Intermediate filaments: a review of the basic biology.

This review presents the current knowledge of the basic biology of intermediate filaments, including their phylogenetic distribution and their distribution within mammalian cells. The current understanding of their structure, recently described using recombinant DNA, peptide sequencing, and immunologic methods, is discussed in terms of a revised chemical classification that not only includes the acidic and neutral basic keratins, vimentin, glial fibrillary protein, desmin, and neurofilament, but also includes the more recently related nuclear lamins. This new structural knowledge allows a more rational approach to the diagnostic use and development of polyclonal and monoclonal anti-intermediate filament antibodies. Many of the problems encountered with fixation, cross-reactivity, and epitope masking can be related to these structural concepts.