AbstractIn this report we show that: (1) molecular chaperones in the heat shock protein (hsp) family are a new class of cellular proteins induced by Transforming Growth Factor‐β1 (TGFβ), a cytokine present in serum, (2) rapid induction of Hsc70 precedes a general increase in protein synthesis and may be a preparatory event, (3) TGFβ is a potent regulator of overall protein synthesis in chicken embryo cells (CEC), and (4) isoforms of Hsp90 with different biochemical properties exist, raising the possibility that they may have different functions. TGFβ can substitute for serum in stimulating synthesis of members of the Hsp90 and Hsp70 families of stress proteins, whereas other cytokines, including PDGF, FGF, and EGF, were not effective nor did they enhance the stimulatory effect of TGFβ on the hsp's. Analysis of the induction of hsp's using one‐and two‐dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis indicated that members of the Hsp70 family of molecular chaperones were induced rapidly by TGFβ, reaching maximum rates of accumulation by 5 hours of treatment. Total protein synthesis increased more slowly, undergoing an ∼twofold increase in 24 hours. Using a modified protocol for two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis, the Hsp90 protein family was separated into four isoelectric forms, two of which were phosphorylated (Hsp90‐2 and ‐4). These phosphorylated isoforms turned over faster than the unphosphorylated forms of Hsp90. All four isoforms were heat inducible, but only Hsp90‐2 and ‐3 were induced rapidly by TGFβ, again within 5 hours of treatment. The effects of serum on these protein families were similar to those of TGFβ, suggesting that this cytokine may be the serum component primarily responsible for up‐regulating members of the Hsp90 and Hsp70 families. We hypothesize that cells rapidly increase their chaperoning capacity for newly synthesized polypeptides in preparation for an increase in the rate of synthesis of proteins up‐regulated by
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