siRNA-mediated silencing of the gene for heat shock transcription factor 1 causes hypersensitivity to methylmercury in HEK293 cells.

Methylmercury is a hazardous heavy metal compound that can damage the central nervous system. The mechanisms of methylmercury toxicity and the biological defense mechanisms against it remain unclear. We employed gene knockdown using siRNA to search for transcription factors involved in the manifestation of methylmercury toxicity. We found that the inhibition of expression of the gene for heat shock transcription factor 1 (HSF1) sensitized HEK293 cells to methylmercury.