THE ROLE OF THE HEAT-SHOCK PROTEINS IN RECOVERY OF HIGH-TEMPERATURE INDUCED DAMAGES OF MITOTIC CHROMOSOMES IN DROSOPHILA-MELANOGASTER

The synthesis of the heat-shock proteins (HSP) and the frequency of th e mitotic chromosome damages (pulverizations, chromosome, chromatide s tickness, etc.) was studied in the cells of larva nervous ganglion in the process of recovery after heat shock (37-degrees-C, 30 min). Analy sis was performed in two strains of Drosophila melanogaster (Canton S - the wild type and the mutant l(1)ts403 with the defect in the HSP sy stem). Correlation between the dynamics of HSP synthesis and the alter ation of the chromosome pulverization and stickness frequency was show n for both Drosophila strains under study. These results, in accord wi th the data on HSPs' binding to chromosomes following heat shock and t heir role as molecular chaperons, allowed to suggest that HSPs took pa rt in chromosome condensation and in the recovery of heat shock induce d damages leading to chromosome and chromatide stickness.