Phosphorylation determines two distinct species of tau in the central nervous system
Abstract
The monoclonal antibody, Tau‐1, which had previously been used to localize tau to the axonal compartment in brain has been reutilized for light and electron microscopic immunohistochemistry following phosphatase treatment of tissue. We report here that a significant quantity of tau in the central nervous system is phosphorylated in situ at or near the Tau‐1 epitope, preventing the binding of the Tau‐1 antibody. Upon removal of this/these phosphate group(s), however, Tau‐1 was observed in the somatodendritic compartment of neurons as well as in axons. Furthermore, intense staining was also observed in astrocytes and in perineuronal glial cells. This immunoreactivity was present along the lengths of microtubules and on ribosomes (polysomes). Treatment of immunoblots of extracts of whole cerebral cortex with phosphatase confirmed the immunohistochemical results in that a 50–65% increase in Tau‐1 binding to the tau region of the blot was noted. Moreover, a novel monoclonal antibody, Tau‐2, was also used in these experiments. This antibody binds only to tau and localizes along microtubulesin axons, somata, dendrites, and astrocytes and on ribosomes (polysomes) without phosphatase pretreatment.
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Tau is predominantly expressed in cortical and hippocampal neurons, with expression also in oligodendrocytes and astrocytes.
“Tau is predominantly expressed in cortical and hippocampal neurons [5–7], although there is also expression in other cell types such as oligodendrocytes and astrocytes [8, 9].”
From Tau Ablation Rewires Brain Cell Programs in Health and Restores Function in Disease (2026) · cites this paper as [9]
Tau is moderately expressed in oligodendrocytes and astrocytes.
“Tau is also moderately expressed in oligodendrocytes and astrocytes [133–135].”
From Molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (2020) · cites this paper as [134]
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- Authors
- Papasozomenos, S. C., & Binder, L. I.
- Affiliations
- University of Alabama at Birmingham (US)
- Corresponding author
- Papasozomenos, Sozos Ch.
- Venue
- Cell Motility
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1987-01
- Volume
- 8
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 210-226
- ISSN
- 0886-1544 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2005132906
- Cited by
- 420
- References
- 30
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 14.47
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Cell Motility and the Cytoskeleton (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute on Aging (AG 06969)
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NS22453)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Microtubule and mitosis dynamics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
- Keywords
- tau protein, phosphorylation, phosphatase treatment, central nervous system, axons, astrocytes, microtubules, ribosome, polysomes, monoclonal antibodies, cerebral cortex
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Epitopes, Axons, Brain, Chlorocebus aethiops, Female, Male, Microscopy, Electron, Microtubule-Associated Proteins, Molecular Weight, Nerve Tissue Proteins, Neurons, Phosphorylation, Rats, Inbred Strains, tau Proteins, Rats
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