noun
- A class of proteins that assist in the folding of other proteins into their correct three-dimensional shapes within cells.
Usage: technical; biology; plural form of chaperonin
Examples
- Chaperonins help newly synthesized proteins fold properly to maintain cellular function.
- Heat shock chaperonins are produced when cells experience stress from high temperatures.
- Scientists study chaperonins to understand how misfolded proteins contribute to diseases like Alzheimer's.
- The GroEL and GroES chaperonins work together as a barrel-shaped complex in bacteria.
- Defects in chaperonin function can lead to protein aggregation and cell damage.