Required for brain and eye development. Promotes the disassbly of phosphorylated vimentin intermediate filaments (IF) during mitosis and may play a role in the trafficking and distribution of IF proteins and other cellular factors to daughter cells during progenitor cell division. Required for survival, renewal and mitogen-stimulated proliferation of neural progenitor cells .
Characterization of the human nestin gene reveals a close evolutionary relationship to neurofilaments.Dahlstrand J., McKay R.D.G., Zimmerman L.B., Lendahl U.J. Cell Sci. 103:589-597(1992)
Research Topic:Neuroscience