Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 25, 2026
10:00
Use of Enzymatic Biosensors to Quantify Endogenous ATP or H2O2 in the Kidney
Published on: October 12, 2015
Nonlinear feedback drives homeostatic plasticity in H2O2 stress response
Youlian Goulev1,2,3,4, Sandrine Morlot1,2,3,4, Audrey Matifas1,2,3,4
1Developmental Biology and Stem Cells Department, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Strasbourg, France.
Elife
|April 19, 2017
Summary
Cells adapt to stress through a nonlinear H2O2 scavenging system, enhancing resistance and longevity. This adaptive homeostasis reveals a hormetic effect, improving survival against environmental challenges.
Area of Science:
- Cellular Biology
- Systems Biology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Cellular homeostasis relies on genetic networks, but transcriptional delays limit adaptation to environmental stress.
- Cells exhibit adaptive homeostasis, increasing resistance to subsequent threats after mild stress exposure, though mechanisms are unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate adaptive responses in budding yeast using controlled hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) stress patterns.
- To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying adaptive homeostasis and its impact on cellular longevity.
Main Methods:
- Live-cell imaging and microfluidics were employed to precisely control H2O2 stress.
- Quantitative analysis of cellular responses to dynamic stress patterns.
Main Results:
- Adaptive tolerance to H2O2 stress is a systems-level property.
- Nonlinearity in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) scavenging by peroxiredoxins drives adaptive tolerance.
- Extracellular H2O2 stress exhibits a hormetic effect on yeast replicative longevity.
Conclusions:
- The study provides a quantitative framework linking molecular mechanisms to emergent adaptive properties in cellular homeostasis.
- Nonlinear H2O2 scavenging is a key mechanism for adaptive homeostasis, conferring stress resistance and influencing lifespan.
Related Concept Videos
02:45Responses to Heat and Cold Stress
Every organism has an optimum temperature range within which healthy growth and physiological functioning can occur. At the ends of this range, there will be a minimum and maximum temperature that interrupt biological processes.
02:02Responses to Salt Stress
Salt stress—which can be triggered by high salt concentrations in a plant’s environment—can significantly affect plant growth and crop production by influencing photosynthesis and the absorption of water and nutrients.
01:18Positive and Negative Feedback Loops
Animal organs and organ systems constantly adjust to internal and external changes through a process called homeostasis ("steady state"). Examples of these changes include regulation of the level of glucose or calcium in the blood or internal responses to external temperatures. Homeostasis requires maintaining an internal dynamic equilibrium:
01:07Cell Signaling Feedback Loops
Positive and negative feedback loops are crucial for regulating biological signaling systems. These feedback loops are processes that connect output signals to their inputs.
Negative feedback loops
Most signaling systems have negative feedback loops that can perform different functions such as output limiter, and adaptation.
Output limiter
Upon receiving an input signal, the cellular response rapidly increases until a threshold is reached. Beyond this threshold, a negative feedback loop...
Negative feedback loops
Most signaling systems have negative feedback loops that can perform different functions such as output limiter, and adaptation.
Output limiter
Upon receiving an input signal, the cellular response rapidly increases until a threshold is reached. Beyond this threshold, a negative feedback loop...
01:21Stress Response System
The stress response system, also known as the fight-or-flight response, is the body's automatic physiological reaction to perceived threats. Hans Selye introduced the concept of General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) to describe the predictable pattern of changes that occur in response to stress. GAS consists of three sequential stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion. This model helps explain how chronic stress can contribute to health problems.
Alarm stage
In the alarm stage, the body's initial...
Alarm stage
In the alarm stage, the body's initial...
01:30Other Stress Responses in Bacteria
Bacteria have global regulatory systems that control several types of stress mechanisms. These include Pho regulon and the heat shock response, which are essential systems for environmental adaptation, such as nutrient limitation and proteotoxic stress. The Pho regulon and the heat shock response exemplify bacterial resilience, enabling rapid adaptation to fluctuating environmental conditions.Pho RegulonBacteria require phosphorus for essential cellular processes, including nucleic acid...