HEAT SHOCK PROTEINS OF FRESHWATER PROTISTS AND THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN ADAPTATION TO CHANGES IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL
SALINITY
A. Yu. Plekhanov,1 A. O. Smurov,2, 3 Yu. I. Podlipaeva,4
L. O. Ivanova,3 A. V. Goodkov 3, 4
1 St. Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute RAS, 2 Zoological Institute RAS,
3 Biological Research Institute, St. Petersburg State University, and
4 Institute of Cytology RAS, St. Petersburg;
e-mail: pelgood@rambler.ru
Changes in the level of heat shock proteins (HSP) in cells of freshwater protists, amoebae Amoeba proteus
and ciliates Paramecium jenningsi, in response to changes in the environmental salinity were investigated.
Changes in salinity levels were considered as a stress factor. The immunoblotting method revealed a polypeptide
antigen cross-reacting with antibodies against bovine HSP70 in total protein extracts of both intact cells and cells
subjected to salinity stress. The same polypeptide antigen was revealed in A. proteus cells subjected to heat shock.
Therefore, it may be supposed that the polypeptide revealed after salinity shock is a heat shock protein related to
the vertebrate HSP70. Under the impact of stress factor, well acclimated protists mostly spend their own previously
accumulated HSP70. A conclusion is made that freshwater protists, living under conditions of increased salinity,
appear to be preadapted to changes in environmental factors.
Key words: salinity adaptation, freshwater protists, Amoeba proteus, Paramecium jenningsi,
heat shock proteins
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