Heat shock factor-1 mediates the transcriptional activation of Alzheimer's β-amyloid precursor protein gene in response to stress

Stress may be involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. There is a heat shock element located at position − 317 bp on the β-amyloid precursor protein (β-APP) gene promoter. Recently we demonstrated [4] that stress, in the form of heat shock, ethanol and sodium arsenite treatment, transcriptionally activates the β-APP gene. Inthis report we demonstrate that the nuclear factor that mediates this activation is heat shock factor-1.