Biology:NEFM

From HandWiki
Short description: Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens


A representation of the 3D structure of the protein myoglobin showing turquoise α-helices.
Generic protein structure example

Neurofilament medium polypeptide (NF-M) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the NEFM gene.[1][2]

Function

Neurofilaments are type IV intermediate filament heteropolymers composed of light (NEFL), medium (this protein), and heavy (NEFH) chains. Neurofilaments comprise the exoskeleton and functionally maintain neuronal caliber. They may also play a role in intracellular transport to axons and dendrites. This gene encodes the medium neurofilament protein. This protein is commonly used as a biomarker of neuronal damage.[2]

References

Further reading

This article incorporates text from the United States National Library of Medicine, which is in the public domain.