This gene encodes a 70kDa heat shock protein. In conjunction with other heat shock proteins, this protein stabilizes existing proteins against aggregation and mediates the folding of newly translated proteins in the cytosol and in organelles. The gene is located in the major histocompatibility complex class III region, in a cluster with two closely related genes which also encode isoforms of the 70kDa heat shock protein. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008].