A General Mathematical Model for the In Vitro Assembly Dynamics of Intermediate Filament Proteins

The document presents a mathematical model to understand the assembly dynamics of intermediate filament proteins, specifically keratin, desmin, and vimentin. The model reveals that the flexibility of these proteins significantly influences their assembly kinetics, but differences in amino acid sequences also significantly impact assembly rates. The model was calibrated using experimental data and found that desmin assembles approximately six times faster than vimentin, and keratin assembles even faster. The model provides a tool for future investigations on the impact of posttranslational modifications or amino acid changes on assembly kinetics.