Modulation of macrophage heat shock proteins (HSPs) expression in response to intracellular infection by virulent and avirulent strains of Leishmania donovani

We have examined the differential expression of heat shock proteins of murine macrophage-like cell line J774.G8 following infection with Leishmania donovani. In response to infection with virulent promastigotes, the up-regulation of HSP70 and 90 and a selective down-regulation of HSP60 was observed using monoclonal antibodies specific for host HSPs. However, infection with avirulent strain failed to alter the expression of host HSPs. The maximum alterations in HSPs expression were noted at 18h post infection, a time period which coincided with the transformation of parasite from promastigote to the amastigote form. Data indicates that host HSPs may play a role in parasite differentiation/survival during infection with L. donovani.