The Role of Heat Shock Factors in Stress-Induced Transcription

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are rapidly induced after stresses, such as heat shock, and accumulate at high concentrations in cells. HSP induction involves a family of heat shock transcription factors that bind the heat shock elements of the HSP genes and mediate transcription in trans . We discuss methods for the study of HSP binding to HSP promoters and the consequent increases in HSP gene expression in vitro and in vivo.