Intermediate Filament Structure

This book is about the structure and role of intermediate filament (IF) proteins in a diversity of cell types, including neurones and those from the epithelium. Part of the text is devoted to a discussion of the expression of IF proteins, the hierarchical assembly of those proteins into molecules, oligomers, protofilaments, protofibrils and finally intact IF, and the spatial organization of bundles of these IF within the cytoplasm and the nuclear lamina. IF-associated proteins (IFAPs), which may modulate aggregation or function, are also considered in this context. The final topic that is considered centers on the recent and exciting developments in the area of skin diseases, which have been related directly to IF pathology and to mutation in specific keratin chains.