T. Somasundaram et Sp. Bhat, Canonical heat shock element in the alpha B-crystallin gene shows tissue-specific and developmentally controlled interactions with heat shock factor, J BIOL CHEM, 275(22), 2000, pp. 17154-17159
Oligomerization of the heat shock factor (HSF) and its interaction with the
heat shock element (HSE) are the hallmark of active transcriptional respon
se to tangible physical or chemical stress. It is unknown if these interact
ions are subject to control and modulation by developmental cues and thus h
ave tissue or stage specificity. By using promoter sequences containing a c
anonical HSE from the alpha B-crystallin gene, we demonstrate a tissue-spec
ific transition from monomeric (in fetal and early neonatal stages that lac
k oligomeric HSF.HSE complexes) to oligomeric HSF-HSE interactions by postn
atal day 10-21 in the ocular lens. Developmental control of these interacti
ons is further demonstrated by induction of oligomeric HSF.HSE complexes in
neonatal extracts by in vitro manipulations, interestingly, only in the le
ns and not in the brain, heart, or liver extracts. The exclusive presence o
f oligomeric HSF HSE complexes in the postnatal/adult lens corresponds to k
nown highly increased number of alpha B-crystallin transcripts in this tiss
ue.