title: Downregulation of hsp22 gene  expression in Drosophila melanogaster from sites located near chemical  plants.
abstract: A  common physiological response of organisms to environmental conditions is  variation in gene expression, especially true for genes encoding for heat shock  proteins. In insects, this process has been examined for induced heat or cold  stress. The putative long-term imprinted/acquired heat shock protein response  due to unfriendly environmental conditions has been far less studied. The Drosophila  melanogaster hsp22 gene, which has been extensively reviewed as being  sensitive to different changing life conditions, was examined by qRT-PCR, using  carboxy-X-rhodamine. In the present study, we focused on the detection of hsp22 level of transcription in three D. melanogaster isolates, collected  from sites located near different chemical plants in Romania and subjected to  one-year adaptation to laboratory conditions. In all isolates, the hsp22 gene  expression was determined using the housekeeping genes Gapdh1 and UbcD10 as  internal controls. According to our experimental results, the D.  melanogaster hsp22 gene was significantly downregulated compared to the  same gene in w(1118)iso,  used as a calibrator. We showed that hsp22 could play an important role  in relation to stress resistance and adaptation. This study highlights the  importance of in vivo studies to demonstrate genome plasticity to  overcome different damages induced by any presumed source of stress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania. geolamon@yahoo.com
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Magdalena
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Coipan
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Vladimirescu
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Savu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Costache
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gavrila
mesh_terms: D000220:Adaptation, Biological; D000818:Animals; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics*; D004777:Environment; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D013312:Stress, Physiological
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; C490752:Hsp22 protein, Drosophila