Overview:

Vimentin is a member of intermediate filament family of proteins and is an important structural protein in eukaryotic cells (1). Vimentin is a component of the cytoskeleton long with microtubules and actin microfilaments. Studies have shown that Vimentin is associated with the nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria, either laterally or terminally. Vimentin plays a significant role in supporting and anchoring the position of the organelles in the cytosol (2). Thus, Vimentin plays a key role in maintaining cell shape, integrity of the cytoplasm, and stabilizing cytoskeletal interactions. Copolymers are frequently formed between Vimentin and other intermediate filaments, such as GFAP (in many kinds of astrocytes), desmin (in muscle cells) and neurofilament proteins (in developing neurons). Thus, antibodies to Vimentin are useful in studies of stem cells and generally to reveal the filamentous cytoskeleton. Recent studies suggest that Vimentin plays a part in prostate cancer cell motility and invasiveness (3).

References:

1. Fuchs, E., et al: Intermediate filaments: structure, dynamics, function, and disease". Annu Rev Biochem,1994; 63: pp. 345–82.

2. Katsumoto, T. et al: The role of the vimentin intermediate filaments in rat 3Y1 cells elucidated by immunoelectron microscopy and computer-graphic reconstruction. Biol Cell,1990; 68 (2): pp. 139–46.

3. Zhao Y. et al: Vimentin affects the mobility and invasiveness of prostate cancer cells. Cell Biochem Funct. 2008 Sep-Oct;26(5):571-7.