Heat shock response in mycoplasmas, genome-limited organisms

We have measured the effect of heat shock on three mycoplasmas (Acholeplasma laidlawii K2 and JA1 and Mycoplasma capricolum Kid) and demonstrated the induction of mycoplasma heat shock proteins under these conditions. Increased synthesis of at least 5 heat shock proteins in A. laidlawii K2, 11 heat shock proteins in A. laidlawii JA1, and 7 heat shock proteins in M. capricolum was observed by electrophoretic analysis of proteins from heat-shocked cells in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels. In all three strains, major heat shock proteins (66 to 68 and 26 to 29 kilodaltons [kDa]) were found. The 66- to 68-kDa protein cross-reacted with antibody to Escherichia coli DnaK protein, suggesting that this heat shock protein has been conserved in spite of major reductions in genetic complexity during mycoplasma evolution. A. laidlawii also contained a 60-kDa protein that cross-reacted with eubacterial GroEL protein and a 40-kDa protein that cross-reacted with E. coli RecA protein. Unlike with coliphages, the mycoplasma virus L2 progeny yield was not increased when virus was plated on heat-shocked A. laidlawii host cells. However, UV-irradiated L2 virus could be host cell reactivated by both A. laidlawii SOS repair and heat shock systems.