Abnormal tau species are produced during Alzheimer's disease neurodegenerating process.
Tau proteins were detected in human brain using two polyclonal antibodies: anti-paired helical filaments and anti-human native tau proteins. Both antisera detected identically the normal set of tau proteins in control brains. Moreover they detected two abnormal tau variants of 64 and 69 kDa exclusively in brain areas showing neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques. Tau 64 and 69 were abnormally phosphorylated as revealed by the decrease in their molecular mass observed after alkaline phosphatase treatment. Therefore, tau 64 and 69 are specific markers of the neurofibrillary degeneration of the Alzheimer type and might be useful tools for studying the first pathological events that lead to neuronal death.
Flament
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Unité INSERM no. 16, Laboratoire de Neurosciences, Faculté de Médecine, Lille, France.
Delacourte
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A
D000368:Aged; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009410:Nerve Degeneration; D009454:Neurofibrils / Q000502:physiology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D016875:tau Proteins
D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D016875:tau Proteins; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase