cDNA cloning and expression of stress-inducible rat hsp70 in normal and injured rat brain.

A reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) product obtained from ischemic rat brain RNA was used to screen a rat ischemic forebrain cDNA library for a cDNA clone containing the entire open reading frame for the inducible hsp70. The coding sequence for the rat hsp70 cDNA demonstrated significant similarities with the human hsp70 of Hunt and Morimoto (Proc Natl Acad Sci 82:6455-6459, 1985) and the mouse hsp70 of Hunt and Calderwood (Gene 87:199-204, 1990). The rat inducible hsp70 and constitutive hsc73 sequences are distinct. There was a low level of hsp70 mRNA expression in normal rat brain as in found in other tissues. hsp70 mRNA was markedly induced in rat brain 8 hours following global ischemia and kainic acid-induced seizures. Northern blots showed a approximately 2.9kb hsp70 mRNA band from control, kainic acid, and ischemic brains. RT-PCR confirmed the presence of hsp70 mRNA in normal rat brain. Since there are at least five human and six mouse inducible hsp70 genes known, many other rat hsp70 genes probably exist that could function in different cells or organelles or be induced under different circumstances.