What are Heat Shock Proteins?
When cells are exposed to stressful situations, they respond by creating heat shock proteins. Since the first type of stress found to activate these proteins was heat, the proteins were named heat shock proteins. Other triggers of heat shock proteins in the body include cold temperatures, ultraviolet light, heavy metals, ethanol, low levels of oxygen, tumors, and wounds or damages tissues in the body.
There are several different types of heat shock proteins: HSP10, HSP40, HSP60, HSP70, and HSP90, for a start. The number corresponds to their molecular weight. The ones titled 40 and under are called small heat shock proteins.
As a general rule, these proteins act as guards to other proteins, preventing them from misassembling while they are forming larger proteins. You could say that one of their most important functions is protein homeostasis, or keeping the proteins in the proper form and structure for cellular function to happen. CLICK TO REVIEW