IMMUNOLOCALIZATION AND REDISTRIBUTION OF THE FAC1 PROTEIN IN ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE

The presence of senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles are hallmar k neuropathologic features of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Many proteins have previously been immunolocalized to amyloid-containing plaques in AD brain. Using a monoclonal antibody to a recently described developm entally regulated gene product, we demonstrate the presence of FAC1 pr otein in a subset of diffuse and neuritic plaques in AD brain. FAC1 is not observed in neurofibrillary tangles common in the hippocampus or entorhinal cortex, nor is it localized in diffuse plaques of nondement ed elderly control subjects. FAC1 protein is also immunolocalized in s wollen dendrites of hippocampal pyramidal cells observed in some cases of early stage AD. Therefore FAC1 is a novel protein localized in ear ly pathologic features of AD and in a subset of plaques.