Although many studies have addressed the issue of the cellular components present in PHF none has defined the relationship of these components to PHF structure nor to each other. This lack of knowledge has resulted from a focus on components rather than their relationship. Further it has suffered from the necessity of a hypothesis with regard to likely components before a putative PHF component is examined. In the present proposal, an in vitro model system is developed utilizing the properties of polymers to define the relationship of identified PHF components as well as opening the possibility for identification of new PHF components. The utility of this approach is the possibility of assigning PHF components to a minimum of two classes, core or associated proteins, by non-immunochemical methods. PHF components detected by this protocol, but not identifiable by immunochemical approaches, will be defined by amino acid sequencing. These studies will provide an under standing of PHF as polymers current to that known for the most prevalent cellular linear polymer, the cytoskeleton.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 227 publications
