Canadian Medical Guide > Chemicals and Drugs > Amino Acids, Peptides, and Proteins > Proteins > Cytoskeletal Proteins > Intermediate Filament Proteins Terms and Definitions




Intermediate Filament Proteins

Medical Definition: Filaments 7-11 nm in diameter found in the cytoplasm of all cells. Many specific proteins belong to this group, e.g., desmin, vimentin, prekeratin, decamin, skeletin, neurofilin, neurofilament protein, and glial fibrillary acid protein.
Guide Notes: /biosyn /drug eff /physiol permitted
Previously Indexed: Muscle Proteins (1966-1982),Nerve Tissue Proteins (1966-1982),Peptides (1966-1982),Proteins (1966-1982)
Intermediate Filament Proteins Categories.
Canadian Medical Guide Definition Desmin - An intermediate filament protein found predominantly in smooth, skeletal, and cardiac muscle cells. Localized at the Z line. MW 50,000 to 55,000 is species dependent.
Canadian Medical Guide Definition Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein - An intermediate filament protein found only in glial cells or cells of glial origin. MW 51,000.
Canadian Medical Guide Definition Keratin - A class of fibrous proteins or scleroproteins important both as structural proteins and as keys to the study of protein conformation. The family represents the principal constituent of epidermis, hair, nails, horny tissues, and the organic matrix of tooth enamel. Two major conformational groups have been characterized, alpha-keratin, whose peptide backbone forms an alpha-helix, and beta-keratin, whose backbone forms a zigzag or pleated sheet structure.
Canadian Medical Guide Definition Neurofilament Proteins - Type III intermediate filament proteins that assemble into neurofilaments, the major cytoskeletal element in nerve axons and dendrites. They consist of three distinct polypeptides, the neurofilament triplet. Types I, II, and IV intermediate filament proteins form other cytoskeletal elements such as keratins and lamins. It appears that the metabolism of neurofilaments is disturbed in Alzheimer's disease, as indicated by the presence of neurofilament epitopes in the neurofibrillary tangles, as well as by the severe reduction of the expression of the gene for the light neurofilament subunit of the neurofilament triplet in brains of Alzheimer's patients. (Can J Neurol Sci 1990 Aug;17(3):302)
Canadian Medical Guide Definition Vimentin - An intermediate filament protein found in most differentiating cells, in cells grown in tissue culture, and in certain fully differentiated cells. Its insolubility suggests that it serves a structural function in the cytoplasm. MW 52,000.

Intermediate Filament Proteins Medical Definitions and Terms

CANADIAN MEDICAL GUIDE

Thank you for visiting Canadian Medical Guide .com





Wildlife On Video »

Canadian Medical Guide Canada's Great Outdoors
Tour Canadian Rockies »
Book Banff »
Book Jasper »
Maligne Lake Boat Cruise »
Gondola Banff »
Hike Jasper »
Jasper Columbia Icefield »