1. Role of heat shock proteins in aging
A&S Jim Lund

2. Stress resistance genes
Antioxidant proteins.
SOD, catalase, GSH, thioreductin
Heat shock proteins.
HSPs, HSP16s, HSP70s
Innate and acquired immunity genes.
Antibacterial, antifungal

3. Heat shock proteins
Initially discovered in Drosophila as proteins induced in response to culturing flies at high temperatures.
(Ashburner and Bonner, 1978)
Now known to be ubiquitous.
Bacteria, vertebrates, plants.

4. Heat shock proteins Induced in response to many stressors.
Heavy metals
Oxidative stress
Also called HSPs, cellular stress proteins and molecular chaperones.

5. Heat shock protein function
Chaperones: help newly synthesized proteins fold.
Protect proteins from cellular stresses that can cause unfolding and aggregation.
Target proteins to degradation, prevent and clean up protein aggregates.

6. Cellular roles of HSPs Macario el al., 2005
Translation of messenger RNA (mRNA) occurs on the ribosome (1). Folding of the nascent polypeptide begins, assisted by chaperones (2). The polypeptide proceeds to post-translational folding (3). The new protein is correctly folded into its tertiary structure (4). Some proteins are translocated into organelles, such as mitochondria (5). Unfolded and misfolded polypeptides aggrgate (6) and precipitate in an inclusion body (7). Unfolded or partially folded polypeptides are freed from the aggregates by chaperones (8) and refolded (4) or degraded in the proteasome (9). Red arrows denote the pathway toward folding. The black dashed arrow denotes the pathway toward unfolding and aggregation initiated by cell stressors. The green arrow denotes the pathway toward degradation. The pathway from step 8 to step 4 is very active in protein-misfolding disorders and offers a convenient target for devising therapeutic strategies based on the administration of chaperones or chaperone genes.
Macario el al., 2005

7. HSP complexes
Macario el al., 2005

8. Heat shock protein function
Present normally in cells.
Stress increases levels of unfolded proteins, makes aggregates more likely to form.
Stress increases levels of HSPs.
Both transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms.
Total levels of protein synthesis in the cell inhibited by stress.

9. HSP response to stress
Verbeke et al., 2001

10. Heat shock induction declines with age
Cells in young animals rapidly alter levels of HSPs.
Older animals lose the ability to induce HSPs and other stress response proteins.
Observed in yeast, worms, flies, and mouse and human cell lines.

11. Transcriptional control of HSPs
Heat shock factors (HSF)
Major transcription factors responsible for stress-induced HSP expression
HSF1 and HSF4 (hsf-1 in C. elegans)
Responsible for stress-induced HSP expression.
HSF2 responsible for developmental regulation of heat shock proteins.
HSF3, avian specific.
HSF1 is the best studied HSF.

12. HSF functions Pirkkala et al., 2001
Figure 4. Model of differential HSF functions. Environmental stressors and dysfunctions in the ubiquitin–proteasome pathway induce accumulation of aberrant and short-lived proteins, which in turn leads to dissociation of HSF1/Hsp complexes and activation of HSF1. Activation of the heat shock response ultimately leads to synthesis of Hsps, thereby forming a negative feedback loop for attenuation of the stress response. Note that the details of the heat-induced pathway, which culminates in activation of HSF3, are still unclear, as are the mechanisms by which avian HSF1 and HSF3 cooperate under severe stress. Beyond the heat shock response, HSF3 cooperates with c-Myb to ensure an adequate supply for Hsps, an enhanced need for which is observed during the cell cycle progression. Binding of p53 to HSF3 disrupts the HSF3-c-Myb interaction leading to ubiquitin-mediated degradation of c-Myb and down-regulation of Hsp expression. HSF2 is activated under certain developmental conditions and upon erythroid differentiation of K562 cells. During megakaryocytic differentiation, HSF2 expression is down-regulated in K562 cells. The HSF2-ß isoform is able to inhibit erythroid differentiation and accumulation of HSF2, as well as transcriptional activation of the HSF2 targets, i.e., the heat shock genes. Moreover, both HSF1 and HSF2 are likely to have additional target genes. The stimuli responsible for activation of HSF4 are uncharacterized, but the in vitro evidence points to opposite roles for the two HSF4 isoforms in regulation of the heat shock genes.
Pirkkala et al., 2001

13. Induction of HSP70 in hepatocytes
Heydari, et al., 2000

14. Age-related changes in HSF1
In rat hepatocytes, the regulation of HSF70 by HSF1 was studied.
HSF1 induces HSP70 in cells from young rats, but HSP70 is only weakly induced in cells from old rats.
HSF1 loses ability to bind the HSP70 promoter in old cells.
HSF1 undergoes post-transcription modification that alters promoter binding.

15. HSP overexpression can extend lifespan
Hsp22 (a mitochondrial HSP) overexpression can extend lifespan in Drosophila.
Ubiquitous or targeted expression in motorneurons: 30% lifespan extension.
(Kurapati et al., 2000)
Drosophila lines selected for longevity.
Hsp22 2X - 10X higher expression relative to control outbred lines.
Hsp23 also significantly overexpressed.
(Kurapati et al., 2004)

16. Mitochondrial HSPs Overexpression of HSPs in mitochondria.
Decreases production of free radicals.
Increases mitochondrial efficiency.
May be a mechanism by which HSP overexpression leads to longevity.

17. HSP overexpression can extend lifespan
HSP16 in the worm is not expressed in young worms, but expressed in old (16+ days old) worms.
Overexpression of HSP16 extends lifespan.
Depends on DAF-16.
Thermotolerance also increased.
Walker and Lithgow 2003

18. Thermotolerance is increased in C. elegans Daf mutants

19. DAF-16 and HSPs
HSP70 and HSP90 expression is also dependent on DAF-16 (Forkhead family transcription factor) expression.
Munox et al., 2003

20. HSP16 transgenics: +15% lifespan

21. HSF-1 expression affects lifespan
C. elegans hsf-1 knockout has reduced lifespan.
hsp-1 overexpression extends lifespan.
Recall daf-2 has a long lifespan. hsf-1 is required for daf-2 long lifespan.
Hsu et al., 2003

22. HSP and protein aggregation
Protein aggregate formation is involved in the development of neurogenerative disease.
-amyloid, tau,and polyglutamine protein aggregate formation is slowed by HSPs
Overexpression of HSPs delayed aggregate formation.
hsf-1 overexpression in C. elegans delays formation of polyglutamine protein aggregates (Hsu et al., 2003).

23. HSF transcription response
Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) combined with DNA microarrays was used to identify direct trascriptional targets of HSF in yeast.
3% of yeast genes identified as targets:
Protein folding and degradation
Energy generation
Protein trafficking
Maintenance of cell integrity
Small molecule transport
Cell signaling
Transcription

24. HSF activated genes
Hahn et al., 2004

25. HSF activated genes are stress induced
Hahn et al., 2004