ABSTRACT
The cell physiology is altered when cells are subjected to heat stress (reviewed in Laszlo, 1992; Nover, 1991; Welch, 1992). The cytoskeleton collapses, RNA splicing and protein synthesis are impaired, and the pattern of gene expression is extensively modified. The extent of the impairements depends on the severity of the stress and may lead to cell death. These alterations constitute the heat shock response and result in a reprogramming of central metabolic processes. The enhanced synthesis of heat shock proteins (HSPs), which contribute to repair and degradation of proteins damaged during stress, is a central manifestation of this reprogramming and contributes to the adaptation of the cells to the stress condition.
