Thermotolerance in cultured hepatoma cells: cell viability, cell morphology, protein synthesis, and heat-shock proteins.

Heat treatment at 42 degrees C of cultured Reuber H35 rat hepatoma cells induced both a rapid decrease of the rate of protein synthesis and the rounding up of the cells. Reincubation at 37 degrees C resulted in a gradual flattening of the cells, resumption of protein synthesis, and the synthesis of heat-shock proteins. During the recovery period cells developed a resistance toward a treatment which otherwise should lead to heat-induced cell death. Thermotolerance measured in terms of cell survival was paralleled by thermal resistance of protein synthesis and the cellular ability to refrain from rounding up under heat stress.