Transcription of heat shock gene loci versus non-heat shock loci in Chironomus polytene chromosomes: evidence for heat-induced formation of novel putative ribonucleoprotein particles (hsRNPs) in the major heat shock puffs.

The heat shock response of Chironomus polytene chromosomes was reexamined. The in vivo effects of heat shock on chromosomal [3H]uridine labeling, RNA polymerase II distribution and ribonucleoprotein (RNP) formation were investigated. One primary result is a clarification of the number and location of chromosomal sites strongly induced by treatment at 37 degrees C for 60 min. In total, seven major heat shock loci were identified by transcription autoradiography in Chironomus tentans: I-20A, II-16B, II-10C, II-4B, II-1C, III-12B, and IV-5C. Secondly, combining immunofluorescence with transcription autoradiography, I find RNA polymerase II occurring after heat shock at multiple chromosomal sites that were also active under normal conditions (20 degrees C). Furthermore, the results demonstrate conclusively that the presence of RNA polymerase II at heat shock and non-heat shock loci is generally correlated with [3H]uridine labeling during heat shock. These latter results extend and corroborate previous findings. Thirdly, the most striking result of this study was revealed in ultrathin sections of puffs by electron microscopy: I discerned a site-specific ultrastructural difference in putative RNP particles between heat shock versus non-heat shock loci. At least three of the seven induced major heat shock puffs (I-20A, III-12B, IV-5C) were observed to contain globular particles that were different, i.e. significantly larger, 250-1,000 A in diameter with a prominent 500-750 A class, than RNP particles of other loci under non-heat shock conditions. These large heat shock puff particles presumably represent nascent or newly synthesized heat shock RNA associated with protein(s) to form heat shock RNPs (hsRNPs). This finding suggests the possible involvement of novel RNPs (hsRNPs) in transcriptional regulation or heat shock RNA turnover and may stimulate further molecular investigations on this subject in both cell physiological and structural terms. I conclude that the locus-specific putative hsRNPs are an intrinsic property of greatly increased heat shock gene transcription.