| Vimentin | |
|---|---|
| Gene | [VIM](/genes/vim) |
| UniProt ID | P08670 |
| Molecular Weight | ~57 kDa |
| Subcellular Localization | Cytoplasm, intermediate filaments |
| Protein Family | Type III intermediate filament protein |
Vimentin Protein is a type III intermediate filament protein encoded by the VIM gene. It is expressed in mesenchymal cells, fibroblasts, and astrocytes in the central nervous system. Vimentin serves as a key marker of astrocyte reactivity and plays important roles in neuroinflammation, a hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD)[@schnitzer1989].
Vimentin is a type III intermediate filament protein consisting of three distinct structural domains[1]:
The rod domain contains highly conserved helical segments (1A, 1B, 2A, 2B) separated by linker regions. Vimentin can form both homopolymers and heteropolymers with other intermediate filament proteins such as GFAP and nestin[3].
In the healthy adult brain, vimentin is expressed at low levels in:
Vimentin plays roles in[4]:
When astrocytes become reactive (a process called astrocytosis or astrogliosis), they upregulate vimentin along with GFAP. This reorganization of the intermediate filament network is a hallmark of the astrocyte response to neural injury.
Vimentin is significantly upregulated in reactive astrocytes surrounding amyloid-beta plaques in AD[5]. Key associations include:
In PD, vimentin-positive astrocytes accumulate in the substantia nigra pars compacta[7]:
Vimentin is implicated in several other conditions:
Vimentin has emerged as a potential biomarker for neurodegenerative disease[4:1]:
Modulating vimentin expression in astrocytes represents a therapeutic strategy:
Eriksson JE, et al. Vimentin intermediate filament structure and function. Experimental Cell Research. 2009. ↩︎
Herrmann H, et al. Intermediate filament formation. Journal of Molecular Biology. 2009. ↩︎
EL-din MT, et al. Vimentin-GFAP heteropolymers. Glia. 2002. ↩︎
Yang Q, et al. Vimentin as a biomarker for neurodegenerative disease. Frontiers in Neuroscience. 2018. ↩︎ ↩︎
Pekny M, et al. Astrocytes and AD. Glia. 2005. ↩︎
Hol EM, et al. Vimentin in glial cells of the aging brain. Neurobiology of Aging. 2019. ↩︎
Fuller S, et al. Astrocytes in PD. Neurobiology of Disease. 2010. ↩︎
Buttler CA, et al. Vimentin phosphorylation in neuroinflammation. Journal of Neuroinflammation. 2022. ↩︎