CCT2 is one of eight largely unrelated subunit proteins found in a protein chaperone complex known as the chaperonin-containing TCP-1 or TRiC complex. The CCT complex is an abundanct cytoslic component that is credited with helping newly synthesized polypeptides adopt the correct conformation. Proteins that fold and assemble with the help of CCT include the cytoskeletal proteins actin and tubulin as well as up to 15% of newly synthesized eukaryotic proteins. CCT2 is the β-subunit of the chaperone complex and is one of several CCT proteins that exhibit increased expression in response to stress. This implies that the CCT complex helps cells recover from protein damage by assisting in protein folding and assembly. CCT subunit levels also change throughout the cell cycle, with lower proteins levels found during induced cell cycle arrest during at M phase. Each CCT subunit is thought to perform a specific function during protein folding and assembly; CCT2 exhibits both actin and tubulin binding activities but the exact molecular function on this subunit remains uncertain.
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