title: The role of heat shock proteins Hsp70 and Hsp27 in cellular protection of the central nervous system.
abstract: Heat shock proteins (Hsps) are highly conserved and under physiological conditions act as molecular chaperones and/or have anti-apoptotic activities. Expression in the brain of two heat shock proteins, the70 kDa Hsp (Hsp70) and the 27 kDa Hsp (Hsp27), is notable because both proteins are highly inducible in glial cells and neurons following a wide range of noxious stimuli including ischemia, epileptic seizure and hyperthermia. In the central nervous system, constitutive expression of Hsp27 is limited to many (but not all) sensory and motor neurons of the brain stem and spinal cord, while there is little or no constitutive expression of Hsp70. However, inducible expression of both Hsp70 and Hsp27 is present in many areas of the brain and retina and is associated with cellular resistance to a variety of insults. The potential for manipulating the expression levels of Hsps for therapeutic advantage in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke and glaucoma will be explored.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
authors.forename: T B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Franklin
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Krueger-Naug
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: A-P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Arrigo
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Currie
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D019610:Cytoprotection / Q000502:physiology*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000235:genetics; D055551:HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D055551:HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; C057725:HSPB1 protein, human; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; C486114:Hspb1 protein, rat; C486699:Hspb2 protein, mouse; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins