200 Kd neurofilament protein binds Al, Cu and Zn

200 Kd human and bovine neurofilament proteins were isolated from spinal cord and purified to homogeneity. The purified proteins were shown to be metal-binding proteins which bind at least one mole of Al, one mole of Cu and four moles of Zn. Neither dephosphorylation of the protein nor equilibrium dialysis against 25 mM EDTA, pH 7.0, removed these metals. This is the first report of a human protein which stoichiometrically binds Al.