To evaluate the role of and CtsR in ethanol tolerance ctrR and hrcA gene deletion mutants were constructed. The growth rate of the L. plantarum *ctsR: cat strain was impaired in de Man-Rogosa-Sharpe(MRS) medium containing 8% e ethanol, whereas growth of the L. plantarum *hanrc::cat and *ctsR *hrCA::cat mutants was indistinguishable from that of wild-type cells. Overall, these results suggest that the induction of CtsR class III stress responses provides cross-protection against heat stress.