title: Comparative distribution of tau phosphorylated at Ser262 in pre-tangles and tangles.
abstract: The Phospho-Ser(262) epitope of phosphorylated tau, which accumulates in tangles in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains, has been shown to have a strong disruptive effect on microtubules. Using antibodies which specifically recognize the Phospho-Ser(262) of tau, we compared the presence of this epitope in normal appearing neurons (pre-tangles) and tangles, with the presence of Phospho-Ser(199/202) (AT-8) and Phospho-Ser(396/404) (PHF-1) epitopes. All antibodies visualized lightly or darkly stained pre-tangles, neurons with immunoreactive clumps, intracellular and extracellular tangles. Pre-tangles were more abundant in control cases which showed some pathology, when compared with AD brains. Immunoreactivity for Phospho-Ser(262) was preferentially present in intracellular and extracellular tangles and was found in a significantly smaller number of pre-tangles when compared with the other epitopes. These results indicate the presence of various epitopes of Phospho-Tau in a substantial number of pre-tangles which may represent an early marker of tangle formation. The differential distribution of various epitopes suggests that the presence of the Phospho-Ser(262) epitope of tau either accelerates the transition form pre-tangle to tangle, or appears later than the other epitopes in the process of tangle formation.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Neurodegenerative and Aging Research, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lauckner
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Frey
authors.forename: Changiz
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Geula
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000939:Epitopes / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D016874:Neurofibrillary Tangles / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D012694:Serine / Q000378:metabolism; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D016875:tau Proteins; D012694:Serine