title: AlphaB-crystallin regulates intermediate filament organization in situ.
abstract: AlphaB-crystallin is a small heat shock protein (hsp) and molecular chaperone that can interact with a wide spectrum of cellular components including intermediate filaments (IF). The significance of these interactions is not currently known. We have tested whether increased alphaB-crystallin expression effects changes in the IF systems in situ. Adenoviral-mediated gene transfer was used to overexpress alphaB-crystallin in primary astrocytes. A positive correlation was observed between overexpression of alphaB-crystallin and diffuse, filigree IF. AlphaB-crystallin did not appear to alter the polymerization state of IF proteins. These data show that an increase in alphaB-crystallin expression in the absence of stress can modify the organizational state of IF and that alphaB-crystallin can function as an IF debundling protein.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Head
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hurwitz
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kegel
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Goldman
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003459:Crystallins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016373:DNA, Antisense / Q000494:pharmacology; D015870:Gene Expression; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis; D055551:HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007382:Intermediate Filaments / Q000378:metabolism*; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D011485:Protein Binding; D051381:Rats; D012995:Solubility / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D003459:Crystallins; D016373:DNA, Antisense; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D055551:HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins; C057725:HSPB1 protein, human; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; C486114:Hspb1 protein, rat; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins