Roles of heat-shock proteins in antigen presentation and cross-presentation

Heat-shock proteins chaperone antigenic peptides that are generated within cells. Such chaperoning is a part of the endogenous pathway of antigen presentation by MHC class I molecules. In addition, peptides that are chaperoned by heat-shock proteins, or are released by cell stress or death, are taken up by antigen-presenting cells and re-presented by their MHC molecules.