In vitro binding of [ 14C]acrylamide to neurofilament and microtubule proteins of rats

Acrylamide produces a dying back type of neuropathy in which there is an accumulation of neurofilaments in the axons. The in vitro binding of [ 14C]acrylamide to neurofilament and microtubule proteins obtained from rat spinal cord and brain was investigated. The relative binding to the high and middle molecular weight neurofilament was greater than to the low molecular weight neurofilament, while the rate of binding to MAP-1 (microtubule associated protein-1) and -2 was much greater than to tubulin. The binding rate to a 53 kDa protein which co-purified with the neurofilaments was between those of the middle and high molecular weight neurofilaments while the lowest rate of binding was to glial fibrillary acidic protein. These data indicate that there is a direct binding of acrylamide to cytoskeletal proteins.