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Stress genes and species survival

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Abstract

Stress genes can be ascribed to have been generated by the organism for their intrinsic urge to survive against the changing environmental odds, during the evolutionary process. This concept has been supported by a large number of reports describing individual types of phenomena. These have been reconciled and globalised in terms of their relevance in this article. Supporting evidences have been drawn from the literature which indicated that by using different types of inducer one can express heat shock proteins. Similarly, several types of stress inducers, such as calorie restriction, LPS stimulation and Staphylococcal Protein-A stimulation, it was possible to induce a wide array of biological, biochemical and immunological reactions. Such biological reactions rendered protection against toxic, carcinogenic, metabolic, as well as biological stresses induced by microorganisms. Heat shock proteins have been implicated as having a role in providing resistance to the host against different types of stressors. In this article, some mechanistic schemes have been proposed as possible pathways globalising such phenomena. A minute amount of stress inducers has been observed to have helped expression of stress resistance genes, providing increased capability to the host to protect itself against myriads of both biotic and abiotic stressors. More understanding about such phenomena would help in keeping our physiological systems vigilant and our bodies healthy, fighting out the stress-related events effectively.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Immunotechnology and Environmental Sciences, Bose Institute, Calcutta, India E-mail

    Prasanta K. Ray

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Ray, P.K. Stress genes and species survival. Mol Cell Biochem 196, 117–123 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006930515592

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