HSPA12B is a member of a newly identified subfamily ofthe Hsp70 family of heat shock proteins and is predominately expressed in endothelial cells. Blood pressure may play a role in its expression, as HSPA12B is expressed in endothelial cells in heart, adipose tissue, brain, kidney, and lung, but not in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells. In the heart and brain, vessels of all sizes express HSPA12B, whereas in lung and adipose tissue, expression is largely in capillaries. The cell-restricted expression of HSPA12B, which is otherwise not a feature of heat shock proteins, alone presages its importance to endothelial cell function and indeed studies have established that HSPA12B is required for angio-genesis, specifically in the processes of adhesion, migration, and tube formation.
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