Heat Shock 70kDa Protein 13 (HSPA13)

HSPA13 is a member of the heat shock protein 70 family and is found associated with microsomes. Members of this protein family play a role in the processing of cytosolic and secretory proteins, as well as in the removal of denatured or incorrectly-folded proteins. The encoded protein contains an ATPase domain and has been shown to associate with a ubiquitin-like protein.

The protein sequence is very similar to that of HSP70 and BiP. As with other members of the family, the STCH protein contains an ATPase domain at the amino terminus whose activity was shown to be independent of peptide stimulation. The protein was found to be microsome-associated and constitutively expressed in all cell types examined.