Advances and perspectives on the regulation and expression of piscine heat shock proteins

The focus of this review is on the regulation and expression of heat shock proteins (HSPs), in fish. Within the past decade, molecular studies pertaining to the isolation and characterization of fish HSP genes have been rapidly expanding with many gene sequences from many fish species being reported. Most of the gene sequences presently available belong to the HSP70 family but genes encoding constitutive and inducible members of the HSP90 family have also been identified as well as genes encoding HSP60, HSP47 and small HSP families. Environmental stressors such as alterations in environmental salinity, disease and chemical exposure are known to alter HSP expression and the regulation of HSPs by hormones has received much attention recently. Heat shock proteins are known to play key roles during embryonic development and recent findings have defined their ontogenetic profiles following hatching. Finally, we are gradually starting to add to our understanding as to the transcriptional regulation of HSPs especially the role and importance of the heat shock factor (HSF).