Science · 1990 · 856 citations · 22 references
Life SciencesGeneticsMolecular BiologyGene ExpressionHeat TransferMicrobial GeneticsHeat AdaptationHeat StressHeat Stress PhysiologyHeat Stress ToleranceCell Death Under Heat StressCellular Heat Shock ResponseHeat Shock FactorsHeat Shock Protein GenesHeat Shock ResponseHeat Shock Response GenesHeat Stress Response GenesTemperature-sensitive Mutants
A heat shock protein gene, HSP104, was isolated from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and a deletion mutation was introduced into yeast cells. Mutant cells grew at the same rate as wild-type cells and died at the same rate when exposed directly to high temperatures. However, when given a mild pre-heat treatment, the mutant cells did not acquire tolerance to heat, as did wild-type cells. Transformation with the wild-type gene rescued the defect of mutant cells. The results demonstrate that a particular heat shock protein plays a critical role in cell survival at extreme temperatures.
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