Tau in paired helical filaments is functionally distinct from fetal tau: assembly incompetence of paired helical filament-tau.
tau in paired helical filaments (PHF-tau) and fetal tau share several phosphorylated epitopes, as revealed by several phosphorylation-dependent PHF monoclonals. We have asked whether there is any difference between the two molecules in tubulin assembly-promoting activity and found that PHF-tau is almost assembly incompetent, whereas fetal tau is low in this activity but still assembly competent. This indicates that despite substantial similarities in immunoreactivities, PHF-tau and fetal tau are quite distinct from each other in function.
Yoshida
H
H
Department of Neuropathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan.
Ihara
Y
Y
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D016874:Neurofibrillary Tangles / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010766:Phosphorylation; D051381:Rats; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*
D016875:tau Proteins