John J. Heikkila

Canada Research Chair of Stress Protein Gene Research

Bachelor of Science (BSc), Master of Science (MSc), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Toronto

Email: heikkila@uwaterloo.ca

Telephone: (519) 888-4567 ext. 33076

Office: Biology 2 360A

Research interests

The use of recombinant DNA methodology to examine the molecular response of amphibian embryos and tissue culture cells to environmental stress. Isolation and cloning of heat shock or stress protein genes. Analysis of the regulation of gene expression and the function of molecular chaperones.

Selected publications

• Brunt, J.J., Khan, S., Heikkila, J.J. 2012. Sodium arsenite and cadmium chloride induction of proteasomal inhibition and heat shock protein accumulation in Xenopus laevis A6 kidney epithelial cells. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology C. Toxicology and Pharmacology  155, 307-317
• Vasefi, M.S., Kruk, J.S., Liu, H., Heikkila, J.J. and Beazley, M.A. 2012. Activation of 5-HT7 receptors increases neuronal platelet-derived growth factor 1/4 receptor expression. Neurosci. Lett. 511, 65-69.
• Khan, S. and Heikkila, J.J. 2011. Curcumin-induced inhibition of proteasomal activity, enhanced HSP accumulation and the acquisition of thermotolerance in Xenopus laevis A6 cells. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A. 158: 566-576.
• Duan, J., Heikkila, J.J. and Glick, B.R. 2010. Sequencing a bacterial genome: an overview. Current Research, Technology and Education Topics in Applied Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology. A. Mendez-Vilas (Ed.) Vol. 2, Formatex Research Center p1443-1451.
• Walcott, S.E. and Heikkila, J.J. 2010. Celastrol can inhibit proteasome activity and upregulate the expression of heat shock protein genes, hsp30 and hsp70, in Xenopus laevis A6 cells. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A. 156, 285-293.
• Heikkila, J.J. 2010. Heat shock protein gene expression and function in amphibian model systems. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A. 156, 19-33.
• Young, J.T.F. and Heikkila, J.J. 2010. Proteasome inhibition induces hsp30 and hsp70 gene expression as well as the acquisition of thermotolerance in Xenopus laevis A6 cells. Cell Stress and Chaperones 15, 323-334.
• Young, J.T.F., Gauley, J., Heikkila, J.J. 2009. Simultaneous exposure of Xenopus A6 kidney epithelial cells to concurrent mild sodium arsenite and heat stress results in enhanced hsp30 and hsp70 gene expression and the acquisition of thermotolerance. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A 153: 417-423.
• Woolfson, J. and Heikkila, J.J. 2009. Examination of cadmium-induced expression of the small heat shock protein gene, hsp30, in Xenopus laevis A6 kidney epithelial cells. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A 152: 91-99.
• Gauley, J., Young, J.T.F., Heikkila, J.J. 2008. Intracellular localization of the heat shock protein, HSP110, in Xenopus laevis A6 kidney epithelial cells. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A 151: 133-138.
• Voyer, J. and Heikkila, J.J. 2008. Comparison of the effect of heat shock factor inhibitor, KNK437, on heat shock- and chemical stress-induced hsp30 gene expression in Xenopus laevis A6 cells. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A 151: 253-261.
• Benton, C.R., Nickerson, J.G., Lally, J., Han, X.X., Holloway, G.P., Glatz, J.F., Luiken, J.J., Graham, T.E., Heikkila, J.J. and Bonen, A. 2008. Modest PGC-1 alpha overexpression in muscle in vivo is sufficient to increase insulin sensitivity and palmitate oxidation in SS, not IMF, mitochondria. Journal of Biological Chemistry 283: 4228-4240.
• Manwell, L. and Heikkila, J.J. 2007. Examination of KNK437- and quercetin-mediated inhibition of heat shock-induced heat shock protein gene expression in Xenopus laevis cultured cells. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A 148: 521-530.
• Mulligan-Tuttle, A. and Heikkila, J.J. 2007. Expression of the small heat shock protein, hsp30, in the Rana catesbeiana fibroblasts. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A 148: 308-316.
• Heikkila, J.J., Kaldis, A., Morrow, G., and Tanguay, R.M. 2007. The use of the Xenopus oocyte as a model system to analyze the expression and function of eukaryotic heat shock proteins. Biotechnology Advances 25: 385-395.
• Mulligan-Tuttle, A., Gauley, J., Chan, N., Heikkila, J.J. 2007. Analysis of Xenopus laevis HSP27, a homolog of human small heat shock protein HSP27. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 147: 112-121.
