Overview:

Neurofilaments are the 10nm or intermediate filament proteins found specifically in neurons, and are composed predominantly of three major proteins called NF-L, NF-M and NF-H (1). NF-L is the neurofilament light or low molecular weight polypeptide and runs on SDS-PAGE gels at about 68kDa. Antibodies to NF-L are useful for identifying neuronal cells and their processes in tissue sections and in tissue culture. Mutations in the protein coding region of the human NF-L gene cause some forms of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (2).

References:

1. Harris, J., Ayyub, C. and Shaw G. A molecular dissection of the carboxyterminal tails of the major neurofilament subunits NF-M and NF-H. J Neurosci Res 30:47-62. 1991.

2. Mersiyanova IV, Perepelov AV, Polyakov AV, Sitnikov VF, Dadali EL, Oparin RB, Petrin AN and Evgrafov OV. A new variant of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2 is probably the result of a mutation in the neurofilament-light gene. Am. J. Hum. Genet. 67:37-46. 2000.