Open AccessDo heat shock proteins provide protection against freezing?
Author(s) -
Komatsu Yasahiko,
Kaul Sunil C.,
Iwahashi Hitoshi,
Obuchi Kaoru
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1990.tb03881.x
Subject(s) - cycloheximide , viability assay , liquid nitrogen , heat shock protein , yeast , gel electrophoresis , chemistry , polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis , shock (circulatory) , microbiology and biotechnology , cell , biophysics , biochemistry , protein biosynthesis , biology , enzyme , medicine , gene , organic chemistry
Yeast cells were frozen by plunging directly into liquid nitrogen (LN 2 ) after exposure at 43°C. Both the cells frozen without prior exposure to heat shock and those treated with cycloheximide showed almost 100% loss of viability during freezing and thawing. Heat exposure prior to freezing and thawing significantly increased the cell viability. This increase in cell viability was associated with the induction of heat shock protein synthesis, which was detected by gel electrophoresis. This protein may act by stabilizing the macromolecules and by increasing the hydrophobic interactions.