β-Amyloid deposition and tau phosphorylation in clinically characterized aged cats

E. Head, K. Moffat, P. Das, F. Sarsoza, W. W. Poon, G. Landsberg, Carl W. Cotman, M. P. Murphy

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

75 Scopus citations

Abstract

The current study describes both Aβ and tau abnormalities that accumulate in the brains of aged (16-21 years), but not young (<4 years) clinically characterized cats. Diffuse plaques that were morphologically different from what is typically observed in the human brain could be detected with 4G8 (Aβ17-24) or an Aβ1-42-specific antibody but not with N-terminal Aβ or an Aβ1-40-specific antibody. SELDI-TOF mass spectrometry experiments indicated that cat brain Aβ consisted almost entirely of Aβ1-42. Markers of tau hyperphosphorylation (AT8 and PHF-1) labeled a subset of neurons in two aged animals. In the hilus of the hippocampus, a subset of AT8 positive neurons showed a sprouting morphology similar to that observed in human brain. Western blot analysis with antibodies against hyperphosphorylated tau indicated that tau is hyperphosphorylated in the aged cat and contains many of the same epitopes found in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain. Thus, the aged cat brain develops AD-related lesions with important morphological and biochemical differences compared to human brain.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)749-763
Number of pages15
JournalNeurobiology of aging
Volume26
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2005

Keywords

  • Alzheimer's disease
  • Amyloid β-peptide
  • Amyloid β-protein precursor
  • Down syndrome
  • Feline
  • Phosphorylated tau
  • Sprouting

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Clinical Neurology
  • Geriatrics and Gerontology
  • Aging
  • General Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology

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