KARUNANITHI, Shanker; NEAL, Scott/J; BEST, Adrienne/G; WESTWOOD, J/Timothy; ATWOOD, Harold/L; Univ. of Toronto; Univ. of Toronto; Univ. of Toronto; Univ. of Toronto; Univ. of Toronto: Synaptic Adaptation to Thermal Stress

In response to a prior heat shock, Drosophila glutamatergic synapses rapidly adapt to maintain function under heat stress. Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) was identified as a key molecule in conferring synaptic thermoprotection. However, in mutants which cannot produce Hsp70, substantial synaptic thermoprotection was still detected. DNA microarrays revealed that several genes were significantly upregulated following a prior heat shock in mutant animals; these may afford compensatory synaptic thermoprotection. Thus, synaptic adaptation to thermal stress is likely regulated by a gene network involving feedback among its elements.