Heat shock proteins (HSPs), also called stress proteins, are a group of
proteins that are present in all cells in all life forms. They are induced when
a cell undergoes various types of environmental stresses like heat, cold and
oxygen deprivation.
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Heat shock proteins are also present in cells under perfectly normal
conditions. They act like ‘chaperones,’ making sure that the cell’s proteins are
in the right shape and in the right place at the right time. For example, HSPs
help new or distorted proteins fold into shape, which is essential for their
function. They also shuttle proteins from one compartment to another inside the
cell, and transport old proteins to ‘garbage disposals’ inside the cell. Heat
shock proteins are also believed to play a role in the presentation of pieces of
proteins (or peptides) on the cell surface to help the immune system recognize
diseased cells.