Cell Stress and Chaperones

, Volume 16, Issue 5, pp 565–572 | Cite as

Transcription of the Hsp30, Hsp70, and Hsp90 heat shock protein genes is modulated by the PalA protein in response to acid pH-sensing in the fungus Aspergillus nidulans

  • Janaína S. Freitas
  • Emiliana M. Silva
  • Juliana Leal
  • Diana E. Gras
  • Nilce M. Martinez-Rossi
  • Lucilene Delazari dos Santos
  • Mario S. Palma
  • Antonio Rossi
Short Communication
First Online:
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:

Abstract

Heat shock proteins are molecular chaperones linked to a myriad of physiological functions in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. In this study, we show that the Aspergillus nidulans hsp30 (ANID_03555.1), hsp70 (ANID_05129.1), and hsp90 (ANID_08269.1) genes are preferentially expressed in an acidic milieu, whose expression is dependent on the palA + background under optimal temperature for fungal growth. Heat shock induction of these three hsp genes showed different patterns in response to extracellular pH changes in the palA+ background. However, their accumulation upon heating for 2 h was almost unaffected by ambient pH changes in the palA − background. The PalA protein is a member of a conserved signaling cascade that is involved in the pH-mediated regulation of gene expression. Moreover, we identified several genes whose expression at pH 5.0 is also dependent on the palA + background. These results reveal novel aspects of the heat- and pH-sensing networks of A. nidulans.

Keywords

Aspergillus nidulans pH sensing pal signaling pathway HSP 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the Brazilian funding agencies FAPESP, CNPq, CAPES, and FAEPA. We thank P.R Sanches, C.A. Vieira, M. Mazucato, and V.D. Galban for skilled technical assistance, and two anonymous referees for their helpful comments on the manuscript.

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Copyright information

© Cell Stress Society International 2011

Authors and Affiliations

  • Janaína S. Freitas
    • 1
  • Emiliana M. Silva
    • 1
  • Juliana Leal
    • 2
  • Diana E. Gras
    • 2
  • Nilce M. Martinez-Rossi
    • 2
  • Lucilene Delazari dos Santos
    • 3
  • Mario S. Palma
    • 3
  • Antonio Rossi
    • 1
  1. 1.Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão PretoUniversidade de São PauloRibeirão PretoBrazil
  2. 2.Departamento de Genética, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão PretoUniversidade de São PauloRibeirão PretoBrazil
  3. 3.Centro de Estudos de Insetos Sociais, Departamento de Biologia, Instituto de BiociênciasUniversidade Estadual PaulistaRio ClaroBrazil

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