R. Levyholtzman et I. Schechter, EXPRESSION OF DIFFERENT FORMS OF THE HEAT-SHOCK FACTOR DURING THE LIFE-CYCLE OF THE PARASITIC HELMINTH SCHISTOSOMA-MANSONI, Biochimica et biophysica acta. Molecular basis of disease, 1317(1), 1996, pp. 1-4
HSE-HSF complexes from different stages of the life cycle of schistoso
me were analyzed by pore exclusion electrophoresis (estimates the size
of the native DNA-protein complex), and by U.V.-cross-linking followe
d by SDS-PAGE (estimates the size of the monomeric heat shock factor,
HSF). The apparent M(r) values of the native and monomeric HSE-HSF com
plexes from schistosomula were 80 000 and 60 000, respectively. In adu
lt worms M(r) values were 70 000 for the native HSE-HSF complex, 60000
and 80 000 for the monomeric form. These findings indicate that: (1)
schistosome express two (maybe three) forms of HSF, (2) different form
s of HSF are expressed at different developmental stages. The finding
that the native HSE-HSF complex and the monomeric HSF are of a similar
size indicates that the complex contains a single HSF, or that the co
mplex is a labile oligomer of HSF that decomposes into monomers during
electrophoresis in a nondenaturing gel.