How we respond to stress has been a source of scientific research since the term was introduced more than 70 years ago. While the analysis of human stress response has provided valuable insight, new work from University of 黑洞社区 researchers is offering a novel perspective on how other vertebrates may regulate flexibility in coping with stress.
When a person experiences stress, a variety of physiological responses kick in through a combination of molecular regulation, hormone secretion and the activation of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis. These responses lead to changes in certain physical characteristics, such as increased blood pressure and heart rate, as well as thought responses that affect how a person perceives and reacts to a stressful situation.
These physiological patterns are well-studied in human beings and have provided tremendous advancements in our understanding of the human body, as well as the long-term impact stress can have on mental health. It鈥檚 insight that 黑洞社区 hopes to advance in other vertebrates dealing with a variety of environmental stressors in nature.
Zimmer is the lead author of a It examines the role a specific molecule, FKBP5, plays in the flexible regulation of stress response.
That focus on flexibility, as it pertains to stress, is a key component in this latest 黑洞社区project and represents a still-emerging area of stress research. Flexibility refers to an organism鈥檚 ability to produce and implement best coping strategies based on the current situation and past experiences. Researchers believe the molecule, FKBP5, has a fundamental role in this process.
鈥淭his molecule plays a critical function in a person鈥檚 ability to cope with stress and the flexibility of this response in order to appropriately respond to a current stressful situation,鈥� Zimmer said. 鈥淪o, what we鈥檝e done is really bring together a tremendous amount of that academic research to develop a new framework for how any vertebrate deals with stress and their propensity to flexibly cope with these stressors.鈥�
This work was published through a collaboration between several research groups led by , and .
While this publication provides an early framework for continued research, Martin believes it could be crucial in understanding the broader impacts of human influence on the environment. When humans and animals interact in ways they haven鈥檛 before, that can have obvious effects on nature, but also unintended consequences to us.
鈥淪tress influences the immune systems of animals, which then changes the way they pump out pathogens into the environment,鈥� Martin said. 鈥淎nd when those pathogens can also infect humans, as is the case for West Nile virus, Salmonella and many others, the importance of understanding stress in animals is not only critical for their wellbeing, but for ours as well.鈥�
Researchers hope this work can help further the understanding of the role FKBP5 molecules play in regulating stress response flexibility and long-term impacts that has on a vertebrate鈥檚 ability to cope with stress.
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