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Exercising mammals synthesize stress proteins.
M Locke1, E G Noble, B G Atkinson
1Faculty of Physical Education, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
The American Journal of Physiology
|April 1, 1990
Summary
Exercise triggers the synthesis of heat shock proteins in rat tissues. This study reveals that running, even for short durations, activates cellular stress responses similar to heat shock.
Area of Science:
- Physiology
- Molecular Biology
- Exercise Science
Background:
- Cellular stress responses, such as heat shock, induce the synthesis of specific proteins.
- The role of exercise as a physiological stressor and its impact on protein synthesis is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether exercise induces the synthesis of heat shock proteins in mammalian tissues.
- To compare the protein synthesis response to exercise with the response to heat shock.
Main Methods:
- Male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent treadmill exercise of varying durations or were kept as controls.
- Spleen cells, peripheral lymphocytes, and soleus muscles were isolated and labeled with [35S]methionine in vitro.
- Proteins were analyzed using one- and two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and fluorography.
Main Results:
- Exercise induced the synthesis of specific proteins (65, 72, 90, and 100 kDa) in rat tissues.
- These exercise-induced proteins corresponded in molecular weight and isoelectric point to known heat shock proteins.
- Control tissues exposed to heat shock (43°C) showed prominent synthesis of these same proteins.
Conclusions:
- Exercise acts as a sufficient stimulus to induce or enhance the synthesis of heat shock and/or stress proteins in mammalian cells and tissues.
- These findings suggest a conserved cellular stress response pathway activated by both exercise and heat shock.