BD Pharmingen™ Purified Mouse Anti-Neurofilament Protein (NF-M) w/Control

Intermediate filaments (IF) are a subset of cytoskeletal proteins which function to give overall structural integrity to the plasma membrane as well as organize cells 160kDa into specific tissues. IF proteins can be divided into six major types based upon the similarity in sequence. Neurofilaments (NF) are classified as Type IV intermediate filaments and are composed of three polypeptides, designated NF-L (~68 kDa), NF-M (~160 kDa), and NF-H (~200 kDa) which differ in molecular weight. The distribution of these neurofilaments is mostly limited to the central and peripheral nervous systems and restricted to neurons. NF proteins function to provide radial growth of the neuron. Most neurons are composed of all three NF proteins, although the role of each individual NF polypeptide has not been fully elucidated. Both phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated forms of NF's are found in the brain; phosphorylation status is dependent upon the stage of development and region of the brain. The exact role for the phosphorylation of neutrofilaments remains to be elucidated, but aberrant neurofilament phosphorylation occurs in a number of neurodegenerative diseases. For example, in a rat model for spontaneous type I diabetes,  the NF-M neurofilament in the sural nerve of BB rats showed a 2.5-fold increase in phosphorylation. Phosphorylation may play a role in regulating the incorporation of slow transported neurofilament proteins into the stable cytoskeletal network of the axon, thereby helping to regulate the diameter of the axon. The antibody only recognizes the phosphorylated form of neurofilament NF-M; it does not recognize the nonphosphorylated form of the molecule. A neurofilament  cytoskeletal preparation from calf brain was used as the immunogen. The antibody has only been evaluated in rat, but may also recognize NF-M from other species due to the highly conserved nature of this molecule.