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Cited by 111Skin and Cellular Biology ResearchTraumatic Brain Injury and Neurovascular DisturbancesNeuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms

Synemin is expressed in reactive astrocytes in neurotrauma and interacts differentially with vimentin and GFAP intermediate filament networks

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Jing, Runfeng, Wilhelmsson, Ulrika, Goodwill, William, Li, Lizhen, Pan, Yihang, Pekny, Milos, Skalli, Omar·2007·Journal of Cell Science
DOI 10.1242/jcs.03423
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Abstract

Immature astrocytes and astrocytoma cells contain synemin and three other intermediate filament (IF) proteins: glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), vimentin and nestin. Here, we show that, after neurotrauma, reactive astrocytes produce synemin and thus propose synemin as a new marker of reactive astrocytes. Comparison of synemin mRNA and protein levels in brain tissues and astrocyte cultures from wild-type, Vim-/- and Gfap-/-Vim-/- mice showed that in the absence of vimentin, synemin protein was undetectable although synemin mRNA was present at wild-type levels. By contrast, in Gfap-/- astrocytes, synemin protein and mRNA levels, as well as synemin incorporation into vimentin IFs, were unaltered. Biochemical assays with purified proteins suggested that synemin interacts with GFAP IFs like an IF-associated protein rather than like a polymerization partner, whereas the opposite was true for synemin interaction with vimentin. In transfection experiments, synemin did not incorporate into normal, filamentous GFAP networks, but integrated into vimentin and GFAP heteropolymeric networks. Thus, alongside GFAP, vimentin and nestin, reactive astrocytes contain synemin, whose accumulation is suppressed post-transcriptionally in the absence of a polymerization partner. In astrocytes, this partner is vimentin and not GFAP, which implies a functional difference between these two type III IF proteins.

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  • Vim requires a second intermediate filament protein (e.g., nestin or synemin in astrocytes) to form a network.

    “but Vim requires a second intermediate filament protein (e.g., nestin or synemin in astrocytes) to form a network (20, 24).”

    From Attenuating astrocyte activation accelerates plaque pathogenesis in APP/PS1 mice (2013) · cites this paper as [24]

    The Introduction (page unavailable in our copy) says that vimentin and GFAP can each polymerize on their own; it is synemin that cannot assemble into intermediate filaments on its own and can copolymerize with vimentin. The claim reverses which protein requires a partner. (LLM, conf=0.91)

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  • Gfap−/−Vim−/− astrocytes are completely devoid of intermediate filaments because nestin and synemin cannot form intermediate filaments in the absence of both GFAP and Vim.

    “They are completely devoid of intermediate filaments since neither of the other two intermediate filament proteins expressed in reactive astrocytes, nestin and synemin, are able to form intermediate filaments in the absence of both GFAP and Vim (20, 22, 24).”

    From Attenuating astrocyte activation accelerates plaque pathogenesis in APP/PS1 mice (2013) · cites this paper as [24]

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Authors
Jing, R., Wilhelmsson, U., Goodwill, W., Li, L., Pan, Y., Pekny, M., & Skalli, O.
Affiliations
  • Feist-Weiller Cancer Center (US)
  • University of Gothenburg (SE)
Corresponding author
Skalli, Omar
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Cell Science
Publisher
The Company of Biologists
Published
2007-04-01
Volume
120
Issue
7
Pages
1267-1277
ISSN
  • 0021-9533 (ISSN-L)
  • 1477-9137
DOI
10.1242/jcs.03423
OpenAlex
W2145791605
Cited by
110
References
62
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 10
FWCI
2.62
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Cell Science (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NS-35317)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Skin and Cellular Biology Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Neurology › Traumatic Brain Injury and Neurovascular Disturbances
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
Keywords
synemin, reactive astrocytes, neurotrauma, vimentin, glial fibrillary acidic protein, intermediate filaments, nestin, astrocyte markers, post-transcriptional regulation, astrocyte culture, type III intermediate filaments
MeSH terms
Animals, Astrocytes, Cells, Cultured, Cloning, Molecular, Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein, Humans, Intermediate Filament Proteins, Intermediate Filaments, RNA, Messenger, Vimentin, DNA, Complementary, Mice, Knockout, Entorhinal Cortex, Mice

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