Heat shock
Encyclopedia : H : HE : HEA : Heat shock
Heat shock proteins are a part of the cell's internal repair mechanism. They are also called stress-proteins. They respond to heat, cold and oxygen deprivation by activating several cascade pathways.
In biochemistry, applying a heat shock means subjecting cells to a higher temperature than the ideal body temperature of the organism from which the cell line was derived. For instance, in fish that survive at 0oC, heat shock can be induced with temperatures as low as 5oC, whereas thermophilic bacteria that proliferate at 50oC will not express heat shock proteins until temperatures reach approximately 60oC [link]. The process of heat shocking can be done in a CO2 incubator, O2 incubator, or a hot water bath.
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