PHGDH is a member of the D-isomer specific 2-hydroxyacid dehydrogenase family. This new family consists of D-isomer-stereospecific enzymes. The conserved residues in this family appear to be the residues involved in the substrate binding and the catalytic reaction, and thus to be targets for site-directed mutagenesis. A number of NAD-dependent 2-hydroxyacid dehydrogenases which seem to be specific for the D-isomer of their substrate have been shown to be functionally and structurally related. PHGDH catalyzes the transition of 3-phosphoglycerate into 3-phosphohydroxypyruvate, which is the first and rate-limiting step in the phosphorylated pathway of serine biosynthesis, using NAD+/NADH as a cofactor. Overexpression of PHGDH may cause certain breast cancers. Defects in PHGDH are the cause of phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase deficiency which is characterized by congenital microcephaly, psychomotor retardation, and seizures.

Vimentin is a type III intermediate filament (IF) protein found in various non-epithelial cells, especially mesenchymal cells. A vimentin monomer, has a central α-helical domain and carboxyl (tail) domains. Two monomers compose the basic subunit of vimentin assembly. Vimentin is crucial for supporting and anchoring the position of the organelles in the cytosol. Vimentin provided cells with a resilience absent from the microtubule or actin filament networks, when under mechanical stress in vivo. Therefore, in general, it is accepted that vimentin is the cytoskeletal component responsible for maintaining cell integrity. Vimentin is also responsible for stabilizing cytoskeletal interactions. It is found that vimentin control the transport of low-density lipoprotein. It has been used as a sarcoma tumor marker to identify mesenchyme.