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Tau‐like immunoreactivity in Alzheimer and control skin fibroblasts
Author(s) -
Matsuyama S. S.,
Bondareff W.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
journal of neuroscience research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.72
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1097-4547
pISSN - 0360-4012
DOI - 10.1002/jnr.490390503
Subject(s) - microtubule , intermediate filament , immunolabeling , vimentin , colocalization , immunoelectron microscopy , cytoskeleton , epitope , tau protein , neurofilament , cytoplasm , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , antibody , intermediate filament protein , chemistry , alzheimer's disease , pathology , immunohistochemistry , biochemistry , immunology , medicine , cell , disease
The presence of the microtubule‐associated protein tau in skin fibroblasts derived from Alzheimer patients and normal controls was investigated using a panel of well‐characterized anti‐tau antibodies against epitopes spanning the tau protein from the amino to the carboxyl end. The antibodies immunolabeled a fine, fibrillar cytoplasmic network in all skin fibroblasts. Disruption of the microtubule network with colchicine did not affect the immunolabeling of the fibrillar network nor did treatment with cytochalasin B known to disrupt the microfilament network. Immunoelectron microscopy with the antitau antibodies revealed colocalization of the label with the 10 nm intermediate filaments. Furthermore, immunoblots found no reactivity against purified vimentin, suggesting that the antibodies recognize an intermediate filament‐associated protein. The findings indicate the presence of tau or a protein with considerable homology to tau in fibroblasts associated with intermediate filaments and not microtubules. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.