αB-crystallin regulates intermediate filament organization in situ

alpha B-crystallin is a small heat shock protein (hsp) and molecular chaperone that can interact with a wide spectrum of cellular components including intermediate filaments (IF). The significance of these interactions is not currently known. We have tested whether increased alpha B-crystallin expression effects changes in the IF systems in situ. Adenoviral-mediated gene transfer was used to overexpress alpha B-crystallin in primary astrocytes. A positive correlation was observed between overexpression of alpha B-crystallin and diffuse, filigree IF. alpha B-crystallin did not appear to alter the polymerization state of IF proteins. These data show that an increase in alpha B-crystallin expression in the absence of stress can modify the organizational state of IF and that alpha B-crystallin can function as an IF debundling protein. NeuroReport 11:361-365 (C) 2000 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.