Low Initial Tau Phosphorylation in Human Brain Biopsy Samples

• Published in: Neurobiology of aging Vol. 18; no. 5; pp. 475 - 481
• Main Authors: Song, J, Combs, C.K, Pilcher, W.H, Song, L.Y, Utal, A.K, Coleman, P.D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier Inc 01.09.1997; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Alzheimer; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Biopsy; Blotting, Western; Brain Chemistry - physiology; Cell Death; Child; Culture Media; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Epilepsy - metabolism; Epilepsy - surgery; Human brain biopsy; Humans; In Vitro Techniques; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neocortex - metabolism; Nerve Tissue Proteins - metabolism; Neurofilament Proteins - metabolism; Neurology; Paired helical filaments; Phosphorylation; Protein phosphorylation; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Tau protein; tau Proteins - metabolism; Human brain biopsy; Tau protein; Protein phosphorylation; Alzheimer; Paired helical filaments; Human; Nervous system diseases; Cerebral cortex; Phosphorylation; Rat; Alzheimer disease; Paired helical filament; Rodentia; Central nervous system; In vitro; Cerebral disorder; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Biopsy; Central nervous system disease; Degenerative disease; Brain (vertebrata)
• ISSN: 0197-4580; 1558-1497
• DOI: 10.1016/S0197-4580(97)00043-2

A rapid reversible tau phosphorylation at Ser 396/404 was observed in adult human cortical biopsy tissue and rat primary cortical cell cultures. Tau phosphorylation increased usually during the first 20–30 min in phosphate-buffered saline, followed by a decrease. The time course of tau phosphorylation and dephosphorylation in biopsy tissue could be lengthened by culturing in defined, oxygenated medium, instead of in phosphate-buffered saline. Phosphorylation of total protein in biopsy tissue occurred in two phases, with peaks at 30 and 90 min. The first peak of total protein phosphorylation coincided with the peak of tau phosphorylation, although both the first and second peaks of total protein phosphorylation coincided with the first and second peaks of neurofilament-H phosphorylation.