Heat shock modulates prion protein expression in human NT-2 cells

The pathological hallmarks of Prion disease are cortical spongiform changes and neuronal loss, which are induced by the accumulation of the scrapie-is oform prion protein (PrPSc). PrPSc is derived from a post-translational mod ification of the cellular form of prion protein (PrPC). Heat-shock proteins , a group of molecular chaperones, are involved in the degradation of denat ured proteins and post-translational folding of newly synthesized polypepti des. In an attempt to examine any possible relationship between heat shock stress and an induction of prion protein (PrP), human NT-2 cells were treat ed with heat shock at 42 degrees C for 30min. After heat-shock treatment, b oth the level of mRNA and PrPC protein were analyzed at various time points by Northern and Western blot, respectively. There was a 1.5- to 2.5-fold i ncrease in PrP mRNA levels 1 and 3h following heat shock. In addition, a tw o-fold increase in protein level of PrP was found 3h after heat-shock treat ment. These results suggest that cellular stress induces the elevation of b oth PrP mRNA and protein synthesis. The up-regulation of prion-protein mRNA and protein, implies that PrP may play a role in cellular stress. NeuroRep ort 11:771-774 (C) 2000 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.