Aluminum Alters the Electrophoretic Properties of Neurofilament Proteins: Role of Phosphorylation State

Exposure of each of the three neurofilament proteins (NFPs) to AlCl3 resulted in their failure to migrate into sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-containing gels. This effect was dependent on length of incubation (minimum, 2 h) and AlCl3 concentrations (minimum, 50 microM) and was not reversed by 20% SDS, 6 M urea, freeze-thawing, boiling, or extensive dialysis. The migration of vimentin and glial fibrillary acidic protein was not affected by AlCl3. The high-molecular-weight neurofilament subunit (NF-H) entered SDS-containing gels after exposure to aluminum lactate but migrated aberrantly as a long high-molecular-weight streak. Migration of the 160-kDa alpha-chymotryptic cleavage product of NF-H, which contains the higher phosphorylated tail domain, was also prevented from migrating into SDS-containing gels by AlCl3. Dephosphorylation of NF-H and the middle-molecular-weight neurofilament subunit (NF-M) eliminated these effects on gel migration. EDTA, EGTA, MgCl2, CaCl2, or FeCl3 had no effect on NF-H or NF-M migration; furthermore, preincubation with, or simultaneous exposure to, CaCl2 or FeCl3 did not alter the effect of AlCl3. One interpretation of these results is that Al3+ interacts with phosphate groups on extensively phosphorylated C-terminal sidearms of NFPs, resulting in intermolecular cross-linking. These findings demonstrate a direct effect of aluminum on NFPs and provide a possible mechanism for neurofilament accumulation in perikarya during aluminum intoxication.