Heat-shock proteins

Synonym(s)

heat shock protein; HSP

Definition
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Protein group that supports other proteins in folding or in maintaining their secondary structure under extreme conditions. They are formed to an increased extent after cells have been exposed to a stress situation, e.g. heat, UV-rays. In these situations of cellular stress, heat shock proteins stabilize cellular proteins to protect them from denaturation or accelerate the degradation of non-functional proteins via the proteasome.

Classification
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Name (gene product): Occurrence
HSPB1 gene(Hsp25, Hsp27, Hsp28):Ubiquitous
HSPB2 gene (MKBP): Cardiac and skeletal muscle
HSPB3 gene (HSPL27):Cardiac and skeletal muscle
HSPB4 gene (αA-crystallin): Eye lenses
HSPB5/CRYAB gene (αB-crystallin):Ubiquitous
HSPB6 gene (Hsp20, p20):Ubiquitous
HSPB7 gene (cvHsp): Cardiac and skeletal muscle
HSPA8 gene (Hsp22): Ubiquitous
HSPB9 gene (CT51): Testes

General information
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In physiologically normal situations, ubiquitously occurring heat shock proteins play an important role as so-called chaperones, which are involved in the correct folding and maturation of proteins.

Heat-shock proteins are divided according to their molecular mass into the families of small heat-shock proteins (e.g. Hsp27 with a mass of 27 kDa), Hsp40, Hsp60 (chaperonins) and the Hsp70/Hsp90 heat-shock proteins.

For two tumor antigens of malignant melanoma (tyrosinase and melan A /MART1), a correlation between Hsp70 antigen complexation and T cell activation could be demonstrated. Elesclomol (orphan-drug) induces the formation of the heat shock protein 70 (see below heat shock proteins) and is used in studies on malignant melanoma.