Heat shock and stress response in Giardia lamblia

The heat shock response was studied as a model for control of gene expression and protein synthesis in Giardia lamblia. Cultured trophozoites were metabolically labelled with [35S]methionine, and proteins were analysed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and fluorography. A temperature shift from 37 degrees C to 43 degrees C resulted in the depression of normal protein synthesis, and the enhanced synthesis of four major heat shock proteins of 100, 83, 70 and 30 kDa. This response resembles that seen in other organisms of wide phylogenetic diversity. An examination of the kinetics of induction and recovery from heat shock suggests that the individual heat shock proteins are independently regulated. In vitro translation of messenger RNA isolated from heat shocked cells further indicates that regulation occurs at both transcriptional and translational levels. The response of G. lamblia to other stresses including cysteine deprivation, exposure to oxygen, ethanol, hydrogen peroxide, and the chemotherapeutic drugs metronidazole and quinacrine was also investigated. The induction of two or more of the heat shock proteins was generally observed; however, certain treatments inhibited synthesis of all proteins including heat shock proteins.