title: Assembly of carboxy-terminally deleted desmin in vimentin-free cells.
abstract: Using a vimentin-free expression system we were able to demonstrate that the carboxy terminus of desmin is necessary for filament assembly in the living cell. Desmin subunits missing only 4 carboxy-terminal residues of their rod domain are incapable of homopolymeric filament assembly. Moreover, even single amino acid substitutions in the conserved carboxy-terminal part of the rod domain prevent desmin subunits from homopolymeric filament assembly. Desmin subunits missing 18 or more carboxy-terminal residues of their rod domain (including the complete conserved carboxy-terminal region) are unstable in cells devoid of intact type III intermediate filaments (IFs). Interaction with an intact type III IF, however, stabilizes these mutated desmin subunits. Expression of a desmin subunit missing both its non-helical end domains in vimentin-containing cells disrupts the endogenous vimentin network completely.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Raats
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Henderik
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Verdijk
authors.forename: F L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: van Oort
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Gerards
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Ramaekers
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bloemendal
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D006224:Cricetinae; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D003893:Desmin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000939:Epitopes; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D015870:Gene Expression; D006367:HeLa Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007382:Intermediate Filaments / Q000378:metabolism*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D011487:Protein Conformation; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014162:Transfection; D014746:Vimentin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003893:Desmin; D000939:Epitopes; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D014746:Vimentin