Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Escherichia coli -Based Complementation Assay to Study the Chaperone Function of Heat Shock Protein 70
Published on: March 8, 2024
The temperature activated HtrA protease from pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis acts as both a chaperone and protease at
Wilhelmina M Huston1, Joaquim E Swedberg, Jonathan M Harris
1Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation and School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
Abstract:
Characterization of the protease, HtrA, from pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis is presented. The purified recombinant protein was a serine endoprotease, specific for unfolded proteins, and temperature activated above 34 degrees C. Chaperone activity was observed, although this appeared target-dependent. Inactive protease (S247A) was able to chaperone insulin B-chain, irrespective of temperature, but at 30 degrees C only HtrA and not S247A displayed significant chaperone activity for alpha-lactalbumin. These data demonstrate that chaperone activity may involve functional protease domain and that C. trachomatis HtrA functions as both a chaperone and protease at 37 degrees C. These properties are consistent with the developmental cycle of this obligate intracellular bacterium.
Related Concept Videos
Diversity of Archaea IV
Molecular Chaperones and Protein Folding
The...
Bacterial Protein Maturation
Bacterial Phylum Chlamydiae
Factors Influencing Microbial Growth: Temperature
Hyperthermophilic Bacteria

