Heat shock regulator controlled by on/off switch and phosphorylation

Whitehead Institute researchers have determined how the master transcriptional regulator of the heat shock response, known as heat shock factor 1 (HSF1), is activated and controlled. This insight could lead to treatments for cancer (where HSF1's activity is frequently hijacked) and neurodegenerative diseases (where its decreased activity may lead to the build-up of protein aggregates).