AffiAB® Anti-Vimentin Antibody [A6-C1]

Vimentin is a type III intermediate filament (IF) protein that is expressed in mesenchymal cells. Vimentin plays a significant role in supporting and anchoring the position of the organelles in the cytosol. Vimentin is attached to the nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum, and mitochondria, either laterally or terminally. In essence, vimentin is responsible for maintaining cell shape, integrity of the cytoplasm, and stabilizing cytoskeletal interactions. Vimentin has been shown to eliminate toxic proteins in JUNQ and IPOD inclusion bodies in asymmetric division of asymmetric division of mammalian cell lines. It has been used as a sarcoma tumor marker to identify mesenchyme. Methylation of the vimentin gene has been established as a biomarker of colon cancer and this is being utilized in the development of fecal tests for colon cancer. High levels of DNA methylation in the promotor region have also been associated with markedly decreased survival in hormone positive breast cancers.