UNC Charlotte Truman Lab publishes new insights into cellular heat shock response in Nature Communications
A new study from UNC Charlotte’s Truman Lab has been published in Nature Communications, offering a deeper understanding of how cells respond to heat-induced stress.
The paper, “Mechanosensor-mediated Hsp70 phosphorylation orchestrates the landscape of the heat shock response,” examines a novel key regulatory mechanism that rapidly activates the cellular defense to heat shock.
“This study reveals a fast ‘first step’ in the heat shock response. Instead of waiting for widespread protein damage, cells can sense heat-induced membrane stretch and rapidly modify Hsp70, allowing the cell to launch a coordinated protective program within minutes,” said Andrew Truman, Ph.D., the Truman Lab’s principal investigator, professor of biological sciences and associate chair for research in the Klein College of Science.