Influence of phosphorylation on intermediate filaments.

The cytoskeleton of eukaryotes consists of actin filaments, microtubules and intermediate filaments (IF). IFs, in particular, are prone to pronounced phosphorylation, leading to additional charges on the affected amino acids. In recent years, a variety of experiments employing either reconstituted protein systems or living cells have revealed that these altered charge patterns form the basis for a number of very diverse cellular functions and processes, including reversible filament assembly, filament softening, network remodeling, cell migration, interactions with other protein structures, and biochemical signaling.