Hsp70 family proteins seem to facilitate allo- and xenotransplantation in the rat brain.

Drosophila neuroectodermal embryonic cells were transplanted into the occipital brain region of adult rats. The first series of experiments used a transgenic strain expressing lacZ to detect the presence of Drosophila cells. The second series used a strain carrying a is lethal (ts403) in the X chromosome; this mutation strongly inhibits the synthesis of heat shock proteins (hsps) and their transport into the nuclei. Immunostaining reveals a strong induction of hsp70 in the xenografts in the first series of experiments, in which no glial scar was detectable. By contrast, where the ts mutation was xenotransplanted, the condition of xenografts was worse, and a glial scar was readily evident between the xenograft and host tissue.