INDUCTION OF A SPECIFIC-TAU ALZHEIMER EPITOPE IN SY-5Y NEUROBLASTOMA-CELLS

HYPERPHOSPHORYLATION of the microtubule-associated tau proteins is one of the main pathological events that leads to neurofibrillary neurode generation in Alzheimer's disease. A similar tau phosphorylation patte rn may be obtained in SY-5Y neuroblastoma cells after okadaic acid tre atment. In this paper, we clearly demonstrate phosphorylation of Ser42 2 in tau proteins of treated cells as well as in Alzheimer brain homog enates. By contrast, Ser422 was not phosphorylated on native tau prote ins from non-treated cells or rapidly processed biopsies. These result s confirm that this cell model is still relevant to study neurofibrill ary neurodegeneration of the Alzheimer type.