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Association of spectrin with desmin intermediate filaments
Author(s) -
Langley Robert C.,
Cohen Carl M.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
journal of cellular biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.028
H-Index - 165
eISSN - 1097-4644
pISSN - 0730-2312
DOI - 10.1002/jcb.240300202
Subject(s) - spectrin , desmin , intermediate filament , epb41 , actin , cytoskeleton , protein filament , biophysics , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , biochemistry , vimentin , cell , immunology , immunohistochemistry
The association of erythrocyte spectrin with desmin filaments was investigated using two in vitro assays. The ability of spectrin to promote the interaction of desmin filaments with membranes was investigated by electron microscopy of desmin filament‐erythrocyte inside‐out vesicle preparations. Desmin filaments bound to erythrocyte inside‐out vesicles in a spectrin‐dependent manner, demonstrating that spectrin is capable of mediating the association of desmin filaments with plasma membranes. A quantitative sedimentation assay was used to demonstrate the direct association of spectrin with desmin filaments in vitro. When increasing concentrations of spectrin were incubated with desmin filaments, spectrin cosedimented with desmin filaments in a concentration‐dependent manner. At near saturation the spectrin:desmin molar ratio in the sedimented complex was 1:230. Our results suggest that, in addition to its well characterized associations with actin, spectrin functions to mediate the association of intermediate filaments with plasma membranes. It might be that nonerythrocyte spectrins share erythrocyte spectrin's ability to bind to intermediate filaments and function in nonerythroid cells to promote the interaction of intermediate filaments with actin filaments and/or the plasma membrane.