Expression of Heat Shock Protein HspA2 in Human Tissues.

Son,  W Y; Hwang,  S H; Han,  C T; Lee,  J H; Choi,  Y J; Kim,  S; Kim,  Y C

Original Article

Korean Journal of Fertility and Sterility 1999;26(2):225-230.
Published online January 1, 2001.

Expression of Heat Shock Protein HspA2 in Human Tissues.

W Y Son, S H Hwang, C T Han, J H Lee, Y J Choi, S Kim, Y C Kim

Abstract

In mouse, the heat shock protein 70-2 (hsp70-2) is found to have special function in spermatogenesis. Based on the observation, the hypothesis that human hspA2 (human gene; 98.2% amino acid homology with hsp70-2) might have important function in spermatogenesis in human testes was proposed. To test the hypothesis, we examined the expression of hspA2 in human tissues. Expression vector pDMC4 for expression of the human hspA2 protein using pTricHisB (invitrogen, USA) was constructed and the expressed hspA2 protein was cross-reacted with antiserum 2A raised against mouse hsp70-2 protein. Based on the cross-reactivity, we determined the expression level of hspA2 protein in human tissues by western blot analysis using the antiserum 2A. We demonstrated that antiserum 2A antibodies detected human hspA2 protein with specificity which was produced in the E. coli expression system. On Western blot analyses, significant hspA2 expression was observed in testes with normal spermatogenesis, whereas a low level of hspA2 was expressed in testis with Sertoli-cell only syndrome. Also, a small amount of hspA2 was detected in breast, stomach, prostate, colon, liver, ovary, and epididymis. These results demonstrate that the hspA2 protein is highly expressed in male specific germ cells, which in turn suggests that hspA2 protein might play a specific role during meiosis in human testes as suggested in the murine model. However, further studies should be attempted to determine the function of hspA2 protein in human spermatogenesis.