• Heikkila, J.J., Kaldis, A., and Abdulle, R. 2006. Use of Xenopus oocytes to monitor molecular chaperone activity. Methods in Molecular Biology 322: 213-222.
• Morrow, G., Heikkila, J.J. Tanguay, R.M. 2006. Differences in the chaperone-like activities of the four main small heat shock proteins of Drosophila melanogaster. Cell Stress and Chaperones 11: 51-60.
• Hamilton, A. and Heikkila, J.J. 2006. Examination of the stress-induced expression of the collagen binding heat shock protein, hsp47, in Xenopus laevis cultured cells and embryos. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 143: 133-141.
• Benton, C.R, Koonen, D.P.Y., Calles-Escandon, J., Tandon, N.N., Glatz, J.F.C., Luiken, J.J.F.P., Heikkila J.J., Bonen, A. 2006. The differential effects of muscle contraction and PPARa and b agonists on the expression of fatty acid transporters in rat skeletal muscle. Journal of Physiology 573: 199-210.
• Gauley, J. and Heikkila, J.J. 2006. Hsp110 gene expression in Xenopus A6 cells and embryos. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 145: 225-234.
• Semple, J.W., Da-Silva, L.F., Jervis, E., Al-Attar, H., Kummer, L., Heikkila, J.J., Pasero, P. and Duncker, B.P. 2006. An essential role for Orc6 in DNA replication through maintenance of pre-replicative complexes. EMBO J. 25: 5150-5158.
• Gellalchew, M. and Heikkila, J.J. 2005. Intracellular localization of Xenopus small heat shock protein, hsp30, in A6 kidney epithelial cells. Cell Biology International 29: 221-227.
• Kaldis, A., Atkinson, B.G. and Heikkila, J.J. 2004. Molecular chaperone function of the Rana catesbeiana small heat shock protein, hsp30. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 139: 175-182.
• Heikkila, J.J. 2004. Regulation and function of small heat shock protein genes during amphibian development. J. Cellular Biochemistry 93: 672-680.
• Muller, M., Gauley, J., and Heikkila, J. J. 2004. Hydrogen peroxide induces heat shock protein and proto-oncogene mRNA accumulation in Xenopus laevis A6 kidney epithelial cells. Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology 82: 523-529.
• Clark, D.,Miskovic, D., Xiao-Xia Han, J. Calles-Escandon, Jan F.C. Glatz, Joost J.F.P. Luiken, Heikkila, J.J., and Bonen A. 2004. Overexpression of membrane associated fatty acid binding protein (FABPpm) in vivo increases fatty acid sarcolemmal transport and metabolism. Physiological Genomics 17: 31-37.
• Ovakim, D. and Heikkila, J.J. 2003. Effect of histone deacetylase inhibitors on the expression of heat shock protein genes, hsp70 and hsp30, during Xenopus laevis development. Genesis 36: 88-96.
• Fernando, P., Megeney, L.A., and Heikkila, J.J. 2003. Phosphorylation dependent structural alterations in the small hsp30 chaperone is associated with cellular recovery. Experimental Cell Research 286: 175-185.
• Heikkila, J.J. 2003. Expression and function of small heat shock protein genes during Xenopus development. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology 14:259-266.
• Fernando, P., Abdulle, R., Mohindra, A., Guillemette, J.G., and Heikkila, J.J. 2002. Mutation or deletion of the C-terminal tail affects the function and structure of Xenopus laevis small heat shock protein, hsp30. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 133: 95-103.
• Ali, A. and Heikkila, J.J. 2002. Enhanced accumulation of constitutive heat shock protein mRNA is an initial response of eye tissue to mild hyperthermia in vivo in adult Xenopus laevis. Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology 80: 1119-1123.
• Abdulle, R., Fernando, P. and Heikkila, J.J. 2002. Xenopus small heat shock protein, Hsp30C and Hsp30D, maintain heat- and chemically-denatured luciferase in a folding-competent state. Cell Stress and Chaperones 7:6-16.
• Hatta, H., Tonouchi, M., Miskovic, D., Wang, Y., Heikkila, J.J. and Bonen, A. 2001. Tissue-specific and isoform-specific changes in MCT1 and MCT4 in heart and soleus muscle during a 1 year period. Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab. 281: E749-E756.
• Fernando, P. and Heikkila, J.J. 2000. Functional characterization of Xenopus small heat shock protein hsp30C: The carboxyl end is required for stability and chaperone activity. Cell Stress and Chaperones 5: 148-159.
• Bonen, A., Tonouchi, M., Miskovic, D., Heddle, C., Heikkila, J.J. and Halestrap, A.P. 2000. Isoform-specific regulation of the lactate transporters MCT1 and MCT4 by contractile activity. Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab. 279: E1131- E1138.
• Lang, L., Miskovic, D., Lo, M. and Heikkila, J.J. 2000. Stress-induced tissue-specific enrichment of hsp70 mRNA accumulation in Xenopus laevis embryos. Cell Stress and Chaperones 5: 36-44.