Tau-441 (2N4R) Wild-Type Monomers (Baculovirus/Sf9)

Brain-specific tau isoforms vary in the number of N-terminal inserts and C- terminal repeat domains due to alternative splicing of exons; the 2N4R isoform of tau is expressed in adult brain yet is absent from the fetal brain (1). Tau (tubulin-associated unit) is normally located in the axons of neurons where it stabilizes microtubules. Tauopathies such as Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) are characterized by neurofibrillary tangles containing hyper-phosphorylated tau fibrils (2). Hyper-phosphorylated tau can be generated via expression in the Sf9/Baculovirus system, with up to 20 sites confirmed by mass spectrometry and Western Blots with phospho-specific antibodies(3). Sf9/Baculovirus-expressed Tau 2N4R will readily form oligomers and fibrils in the absence of heparin.

MAEPRQEFEVMEDHAGTYGLGDRKDQGGYTMHQDQEGDTDAGLKESPLQTPTEDGSEEPGSETSDAKSTPTAEDVTAPLVDEGAPGKQAAAQPHTEIPEGTTAEEAGIGDTPSLEDEAAGHVTQARMVSKSKDGTGSDDKKAKGADGKTKIATPRGAAPPGQKGQANATRIPAKTPPAPKTPPSSGEPPKSGDRSGYSSPGSPGTPGSRSRTPSLPTPPTREPKKVAVVRTPPKSPSSAKSRLQTAPVPMPDLKNVKSKIGSTENLKHQPGGGKVQIINKKLDLSNVQSKCGSKDNIKHVPGGGSVQIVYKPVDLSKVTSKCGSLGNIHHKPGGGQVEVKSEKLDFKDRVQSKIGSLDNITHVPGGGNKKIETHKLTFRENAKAKTDHGAEIVYKSPVVSGDTSPRHLSNVSSTGSIDMVDSPQLATLADEVSASLAKQGL

1. Goedert et al. 1989. Multiple Isoforms of Human Microtubule-associated Protein Tau: Sequences and Localization in Neurofibrilary Tangles of Alzheimer’s Disease. Neuron. doi: 10.1016/0896-6273(89)90210-9. 2. Iqbal K., Liu F., and Gong C.X. 2016. Tau and neurodegenerative disease: The story so far. Nat. Rev. Neurol. DOI: 10.1038/nrneurol.2015.225 3. Tepper et al. 2014. Oligomer Formation of Tau Protein Hyperphophorylated in Cells. The Journal of Biological Chemistry, DOI 10.1074/jbc.M114.611368