Description
Protocol
Available protocols: ELISA+
Specificity / Sensitivity
The PathScan
Species Reactivity: Human, Mouse, Rat
Background
Tau is a heterogeneous microtubule-associated protein that promotes and stabilizes microtubule assembly, especially in axons. Six isoforms with different amino-terminal inserts and different numbers of tandem repeats near the carboxy terminus have been identified, and tau is hyperphosphorylated at approximately 25 sites by Erk, glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3), and CDK5 (1,2). Phosphorylation decreases the ability of tau to bind to microtubules. Neurofibrillary tangles are a major hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD); these tangles are bundles of paired helical filaments (PHFs) composed of hyperphosphorylated tau. In particular, phosphorylation at Ser396 by GSK-3 or CDK5 destabilizes microtubules. Furthermore, research studies have shown that inclusions of tau are found in a number of other neurodegenerative diseases, collectively known as tauopathies (1,3).
Alternate Names
DDPAC; FLJ31424; FTDP-17; G protein beta1/gamma2 subunit-interacting factor 1; MAPT; MAPTL; MGC138549; microtubule associated protein tau; Microtubule-associated protein tau; MSTD; MTBT1; MTBT2; Neurofibrillary tangle protein; Paired helical filament-tau; PHF-tau; PPND; PPP1R103; protein phosphatase 1, regulatory subunit 103; TAU; Tau iso8
