title: Sea urchin HSF activity in vitro and in transgenic embryos.
abstract: Evidence is provided for the presence at the physiological temperature of 20 degrees C of a heat shock transcriptor factor, HSF, in the nuclei of P.lividus embryos. This HSF is able to specifically bind in vitro the heat shock element, HSE, of the promoter of the hsp70 gene i.v., as suggested by DNA-protein binding reactions and DNAse I protection assays. Upon heat-shock, at the temperature of 31 degrees C, its ability to bind the HSE units becomes much higher. The HSF activated by heat-shock drives in vivo the transcription of the beta-galactosidase reporter gene in transgenic sea urchin gastrulae. An ATF-like transcription factor, widely described in other organisms but not at all in sea urchins, is also present in the nuclear extracts and is able to bind the consensus individuated in the hsp70 i.v. gene promoter.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia Cellulare e dello Sviluppo Alberto Monroy, Università di Palermo, Italy. Gasc@mbox.unipa.it
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sconzo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Geraci
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Melfi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cascino
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Spinelli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giudice
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sirchia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001483:Base Sequence; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000502:physiology*; D005775:Gastrula / Q000502:physiology*; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012617:Sea Urchins / Q000196:embryology*; D013696:Temperature; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014162:Transfection; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D001616:beta-Galactosidase