The effects of rubella virus R16 infection on heat shock protein 70 and heat shock transcription factor 4 in the human embryonic lens epithelial cells in vitro / 复旦学报（医学版）

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the effects of rubella virus R16 infection on heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) and heat shock transcription factor 4 (HSF4) in the human embryonic lens epithelial cells in vitro. Methods The human embryonic lens epithelial cells were infected by rubella virus R16 for 3, 7 and 14 days respectively in vitro. Then the mRNA levels of HSP70 and HSF4 were measured by Real-time PCR assays, the HSP70 protein level was detected by Western blot assay, and the DNA sequence of HSF4 was also identified by DNA Sequencing. Results Both mRNA and protein levels of HSP70 were increased dramatically at 3 and 7 days after rubella virus R16 infection in vitro. But mRNA levels of HSF4 were decreased significantly. The DNA sequence of HSF4 had no change in the human embryonic lens epithelial cells at 14 d after rubella virus R16 infection. Conclusions Rubella virus R16 could directly induce the increased expression of HSP70 in the human embryonic lens epithelial cells infected by rubella virus R16 in vitro, which may prevent human embryonic lens epithelial cells from infecting with virus. The heat shock transcription factor may serve as a negative regulator at transcription level. However, the DNA sequence of HSF4 had no change in the human embryonic lens epithelial cells within 14 days after rubella virus R16 infection.