Vimentin

This gene encodes a type III intermediate filament protein. Intermediate filaments, along with microtubules and actin microfilaments, make up the cytoskeleton. The encoded protein is responsible for maintaining cell shape and integrity of the cytoplasm, and stabilizing cytoskeletal interactions. This protein is involved in neuritogenesis and cholesterol transport and functions as an organizer of a number of other critical proteins involved in cell attachment, migration, and signaling. Bacterial and viral pathogens have been shown to attach to this protein on the host cell surface. Mutations in this gene are associated with congenital cataracts in human patients. [provided by RefSeq, Aug 2017]

Vimentin is a type III intermediate filament (IF) protein found in various non-epithelial cells, especially mesenchymal cells. A vimentin monomer, has a central α-helical domain and carboxyl (tail) domains. Two monomers compose the basic subunit of vimentin assembly. Vimentin is crucial for supporting and anchoring the position of the organelles in the cytosol. Vimentin provided cells with a resilience absent from the microtubule or actin filament networks, when under mechanical stress in vivo. Therefore, in general, it is accepted that vimentin is the cytoskeletal component responsible for maintaining cell integrity. Vimentin is also responsible for stabilizing cytoskeletal interactions. It is found that vimentin control the transport of low-density lipoprotein. It has been used as a sarcoma tumor marker to identify mesenchyme.