Often, cells from many organisms increase protein production when their environment changes. This group of proteins was first found in cells that were exposed to high temperatures, thus they are called 'heat shock proteins' or HSPs. They are also produced by exposure to different kind of stress conditions, such as infection, inflammation and exposure of the cell to toxins.
Heat shock proteins perform like molecular chaperones for protein molecules. They are usually cytoplasmic proteins and they perform functions in various intra-cellular processes. They play an important role in protein-protein interactions such as folding and assisting in the establishment of proper protein configuration and prevention of unwanted protein aggregation. HSPs are named according to their molecular weights.
