Alpha crystallin domain (ACD) found in mammalian small heat shock protein (sHsp) HspB9 and similar proteins. sHsps are molecular chaperones that suppress protein aggregation and protect against cell stress, and are generally active as large oligomers consisting of multiple subunits. Human (h) HspB9 is expressed exclusively in the normal testis and in various tumor samples and is a cancer/testis antigen. hHspB9 interacts with TCTEL1 (T-complex testis expressed protein -1), a subunit of dynein. hHspB9 and TCTEL1 are co-expressed in similar cells within the testis and in tumor cells. Included in this group is Xenopus Hsp30, a developmentally-regulated heat-inducible molecular chaperone.
Jiyao W et al.(2023). "The conserved domain database in 2023.",