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Worms reveal essential functions for intermediate filaments.
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Goldman, Robert D. |
| Copyright Year | 2001 |
| Abstract | Intermediate filaments (IF) represent one of the three major cytoskeletal systems found in animal cells. Their somewhat uninspired name was originally derived from their 10-nm diameter, which lies between that of smaller actin-containing microfilaments and larger microtubules. This name, however, belies their importance as critical players in the organization of cells and tissues of vertebrate systems. As to function, it has become obvious from studies of numerous human disorders, such as those that cause blistering diseases of the skin, that IF play important roles in establishing and maintaining the mechanical integrity of cells (1). Depending on the cell type, IF proteins comprise anywhere from 1 to 85% of total cell protein and, despite these quantities, they remain the least studied and understood of all cytoskeletal systems. Historically, there are many reasons for this lack of understanding of their structure and function, the most obvious relates to the fact that the structural proteins that assemble into IF are not highly conserved. For example, humans contain IF that are encoded by over 50 different members of a multigene family. This family is subdivided into six types on the basis of similarities in their amino acid sequences (2). This is in stark contrast to the other cytoskeletal components whose core structures are comprised primarily of the highly conserved subunits of microtubules, α and β tubulin, and actin, the major subunit of microfilaments. By probing the complete worm genome, there now appear to be only 11 genes encoding IF, which makes functional studies much more manageable relative to vertebrate systems. |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| DOI | 10.1073/pnas.151247898 |
| PubMed reference number | 11438720 |
| Journal | Medline |
| Volume Number | 98 |
| Issue Number | 14 |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://www.pnas.org/content/98/14/7659.full.pdf |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.151247898 |
| Journal | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
