The heat shock
proteins (HSPs, also called molecular chaperones) are a
highly conserved family of stress response
proteins. HSPs are expressed at low levels under normal
physiological conditions but show dramatically increased
expression in response to cellular stress. HSPs function
primarily as molecular chaperones, facilitating the folding
of other cellular proteins, preventing protein aggregation,
or targeting improperly folded proteins to specific
degradative pathways. Specific HSPs play a role in
regulating apoptosis by interacting directly with key
components of the apoptotic pathway.
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proteins. HSPs are expressed at low levels under normal
physiological conditions but show dramatically increased
expression in response to cellular stress. HSPs function
primarily as molecular chaperones, facilitating the folding
of other cellular proteins, preventing protein aggregation,
or targeting improperly folded proteins to specific
degradative pathways. Specific HSPs play a role in
regulating apoptosis by interacting directly with key
components of the apoptotic pathway.