Characterization of the Mouse 84-kD Heat Shock Protein Gene Family

The nucleotide sequence of a 6-kb region containing the gene for mouse 84-kD heat shock protein, HSP84, was determined. The hsp84 gene codes for a 5,500-base transcript and consists of 11 exons and 10 introns, ranging in length from 94 to 357 bp and 85 to 1,271 bp, respectively. One of the exons codes for a stretch of highly charged amino acids with two known phosphorylation sites. The presence of numerous introns in the hsp84 gene suggests that synthesis of the HSP84 protein would be precluded during severe heat shock, since such conditions interfere with splicing. The first intron, which is the largest, is located at the exact boundary between the 5′-unslated region and the coding region and contains a sequence homologous to the heat shock element (HSE), an enhancer that is a characteristic feature of heat-inducible genes. A 71% homology was found between a 569-bp stretch within the first intron of the hsp84 gene, which includes the HSE-like sequence, and a portion of the first intron of the previously reported sequence of the human hsp89β gene. The promoter region of the hsp84 gene contained G + C-rich upstream sequences, potential binding sites for transcription factor Spl, and a canonical TATA box. The hsp84 gene family includes at least six different hsp84-related pseudogenes, which arose about 2–3 million years ago.