Phosphorylation of αB-crystallin: Role in stress, aging and patho-physiological conditions ☆

•αB-crystallin phosphorylation alters oligomer size-distribution, chaperone activity.•Phospho-αB partitions to cyto- and nucleo-skeleton upon stress, aging, diseases.•Phosphorylation of αB-crystallin has both beneficial and deleterious outcomes.•Cardiomyopathy-causing mutations lead to hyperphosphorylation and insolubilization.•Moderating phosphorylation of αB-crystallin may prove useful in disease management.