Vimentin

Vimentin is a class-III intermediate filament protein (UniProt: P08670) that serves structural and regulatory roles in non-epithelial cells, particularly mesenchymal cells. It anchors to the nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum, and mitochondria, and functions in cell migration, orientation, and Golgi organization. Vimentin also protects the SCRIB protein from degradation and participates in axon outgrowth and collagen mRNA stabilization (UniProt: P08670).

Vimentin is widely expressed across tissues and is associated with cataract formation when mutated (UniProt: P08670). In the central nervous system, its roles in cytoskeletal dynamics and cellular organization are relevant to neuronal integrity and glial cell function.

In Alzheimer's Disease, vimentin is upregulated in post-mortem AD brain tissue compared to age-matched controls (Chaparral AD proteomics), with a mean log2 fold-change of 1.19 across four subcellular fractions (P2, P3, S2, S3). This elevation suggests potential involvement in AD-associated pathological remodeling of the cytoskeleton or glial responses in neurodegeneration.