Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Measurements of Physiological Stress Responses in C. Elegans
Published on: May 21, 2020
Heat shock factor 1 as a coordinator of stress and developmental pathways
1Department of Biology, Abo Akademi University, P.O. Box 123 FI-20521 Turku, Finland.
Abstract:
The transition from normal growth conditions to stressful conditions is accompanied by a robust upregulation of heat shock proteins, which dampen the cytotoxicity caused by misfolded and denatured proteins. The most prominent part of this transition occurs on the transcriptional level. In mammals, protein-damaging stress leads to the activation of heat shock factor 1 (HSF1), which binds to upstream regulatory sequences in the promoters of heat shock genes. The activation of HSF1 proceeds through a multi-step pathway, involving a monomer-to-trimer transition, nuclear accumulation and extensive posttranslational modifications. In addition to its established role as the main regulator of heat shock genes, new data link HSF 1 to developmental pathways. In this chapter, we examine the established stress-related functions and prospect the intriguing role of HSF 1 as a developmental coordinator.
Related Concept Videos
Other Stress Responses in Bacteria
Physiological Foundation of Stress
Role of the Sympathetic Nervous System
Adrenaline triggers the...
Components of Stress
Interestingly, the hidden cube faces also experience these stresses, equal and opposite to those on the...
Stress Response System
Alarm stage
In the alarm stage, the body's initial...
Responses to Heat and Cold Stress
Applications of Stress
The...
