Characterization of plant p23-like proteins for their co-chaperone activities

The small acidic protein p23 is best described as a co-chaperone of Hsp90, an essential molecular chaperone in eukaryotes. p23 binds to the ATP-bound form of Hsp90 and stabilizes the Hsp90-client protein complex by slowing down ATP turnover. The stabilizing activity of p23 was first characterized in studies of steroid receptor-Hsp90 complexes. Earlier studies of the Hsp90 chaperone complex in plants suggested that a p23-like stabilizing activity was absent in plant cell lysates. Here, we show that p23-like proteins are present in plants and are capable of binding Hsp90, but unlike human p23 and yeast ortholog Sba1, the plant p23-like proteins do not stabilize the steroid receptor-Hsp90 complexes formed in wheat germ lysate. Furthermore, these proteins do not inhibit the ATPase activity of plant Hsp90. While transcripts of Arabidopsis thaliana p23-1 and Atp23-2 were detected under normal growing conditions, those of the closely related Brassica napus p23-1 were present only after moderate heat stress. These observations suggest that p23-like proteins in plants are conserved in their binding to Hsp90 but have evolved mechanisms of action different from their yeast and animal counterparts.