This gene encodes a member of the heat shock protein 70 family, which contains both heat-inducible and constitutively expressed members. This protein belongs to the latter group, which are also referred to as heat-shock cognate proteins. It functions as a chaperone, and binds to nascent polypeptides to facilitate correct folding. It also functions as an ATPase in the disassembly of clathrin-coated vesicles during transport of membrane components through the cell. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been found for this gene.,HSPA8,HEL-33,HEL-S-72p,HSC54,HSC70,HSC71,HSP71,HSP73,HSPA10,LAP-1,LAP1,NIP71,Hsc70,Epigenetics & Nuclear Signaling,RNA Binding,Signal Transduction,Endocrine & Metabolism,Mitochondrial metabolism,HSPA8