GENES OF STRESS IN EXPERIMENTAL-HYPERTENSION

1. A significant portion of blood pressure variance is modified by the environment. 2. The present report summarizes evidence that: (i) the environmental response is genetically determined; (ii) various stresso rs can evoke a differential response in hypertensive animals and const itute its intermediate phenotypes; (iii) the response to heat stress c an be assigned to a single 'thermosensitivity' locus; (iv) candidate g enes of susceptibility to environmental stresses are member(s) of the heat stress gene (HSP) gene families; (v) a restriction fragment lengt h polymorphism of hsp70 and a single base mutation in the 3'-untransla ted region of hsp27 are associated with hypertension in recombinant in bred strains. 3. In conclusion, HSP gene variants may be causative in susceptibility to hypertension.