Three-repeat Tau 69 is a major tau isoform in laser-microdissected Pick bodies.
By utilizing a novel combinatorial method of a Laser Microdissection System and Western blot analysis, we demonstrate that a distinct isoform of abnormally phosphorylated tau (69 kDa, Tau 69) predominantly aggregated in laser-microdissected Pick bodies (PBs) in sporadic Pick's disease. By contrast, tau migrated as two major bands of 60 and 64 kDa (Tau 60 and 64) in total brain homogenates as previously reported. Comparative immunohistochemical analysis with anti-4-repeat antibody revealed that a major component of the abnormally phosphorylated tau in these PBs was 3-repeat tau (3R-tau). Whether 29 amino acid repeat encoded by exons 2 and 3 in the Tau 69 might accelerate the formation of PBs remains to be further investigated. Such a combination of morphological and biochemical techniques significantly complements the existing histopathological methods.
Ohkubo
Takuya
T
Second Department of Physiology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
Sakasegawa
Yuji
Y
Toda
Hiroyuki
H
Kishida
Hitaru
H
Arima
Kunimasa
K
Yamada
Mitsunori
M
Takahashi
Hitoshi
H
Mizusawa
Hidehiro
H
Hachiya
Naomi S
NS
Kaneko
Kiyotoshi
K
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002479:Inclusion Bodies / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D007834:Lasers; D042282:Microdissection; D008875:Middle Aged; D010766:Phosphorylation; D020774:Pick Disease of the Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D020449:Repetitive Sequences, Amino Acid; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
D020033:Protein Isoforms; D016875:tau Proteins