title: The polypeptide composition of moving and stationary neurofilaments in cultured sympathetic neurons.
abstract: Studies on the axonal transport of neurofilament proteins in cultured neurons have shown they move at fast rates, but their overall rate of movement is slow because they spend most of their time not moving. Using correlative light and electron microscopy, we have shown that these proteins move in the form of assembled neurofilament polymers. However, the polypeptide composition of these moving polymers is not known. To address this, we visualized neurofilaments in cultured neonatal mouse sympathetic neurons using GFP-tagged neurofilament protein M and performed time-lapse fluorescence microscopy of naturally occurring gaps in the axonal neurofilament array. When neurofilaments entered the gaps, we stopped them in their tracks using a rapid perfusion and permeabilization technique and then processed them for immunofluorescence microscopy. To compare moving neurofilaments to the total neurofilament population, most of which are stationary at any point in time, we also performed immunofluorescence microscopy on neurofilaments in detergent-splayed axonal cytoskeletons. All neurofilaments, both moving and stationary, contained NFL, NFM, peripherin and alpha-internexin along>85% of their length. NFH was absent due to low expression levels in these neonatal neurons. These data indicate that peripherin and alpha-internexin are integral and abundant components of neurofilament polymers in these neurons and that both moving and stationary neurofilaments in these neurons are complex heteropolymers of at least four different neuronal intermediate filament proteins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
authors.forename: Yanping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Kitty
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D064531:Peripherins; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins; D064531:Peripherins; C046643:alpha-internexin; C061195:neurofilament protein M; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins