Properties of highly viscous gels formed by neurofilaments in vitro. A possible consequence of a specific inter-filament cross-bridging - PubMed (original) (raw)

Properties of highly viscous gels formed by neurofilaments in vitro. A possible consequence of a specific inter-filament cross-bridging

J F Leterrier et al. Biochem J. 1987.

Abstract

Neurofilaments freshly isolated from bovine spinal cord form a reversible gel in vitro, consisting of nearly parallel and interlinked filaments organized in bundles. This phenomenon is obtained above a critical neurofilament concentration and is highly sensitive to denaturation. No gelation occurs with neurofilaments reconstituted from urea-solubilized subunits. The velocity of the gelation kinetics, optimum at a slightly acidic pH, is inhibited by low and high ionic strength and activated by millimolar concentrations of Mg2+ and other bivalent cations. No protein other than the purified neurofilament preparation itself (80-95% neurofilament triplet) is necessary for the formation of a gel. However, purified cytoskeletal proteins from microtubules and neurofilaments influence the viscosity of the native preparation. These observations suggest a reticulation in vitro between neurofilaments, dependent upon a fragile conformation of the polymers and possibly mediated through the high-Mr neurofilament subunits (200 kDa and 150 kDa). The significance of these results is discussed with regard to the inter-neurofilament cross-bridging in situ involving the 200 kDa subunit described by Hirokawa, Glicksman & Willard [(1984) J. Cell Biol. 98, 1523-1536].

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. J Cell Biol. 1980 May;85(2):414-28 - PubMed
    1. Biochemistry. 1977 Dec 13;16(25):5610-7 - PubMed
    1. Biochem J. 1980 Nov 1;191(2):543-6 - PubMed
    1. J Cell Biol. 1981 May;89(2):198-205 - PubMed
    1. Exp Cell Res. 1982 Feb;137(2):403-13 - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

LinkOut - more resources