αB-crystallin interacts with and prevents stress-activated proteolysis of focal adhesion kinase by calpain in cardiomyocytes

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a scaffold and tyrosine kinase protein, critical for proper cardiac function under stress conditions. Here the authors show that the small heat–shock protein αB-crystallin interacts with FAK and protects it from calpain-mediated proteolysis in stressed rat cardiomyocytes.