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Tyrosine phosphorylation of tau accompanies disease progression in transgenic mouse models of tauopathy
Author(s) -
Bhaskar K.,
Hobbs G. A.,
Yen SH.,
Lee G.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
neuropathology and applied neurobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.538
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1365-2990
pISSN - 0305-1846
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2990.2010.01103.x
Subject(s) - tauopathy , genetically modified mouse , transgene , phosphorylation , biology , disease , tau protein , neuroscience , cancer research , microbiology and biotechnology , pathology , medicine , genetics , alzheimer's disease , neurodegeneration , gene
K. Bhaskar, G. A. Hobbs, S‐H. Yen and G. Lee (2010) Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology 36, 462–477
Tyrosine phosphorylation of tau accompanies disease progression in transgenic mouse models of tauopathyAim: Tau protein is a prominent component of paired helical filaments in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other tauopathies. While the abnormal phosphorylation of tau on serine and threonine has been well established in the disease process, its phosphorylation on tyrosine has only recently been described. We previously showed that the Src family non‐receptor tyrosine kinases (SFKs) Fyn and Src phosphorylate tau on Tyr18 and that phospho‐Tyr18‐tau was present in AD brain. In this study, we have investigated the appearance of phospho‐Tyr18‐tau, activated SFK and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) during disease progression in a mouse model of human tauopathy. Methods: We have used JNPL3, which expresses human tau with P301L mutation, and antibodies specific for phospho‐Tyr18‐tau (9G3), ser/thr phosphorylated tau (AT8), activated SFK and PCNA. Antibody staining was viewed by either epifluorescence or confocal microscopy. Results: Phospho‐Tyr18‐tau appeared concurrently with AT8‐reactive tau as early as 4 months in JNPL3. Some 9G3‐positive cells also contained activated SFKs and PCNA. We also investigated the triple transgenic mouse model of AD and found that unlike the JNPL3 model, the appearance of 9G3 reactivity did not coincide with AT8 in the hippocampus, suggesting that the presence of APP/presenilin influences tau phosphorylation. Also, Thioflavin S‐positive plaques were 9G3‐negative, suggesting that phospho‐Tyr18‐tau is absent from the dystrophic neurites of the mouse triple transgenic brain. Conclusions: Our results provide evidence for the association of tyrosine‐phosphorylated tau with mechanisms of neuropathogenesis and indicate that SFK activation and cell cycle activation are also involved in JNPL3.