A heat shock transcription factor in pea is differentially controlled by heat and virus replication.

Since some heat-inducible genes [heat shock (hs) genes] can be induced by virus infection in pea [e.g. Hsp70; Aranda et al. 1996, Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 93, 15289-15293], we have investigated the effect that heat and virus replication may have on the expression of a heat-shock transcription factor gene (Hsf). We have characterized what appears to be the only member of the Hsf family in pea, PsHsfA. Similar to Hsp70, PsHsfA is heat-inducible in vegetative and embryonic tissues, which is concordant with the presence of heat shock elements (HSEs) and stress responsive elements (STREs) on its promoter sequence. The expression of PsHsfA during virus replication was studied in pea cotyledons and leaves, and compared to that of Hsp70. In situ hybridization experiments showed that whereas Hsp70 is induced, there is no detectable increased accumulation of PsHsfA RNA associated with the replication of pea seed-borne mosaic potyvirus (PSbMV). These experiments indicate that there is a selective control of virus-induced hs gene expression, and suggest that different regulatory pathways control hs gene expression during heat shock and virus replication.