Vimentin protects differentiating stem cells from stress

• Main Authors: Pattabiraman, Sundararaghavan, Azad, Gajendra Kumar, Amen, Triana, Brielle, Shlomi, Park, Jung Eun, Sze, Siu Kwan, Meshorer, Eran, Kaganovich, Daniel
• Other Authors: School of Biological Sciences
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: Science::Biological sciences; Cytoskeleton; Intermediate Filaments
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/146073
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Vimentin is one of the first cytoplasmic intermediate filaments to be expressed in mammalian cells during embryogenesis, but its role in cellular fitness has long been a mystery. Vimentin is acknowledged to play a role in cell stiffness, cell motility, and cytoplasmic organization, yet it is widely considered to be dispensable for cellular function and organismal development. Here, we show that Vimentin plays a role in cellular stress response in differentiating cells, by recruiting aggregates, stress granules, and RNA-binding proteins, directing their elimination and asymmetric partitioning. In the absence of Vimentin, pluripotent embryonic stem cells fail to differentiate properly, with a pronounced deficiency in neuronal differentiation. Our results uncover a novel function for Vimentin, with important implications for development, tissue homeostasis, and in particular, stress response.