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B. Peksel, I. Gombos, M. Péter, L. Vigh J., Á. Tiszlavicz, M. Brameshuber, G. Balogh, G. Schütz, I. Horváth, L. Vigh, Z. Török:
"Mild heat induces a distinct "eustress" response in Chinese Hamster Ovary cells but does not induce heat shock protein synthesis";
Scientific Reports, 7 (2017), 1564301 - 1564312.

The current research on cellular heat stress management focuses on the roles of heat shock proteins
(HSPs) and the proteostasis network under severe stress conditions. The mild, fever-type stress and the
maintenance of membrane homeostasis are less well understood. Herein, we characterized the acute
effect of mild, fever-range heat shock on membrane organization, and HSP synthesis and localization
in two mammalian cell lines, to delineate the role of membranes in the sensing and adaptation to
heat. A multidisciplinary approach combining ultrasensitive fluorescence microscopy and lipidomics
revealed the molecular details of novel cellular "eustress", when cells adapt to mild heat by maintaining
membrane homeostasis, activating lipid remodeling, and redistributing chaperone proteins. Notably,
this leads to acquired thermotolerance in the complete absence of the induction of HSPs. At higher
temperatures, additional defense mechanisms are activated, including elevated expression of
molecular chaperones, contributing to an extended stress memory and acquired thermotolerance