title: Lens intermediate filaments.
abstract: The ocular lens assembles two separate intermediate filament systems sequentially with differentiation. Canonical 8-11 nm IFs composed of Vimentin are assembled in lens epithelial cells and younger fiber cells, while the fiber cell-specific beaded filaments are switched on as fiber cell elongation initiates. Some of the key features of both filament systems are reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA. pgfitzgerald@ucdavis.edu
authors.forename: Paul G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: FitzGerald
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D007382:Intermediate Filaments / Q000502:physiology*; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D014746:Vimentin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D014746:Vimentin