Background | Cytoskeletal intermediate filaments (IFs) constitute a diverse group of proteins that are expressed in a highly tissue-specific manner. Intermediate filaments are constructed from two-chain, a-helical, coiled-coil molecules arranged on an imperfect helical lattice and have been widely used as markers for distinguishing individual cell types within a tissue and identifying the origins of metastatic tumors. One such intermediate filament protein, Vimentin, is a general marker of cells originating in the mesenchyme. Vimentin is frequently coexpressed with other members of the intermediate filament family, such as the cytokeratins, in neoplasms including melanoma and breast carcinoma. |