Abstract 2207 Investigating the Molecular Mechanisms of the Heat Shock Response in Corals: Implications for Thermal Tolerance and Resilience to Climate Change

Metabolic stress triggers the expression of chaperones and co- chaperonins to facilitate cellular homeostasis via protein-folding mechanisms and by preventing protein aggregation and misfolding. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are a special family of conserved chaperones that additionally stimulate the heat shock response for combating cellular metabolic stress and proteotoxicity. HSPs interact with other co-chaperone molecules to regulate downstream apoptotic or immune-response pathways through complex biochemical mechanisms.