HSF1: Proteins and Enzymes

Heat Shock Factor 1 (HSF1) is a 75 - 80 kDa constitutively expressed protein that functions as a transcriptional regulator under heat shock conditions. Heat stress induces the serine hyperphosphorylation, sumoylation, trimerization, and translocation of HSF1 to the nucleus. Nuclear HSF1 binds to heat shock elements (HSE) and promotes the transcription of genes important in cell protection from heat stress. HSF1 contains a DNA binding domain, two hydrophobic oligomerization motifs, a regulatory domain, and a transactivation domain.