title: Synergistic effects of toxic elements on heat shock proteins.
abstract: Heat shock proteins show remarkable variations in their expression levels under a variety of toxic conditions. A research span expanded over five decades has revealed their molecular characterization, gene regulation, expression patterns, vast similarity in diverse groups, and broad range of functional capabilities. Their functions include protection and tolerance against cytotoxic conditions through their molecular chaperoning activity, maintaining cytoskeleton stability, and assisting in cell signaling. However, their role as biomarkers for monitoring the environmental risk assessment is controversial due to a number of conflicting, validating, and nonvalidating reports. The current knowledge regarding the interpretation of HSPs expression levels has been discussed in the present review. The candidature of heat shock proteins as biomarkers of toxicity is thus far unreliable due to synergistic effects of toxicants and other environmental factors. The adoption of heat shock proteins as "suit of biomarkers in a set of organisms" requires further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Government Post-Graduate College Asghar Mall, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Khalid
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mahmood
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural Resource Engineering and Management, University of Kurdistan-Hawler Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq.
authors.forename: Saima
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5509-9728
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jadoon
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbottabad 22060, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Qaisar
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Mahmood
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbottabad 22060, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Irshad
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbottabad 22060, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Jamshaid
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hussain
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D003603:Cytotoxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D003603:Cytotoxins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins