A Novel Heat Shock Transcription Factor Family in Entamoeba histolytica

The HSTF is a master molecule involved in the transcriptional control of several genes during different types of stress. This transcription factor is a very conserved protein identified in different organisms from bacterial to human. Entamoeba histolytica is the protozoan responsible for the human amoebiasis. This parasite is exposed to different kind of stress as changes in the pH, temperature, drugs, all that situations in where the parasite needs survive. Here we identified and isolated a novel gene family of HSTFs in the protozoan parasite E. histolytica. Three members that we called Ehhstf1, Ehhstf2 and Ehhstf3 compose this family. Amino acid alignments and domain architecture analysis revealed that the EhHSTFs presents a conserved DNA-binding domain composed of approximately 25 residues. Interestingly this domain is shorter than the domain of the human, mouse and yeast HSTFs. Heterologous antibodies recognized four peptides of 73, 66, 47 and 23 kDa in total extracts from trophozoites growth under normal conditions. The 73, 47 and 23 kDa peptides increased their intensity when the cells were growth at 42°C by 2 h. All results together demonstrate that the amoeba present HSTFs, which may be, controlled the gene expression of this parasite under different stress situations.