Neurofilaments can be defined as the intermediate or 10nm diameter filaments found in neuronal cells. They are composed a mixture of subunits which often includes the neurofilament triplet proteins, NFL, NFM and NFH. Neurofilaments may also include peripherin, alpha internexin, nestin and in some cases vimentin.
Alpha internexin is a class IV neuronal intermediate filament that is able to self assemble. It is involved in the morphogenesis of neurons and found predominantly in the adult central nervous system. It may form an independent structural network without the involvement of other neurofilaments or it may cooperate with NFL to form the filamentous backbone to which NFM and NFH attach to form the cross bridges.
Antibodies to alpha internexin are therefore unique probes to study and classify neuronal types and follow their processes in sections and in tissue culture. In addition the very early developmental expression of alpha internexin means its presence is an early and convenient diagnostic feature of neuronal progenitors cells and other cell committed to the neuronal lineage. In addition recent studies show a marked up regulation of alpha internexin during neuronal regeneration.
Cellular localization:Cytoplasmic
Tissue Specificity:adult central nervous system
mol wt:55kDa
Other Aliases: Alpha-Internexin; 66 kDa neurofilament protein; Alpha Inx; INA; Internexin neuronal intermediate filament protein alpha; MGC12702; NEF 5; NEF5; Neurofilament 5 (66kD); Neurofilament 66; Neurofilament 66 tax binding protein; NF 66; NF66; TXBP 1; TXBP1
α-中连蛋白抗体