EGTA Treatment Causes the Synthesis of Heat Shock Proteins in Sea Urchin Embryos

• Published in: Molecular cell biology research communications 2000-05, Vol.3 (5), p.306-311
• Main Authors: Roccheri, Maria C., Onorato, Karoly, Tipa, Cinzia, Casano, Caterina
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Chelating Agents - pharmacology; Edetic Acid - metabolism; Egtazic Acid - pharmacology; Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; Embryo, Nonmammalian - drug effects; Embryo, Nonmammalian - metabolism; Heat-Shock Proteins - biosynthesis; Heat-Shock Proteins - metabolism; Sea Urchins - embryology; Sea Urchins - physiology; stress proteins, EGTA, sea urchin
• ISSN: 1522-4724; 1522-4732
• DOI: 10.1006/mcbr.2000.0230

Paracentrotus lividus embryos, at post-blastular stage, when subjected to a rise in temperature from physiologic (20°C) to 31°C, synthesize a large group of heat shock proteins (hsps), and show a severe inhibition of bulk protein synthesis. We show, by mono- and two-dimensional electrophoresis, that also EGTA (ethylene glycol-bis[β-aminoethyl ether] tetraacetic acid) treatment induces in sea urchin embryos both marked inhibition of bulk protein synthesis and the synthesis of the entire set of hsps. Furthermore, EGTA-treated sea urchin embryos are able to survive at a temperature otherwise lethal (35°C) becoming thermotolerant. Because incubation with a different calcium-chelator, EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid), or in calcium-free medium did not induce hsps synthesis we conclude that the stress response caused by EGTA is not related to its calcium chelator function.