Neuronal Marker IF Antibody Sampler Kit #8572

The antibodies in this kit serve as neuronal markers to determine protein localization in neurons. The cytoskeleton consists of three types of cytosolic fibers: microfilaments (actin filaments), intermediate filaments, and microtubules. Neurofilaments are the major intermediate filaments found in neurons and consist of light (NFL), medium (NFM), and heavy (NFH) subunits (1). Nestin is an intermediate filament family member protein that is structurally related to the neurofilament proteins (2). Globular tubulin subunits comprise the microtubule building block, with α/β-tubulin heterodimers forming the tubulin subunit common to all eukaryotic cells (3). High CNPase expression is seen in oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells as CNPase accounts for roughly 4% of the total myelin protein in the central nervous system (4). CNPase binds to tubulin heterodimers and plays a role in tubulin polymerization and oligodendrocyte process outgrowth (5). GFAP filaments are characteristic of differentiated and mature brain astrocytes. Thus, GFAP is commonly used by investigators as a marker for intracranial and intraspinal tumors arising from astrocytes (6).