title: Tau phosphorylation and cleavage in ethanol-induced neurodegeneration in the developing mouse brain.
abstract: Previous studies indicated that ethanol-induced neurodegeneration in postnatal day 7 (P7) mice, widely used as a model for the fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, was accompanied by glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3beta) and caspase-3 activation. Presently, we examined whether tau, a microtubule associated protein, is modified by GSK-3beta and caspase-3 in ethanol-treated P7 mouse forebrains. We found that ethanol increased phosphorylated tau recognized by the paired helical filament (PHF)-1 antibody and by the antibody against tau phosphorylated at Ser199. Ethanol also generated tau fragments recognized by an antibody against caspase-cleaved tau (C-tau). C-tau was localized in neurons bearing activated caspase-3 and fragmented nuclei. Over time, cell debris and degenerated projections containing C-tau appeared to be engulfed by activated microglia. A caspase-3 inhibitor partially blocked C-tau formation. Lithium, a GSK-3beta inhibitor, blocked ethanol-induced caspase-3 activation, phosphorylated tau elevation, C-tau formation, and microglial activation. These results indicate that tau is phosphorylated by GSK-3beta and cleaved by caspase-3 during ethanol-induced neurodegeneration in the developing brain.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neurobehavior Genetics, The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA. marsaito@nki.rfmh.org
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Goutam
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chakraborty
authors.forename: Rui-Fen
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Sun-Mee
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Paik
authors.forename: Csaba
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vadasz
authors.forename: Mitsuo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saito
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D006868:Hydrolysis; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010766:Phosphorylation; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016875:tau Proteins; D000431:Ethanol; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; C000605507:Gsk3b protein, mouse; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3