title: The function of heat-shock proteins in stress tolerance.
abstract: We earlier demonstrated that hsp68 is deficiently induced upon stress in the glucocorticoid-resistant, dedifferentiated Reuber rat hepatoma clone 2 cells, but is strongly activated in the differentiated, glucocorticoid-sensitive Faza 967 cells from which clone 2 was derived. We used the two cell types to address the questions whether hsp68 is specifically involved in the development of thermotolerance and/or thermoresistance or drug resistance. Our experiments show that clone 2 cells were not protected from the killing effect of heat by pre-treatment with sodium arsenite, whereas Faza 967 cells were. These results strongly suggest a role of hsp68 in the development of thermotolerance in hepatoma cells. Stable heat-resistant variants of clone 2 cells were also isolated, where an increased basal expression of several hsps was observed together with the (at least partial) restoration of the heat-inducibility of hsp68. These results suggest that several hsps are needed to protect the critical biological processes at high temperature. The heat-resistant hepatoma cells also became resistant to several anticancer drugs. The multidrug resistance of the hepatoma variants correlates with the overexpression of the plasma membrane P-glycoprotein. Our results showing that severely stressed hepatoma cells overexpressed the mdr gene(s) raise the possibility that the P-gp may participate in protection against environmental stress such as heat.
authors.affiliation: Inst. of Genetics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Venetianer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pirity
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hever-Szabo
mesh_terms: D020168:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000494:pharmacology; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D004351:Drug Resistance; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014700:Verapamil / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D020168:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D003907:Dexamethasone; D016572:Cyclosporine; D014700:Verapamil