Heat Shock

During the last years the heat shock response has been stu-

died as a model system to analyze control mechanisms regula-

ting the synthesis of heat shock proteins providing impor-

tant general insight into the regulation of gene expression.

But the major revelation, which has sparked interest from

all quarters of biology, is the discovery that heat shock

proteins play major roles in an extraordinary variety of

normal cellular processes. They are the focus of investiga-

tions in many areas of cell biology, including protein traf-

ficking, signal transduction, DNS replication, transcrip-

tion, protein synthesis, and in the assembly of di- verse

protein structures. These aspects are thoroughly trea- ted

in the book, as are the implications in immunology, in- fec-

tious diseases, chronic degeneration, hyperthermia, and can-

cer research.