title: Three-repeat Tau 69 is a major tau isoform in laser-microdissected Pick bodies.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Physiology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohkubo
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakasegawa
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Toda
authors.forename: Hitaru
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kishida
authors.forename: Kunimasa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Arima
authors.forename: Mitsunori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Hidehiro
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mizusawa
authors.forename: Naomi S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Hachiya
authors.forename: Kiyotoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaneko
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D020033:Protein Isoforms; D016875:tau Proteins