Internexin, alpha-internexin, is a Class IV
intermediate filament approximately 66
KDa. The protein was originally purified from rat optic nerve and spinal cord. The protein
copurifies with other
neurofilament subunits, as it was originally discovered, however in some mature neurons it can be the only neurofilament expressed. The protein is present in developing
neuroblasts and in the
Central Nervous System of adults. The protein is a major component of the intermediate filament network in small
interneurons and cerebellar granule cells, where it is present in the parallel fibers.