Relationship between the stress protein response in grass shrimp and pollution tolerance in Galveston Bay

The stress protein response is a promising, new biomarker of pollutant exposure and effect in estuarine invertebrates and fish. Stress proteins are a group of proteins whose synthesis is induced in response to specific environmental stressors, such as heat shock (Sanders, 1990), or chemical stressors, such as metals, organic compounds and pesticides (Steinert et al., 1991; Dyer et al., 1991; Howard et al., 1991). Stress proteins are found in all eukaryotes and it is believed that many of them play roles either in protecting cells from damage that results from stress or in restoring function to damaged cells (Stegeman et al., 1992).