The heat response of hydrocortisone receptors

The sensitivity of hydrocortisone (HC) receptors to heat damage has been measured in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The impetus for the study came from three observations: A. Hormone receptors (e.g. insulin) are very heat sensitizer and may be a primary target for heat damage (BBA 756, 1 (1983)). B. HC induces a receptor-mediated heat resistance in CHO cells (J. Cell. Physiol. 128, 127 (1986)). C. The HC receptor is a soluble protein complex, which, in its unactivated state, contains HSP 89 (EMBO J. 4, 3131 (1985); JBC 260 12398 (1985)). Upon binding of the ligand, HSP 89 dissociates and the activated receptor enters the nucleus and binds DNA. The current study reveals that the HC receptor is also very heat sensitive, losing 50% of its activity after 5 min at 450C, 10 min at 440C or 20 min at 430C. Receptor activity recovers quickly after heat, returning to levels close to normal within 2-4 hours after a treatment of 10 min at 450C which initially reduces receptor activity to less than 20% of control. Pretreatment with HC, using conditions that induce heat resistance, depresses receptor activity to 10-20% of control, but residual receptors display a heat sensitivity similar to that of control cells. So far, the authors have been unable to demonstrate any heat protection of HC receptors in thermotolerant cells