There are three main kinds of cytoskeletal filaments: microfilaments, microtubules, and intermediate filaments in Eukaryotic cells. Intermediate filaments help to provide structure to cells, and are involved in cell movement. Vimentin, a 57kDa intermediate filament protein, which is a class III intermediate filament protein and often found in mesenchymal cells in eukaryotes, or cells that contain a distinct nucleus, and predominately expressed in developing embryo and in cells.

Vimentin intermediate filaments are in general present in mesenchymal cells. Vimentin is found not only in eukaryotic cells, but also in bacteria, where it helps form the cytoskeleton. Vimentin is encoded by VIM gene, 57kDa Protein, and have 466 amino acids, VIM gene is highly conserved in vertebrates, VIM gene also involved in the immune response, and controls the transport of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-derived cholesterol from a lysosome to the site of esterification.