Abstract: Two different HSP70 gene fragments were cloned and sequenced from a desert beetle Mantichorula semenowi Reitter in Ningxia, which were named MsHSP70 and MsHSC70 respectively. Both of them share high identity with the reported heat shock proteins of other insects. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed that 1 h heat shock treatment at 42℃ caused rapid increase of MsHSP70 mRNA, which reached maximum levels at the end of the heat shock treatment, and decreased gradually after being moved to room temperature. Expression of MsHSC70,however, was inhibited after heat shock treatment: after recovering 2 h and 4 h, the expression levels were only 0.25 and 0.28 times that of the control, respectively. The results suggest that MsHSP70 and MsHSC70 play different roles in cell protection. The present results provide new insights into adaption mechanisms of M. semenowi to extreme environment stress.

Key words: Mantichorula semenowi, HSP70 gene, cDNA cloning, semi-quantitative RT-PCR, heat shock, heat shock protein