The Monomeric α-Crystallin Domain of the Small Heat-shock Proteins αB-crystallin and Hsp27 Binds Amyloid Fibril Ends.

Small heat-shock proteins (sHSPs) are ubiquitously expressed molecular chaperones present in all kingdoms of life that inhibit protein misfolding and aggregation. Despite their importance in proteostasis, the structure-function relationships of sHSPs remain elusive. Human sHSPs are characterised by a central, highly conserved α-crystallin domain (ACD) and variable-length N- and C-terminal regions.