsp20 (EC-pHsp20) activated the redox state proteins, thus maintaining redox homeostasis. The cells also showed increased expression of pseudouridine (psi) synthases, which are important to the stability and proper functioning of structural RNA molecules. We found that the D. radiodurans mutant strain, which lacks a psi synthase (DR0896), was more sensitive to $H_2O_2$ stress than wild type. These suggest that an increased expression of proteins involved in the control of redox state homeostasis along with more stable ribosomal function may explain the improved tolerance of EC-pHsp20 to $H_2O_2$ stress.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.328-333
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• 2005

Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) are widely distributed, and their function and diversity of structure have been much studied in the field of molecular chaperones. In plants, which frequently have to cope with hostile environments, sHSPs are much more abundant and diverse than in other forms of life. In response to high temperature stress, sHSPs of more than twenty kinds can make up more than 1% of soluble plant proteins. We isolated a genomic clone, NtHSP18.3, from Nicotiana tabacum that encodes the complete open reading frame of a cytosolic class I small heat shock protein. To investigate the function of NtHSP18.3 in vitro, it was overproduced in Escherichia coli and purified. The purified NtHSP18.3 had typical molecular chaperone activity as it protected citrate synthase and luciferase from high temperature-induced aggregation. When E. coli celluar proteins were incubated with NtHSP18.3, a large proportion of the proteins remained soluble at temperatures as high as $70^{\circ}C$. Native gel analysis suggested that NtHSP18.3 is a dodecameric oligomer as the form present and showing molecular chaperone activity at the condition tested. Binding of bis-ANS to the oligomers of NtHSP18.3 indicated that exposure of their hydrophobic surfaces increased as the temperature was raised. Taken together, our data suggested that NtHSP18.3 is a molecular chaperone that functions as a dodecameric complex and possibly in a temperature-induced manner.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.1628-1634
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• 2009

Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) function as molecular chaperones that protect cells against environmental stresses. In the present study, the genes of hsp17.6 and hsp17.7, cytosolic class I sHSPs, were cloned from a tropical plant, Ageratina adenophorum. Their C-terminal domains were highly conserved with those of sHSPs from other plants, indicating the importance of the C-terminal domains for the structure and activity of sHSPs. The recombinant HSP17.6 and HSP17.7 were applied to determine their chaperone function. In vitro, HSP17.6 and HSP17.7 actively participated in the refolding of the model substrate citrate synthase (CS) and effectively prevented the thermal aggregation of CS at $45^{\circ}C$ and the irreversible inactivation of CS at $38^{\circ}C$ at stoichiometric levels. The prior presence of HSP17.7 was assumed to suppress the thermal aggregation of the model substrate CS. Therefore, this report confirms the chaperone activity of HSP17.6 and HSP17.7 and their potential as a protectant for active proteins.