Heat Shock Response and Metabolism in Skeletal Muscle

Abstract

Skeletal muscle comprises approximately 40% of the total body mass in humans. It plays important roles in locomotion, metabolism and endocrine signaling. We and others have previously described the biological responses/adaptations of skeletal muscle to heat stress, the contributions of heat shock proteins to the cellular processes underlying the muscle response to heat stress, and the therapeutic potential of manipulating heat stress and heat shock proteins in skeletal muscle. In this chapter, I briefly summarize current understanding of the heat stress-induced regulation of protein, glucose and mitochondrial metabolism in skeletal muscle. Furthermore, I overview future perspectives on studies of the heat shock response in skeletal muscle biology.