Assembly and structure of neurofilaments

Assembly of neuronal intermediate filaments occurs through a complex series of steps in which three polypeptides first make alpha helical coiled-coil dimers, then form antisymmetric tetramers and finally assemble into 10–15 nm diameter filaments with long flexible sidearms extending 50–100 nm from the polymer core. These polymers appear to regulate the axonal diameter of the largest neurons such as motoneurons and disruption of their expression or spatial distribution is associated with several human diseases. The unusual electrostatics and the brush-like polymer structure of these unique cytoskeletal elements have attracted recent interest from both neuroscience and polymer science communities. This review summarizes recent publications with particular emphasis on experimental results that may motivate future studies.