Higher plant heat-shock protein 70: Purification and immunochemical analysis: Purification and immunochemical analysis

Following a short-term (6 hr) heat shock, increased levels of cotton root heat shock proteins could be detected in silver-stained electrophoresis gels. One of these proteins, hsp 70, was purified from cotton and mung bean. The hsp 70 group from each species consisted of more than 20 isoforms, mostly within a pI range of 5.3-5.6 and aMr range of 67 000-72 000. Polyclonal antibodies to hsp 70 from one species cross-reacted strongly with antigen from the other and to hsp 70 in wheat extracts. Immunochemical analysis of whole cell extracts indicated relatively high levels of hsp 70 in non-heat-shocked cotton and wheat. These levels were increased following heat shock, the increase being more pronounced in wheat than in cotton. Preliminary data indicate that our cotton samples constitutively express high levels of hsp 70 as well as the lowMr hsps.