Neurofilaments (NF) are classed as type IV intermediate filaments found in the cytoplasm of neurons. They are protein polymers measuring 10 nm in diameter and many micrometers in length. Together with microtubules (~25 nm) and microfilaments (7 nm), they form the neuronal cytoskeleton. They are believed to function primarily to provide structural support for axons and to regulate axon diameter, which influences nerve conduction velocity. The proteins that form neurofilaments are members of the intermediate filament protein family, which is divided into six types based on their gene organization and protein structure. Types I and II are the keratins which are expressed in epithelia. Type III contains the proteins vimentin, desmin, peripherin and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Type IV consists of the neurofilament proteins L, M, H and internexin. Type V consists of the nuclear lamins, and type VI consists of the protein nestin. The type IV intermediate filament genes all share two unique introns not found in other intermediate filament gene sequences, suggesting a common evolutionary origin from one primitive type IV gene. Any proteinaceous filament that extends in the cytoplasm of a nerve cell is also termed a neurofibril. This name is used in the neurofibrillary tangles of some neurodegenerative diseases. Neurofilament proteins The protein composition of neurofilaments varies widely across different animal phyla. Most is known about mammalian neurofilaments. Historically, mammalian neurofilaments were originally thought to be composed of just three proteins called neurofilament protein L (low molecular weight; NFL), M (medium molecular weight; NFM) and H (high molecular weight; NFH). These proteins were discovered from studies of axonal transport and are often referred to as the "neurofilament triplet". However, it is now clear that neurofilaments also contain the protein internexin and that neurofilaments in the peripheral nervous system can also contain the protein peripherin. (this is different from peripherin 2 that is expressed in the retina). Thus mammalian neurofilaments are heteropolymers of up to five different proteins: NfL, NfM, NfH, internexin-alpha and peripherin. The five neurofilament proteins can co-assemble in different combinations in different nerve cell types and at different stages of development. The precise composition of neurofilaments in any given nerve cell depends on the relative expression levels of the neurofilament proteins in the cell at that time. For example, NfH expression is low in developing neurons and increases postnatally in neurons with myelinated axons. In the adult nervous system neurofilaments in small unmyelinated