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Neurofibril

NF-L neurofilament, light or low polypeptide ~68kDa
Identifiers
Symbol NEFL
Entrez 4747
HUGO 7739
OMIM 162280
RefSeq NM_006158
UniProt P07196
Other data
Locus Chr. 8 p21
NF-M Neurofilament 3 145-160kDa medium or middle neurofilament subunit
Identifiers
Symbol NEF3
Alt. symbols NEFM
Entrez 4741
HUGO 7734
OMIM 162250
RefSeq NM_005382
UniProt P07197
Other data
Locus Chr. 8 p21
NF-H 200-220kDa heavy or high molecular weight neurofilament subunit
Identifiers
Symbol NEFH
Entrez 4744
HUGO 7737
OMIM 162230
RefSeq NM_021076
UniProt P12036
Other data
Locus Chr. 22 q12.1-13.1
Alpha-internexin neuronal intermediate filament protein
Identifiers
Symbol INA
Alt. symbols NEF5
Entrez 9118
HUGO 6057
OMIM 605338
RefSeq NM_032727
UniProt Q5SYD2
Other data
Locus Chr. 10 q24
Nestin intermediate filament subunit of neuronal stem cells
Identifiers
Symbol NES
Entrez 10763
HUGO 7756
OMIM 600915
RefSeq NP_006608
UniProt P48681
Other data
Locus Chr. 1 q23.1

Neurofilaments (NF) are the 10 nanometer or intermediate filaments found in neurons. They are a major component of the neuronal cytoskeleton, and are believed to function primarily to provide structural support for the axon and to regulate axon diameter. Neurofilaments are composed of polypeptide chains or subunits which belong to the same protein family as the intermediate filaments of other tissues such as keratin subunits, which make 10 nm filaments expressed specifically in epithelia. The family of proteins making intermediate filaments is divided into 5 major classes, the keratins forming the classes I and II. Class III contains the proteins vimentin, desmin, peripherin and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). The major neurofilament subunits occupy the class IV family of intermediate filaments, along with two other filament proteins of neurons, alpha-internexin and nestin. The class IV intermediate filament genes all share two unique introns not found in other intermediate filament gene sequences, suggesting a common evolutionary origin from one primitive class IV gene. Finally, class V corresponds to intermediate filaments of the nuclear cytoskeleton, the nuclear lamins. The term neurofibril refers to a bundle of neurofilaments.

The three major neurofilament subunits were discovered from studies of axonal transport. Proteins are synthesized within the cell body, and hence they must travel along the axon to reach their final destination. The names given to the three major neurofilament subunits are based upon the apparent molecular mass of the mammalian subunits on SDS-PAGE:


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