posted 01-30-2008 06:01 PM            

AnaSpec has announced the release of 21 new anti-Tau antibodies. Complementing one of the world¡¦s most comprehensive collections of ƒÒ-amyloid peptides, this new selection of anti-Tau antibodies demonstrates AnaSpec¡¦s efforts to deliver new solutions for Alzheimer research.

Tau is a collection of microtubule-associated proteins that is involved in microtubule assembly and stabilization.1 In adult human brain, 6 isoforms, ranging between 352 and 441 amino acids in length, are produced as a result of alternative RNA splicing.2,3 The expression of Tau isoforms is developmentally regulated, as only the smallest Tau polypeptide is expressed in the fetal brain. Hyperphosphorylated Tau is the major component of the paired helical filament of Alzheimer¡¦s disease. Anti- phospho-Tau antibodies are used to identify specific amino acids that are phosphorylated in Tau from normal brains and Alzheimer¡¦s disease brains. The Tau proteins, especially in developing brains and in Alzheimer brains, are phosphorylated in vivo at many different sites such as Thr181, Ser198, Ser199, Ser202, Thr205, Thr212, Ser214, Thr217, Thr231, Ser235, Ser262, Ser356, Ser396, Ser400, and Ser404.4,5

Rabbit anti-Phospho-Tau antibodies were raised against synthetic phosphopeptides corresponding to the human Tau at the following sites: Thr181, Ser198, Ser199, Ser202, Ser199/202, Thr205, Thr212, Ser214, Thr217, Thr231, Ser235, Ser262, Ser356, Ser396, Ser400, and Ser404. These antibodies were evaluated for specificity with ELISA and/or Western blot. By Western blot, an immunoreactive band around 52 kDa was observed in the mouse whole brain lysate. Species reactivity includes human, mouse and rat. Some antibodies have also shown reactivity with bovine, chicken and zebrafish.

Company Info

AnaSpec, Inc. is a leading provider of integrated proteomics solutions to pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic research institutions throughout the world. With a vision for innovation through synergy, AnaSpec focuses on three core technologies: peptides, detection reagents (dyes, assay kits, & antibodies), and combinatorial chemistry.
For more information, visit www.anaspec.com

REFERENCES:
1. Cleveland, DW. et al. J. Mol. Biol. 116, 207 (1977).
2. Goedert, M. et al. Neuron 3, 519 (1989).
3. Geodert, M. et al. EMBO J. 8, 393 (1989).
4. Billingsley, M. et al. Biochem J. 323, 577 (1997).
5. Hanger, DP. et al. J. Neurochem. 71, 2465. (1998).