Molecular Chaperones: Multiple Functions, Pathologies, and Potential Applications

Cell stressors are ubiquitous and frequent, challenging cells often, which leads to the stress response with activation of anti-stress mechanisms. These mechanisms involve a variety of molecules, including molecular chaperones also known as heat-shock proteins (Hsp). The chaperones treated in this article are proteins that assist other proteins to fold, refold, travel to their place of residence (cytosol, organelle, membrane, extracellular space), and translocate across membranes. Molecular chaperones participate in a variety of physiological processes and are widespread in organisms, tissues, and cells. It follows that chaperone failure will have an impact, possibly serious, on one or more cellular function, which may lead to disease. Chaperones must recognize and interact with proteins in need of assistance or client polypeptides (e.g., nascent at the ribosome, or partially denatured by stressors), and have to interact with other chaperones because the chaperoning mechanism involves teams of chaperone molecules, i.e., multimolecular assemblies or chaperone machines. Consequently, chaperone molecules have structural domains with distinctive functions: bind the client polypeptide, interact with other chaperone molecules to build a machine, and interact with other complexes that integrate the chaperoning network. Also, various chaperones have ATP-binding and ATPase sites because the chaperoning process requires as, a rule, energy from ATP hydrolysis. Alterations in any one of these domains due to a mutation or an aberrant post-translational modification can disrupt the chaperoning process and cause diseases termed chaperonopathies. This article presents the pathologic concept of chaperonopathy with examples, and discusses the potential of using chaperones (genes or proteins) in treatment (chaperonotherapy). In addition, emerging topics within the field of study of chaperones (chaperonology) are highlighted, e.g., genomics (chaperonomics), systems biology, extracellular chaperones, and anti-chaperone antibodies.