TAU-LIKE PROTEINS IN THE NERVOUS-SYSTEM OF GOLDFISH

This report describes the presence of a group of tau-like proteins (TL Ps) in goldfish central nervous system. The TLPs were immunoreactive w ith antibodies that recognized the carboxy-terminal domain of mammalia n tan, but not with antibodies that recognized the amino-terminus. The TLPs of goldfish exhibited the basic properties of tau proteins inclu ding neuronal specificity, structural heterogeneity, heat stability an d the ability to co-assemble with tubulin. We propose that TLPs may re present a precursor of tau, that share the microtubule binding domain and the carboxyterminal domain with mammalian tan proteins. In contras t the amino-terminus of the TLPs is much shorter and may represent a m ore variable domain of tau proteins.