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Microtubules play an important role in a number of cellular processes. They are involved in maintaining the structure of the cell and, together with microfilaments and intermediate filaments, they form the cytoskeleton. They also make up the internal structure of cilia and flagella.
The cytoskeleton consists of (a) microtubules, (b) microfilaments, and (c) intermediate filaments. [1]The cytoskeleton is a complex, dynamic network of interlinking protein filaments present in the cytoplasm of all cells, including those of bacteria and archaea. [2]
The anti-parallel orientation of tetramers means that, unlike microtubules and microfilaments, which have a plus end and a minus end, IFs lack polarity and cannot serve as basis for cell motility and intracellular transport. Also, unlike actin or tubulin, intermediate filaments do not contain a binding site for a nucleoside triphosphate.
Intermediate filaments are composed of several proteins unlike microfilaments and microtubules which are composed of primarily actin and tubulin. These proteins have been classified into 6 major categories based on their similar characteristics. Type 1 and 2 intermediate filaments are those that are composed of keratins, and they are mainly ...
Microfilaments, also called actin filaments, are protein filaments in the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells that form part of the cytoskeleton. They are primarily composed of polymers of actin , but are modified by and interact with numerous other proteins in the cell.
Neurofilaments (NF) are classed as type IV intermediate filaments found in the cytoplasm of neurons. They are protein polymers measuring 10 nm in diameter and many micrometers in length. [1] Together with microtubules (~25 nm) and microfilaments (7 nm), they form the neuronal cytoskeleton.
While cellular processes can be supported by any of the three major components of the cytoskeleton—microfilaments (actin filaments), intermediate filaments (IFs), or microtubules—, lamellipodia are primarily driven by the polymerization of actin microfilaments, not microtubules. [3] [20]
The eukaryotic cytoskeleton is composed of microtubules, intermediate filaments and microfilaments. In the cytoskeleton of a neuron the intermediate filaments are known as neurofilaments. There are a great number of proteins associated with them, each controlling a cell's structure by directing, bundling, and aligning filaments. [2]