Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Monoclonal antibodies show that neurofibrillary tangles and neurofilaments share antigenic determinants

Abstract

Neurofibrillary tangles are a prominent feature in the pyramidal cells of the hippocampus and in neurones of the cerebral cortex of people suffering from senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT)1. Similar neuronal changes also occur in elderly Down's syndrome patients and to a lesser degree in intellectually normal old people2. The tangles are composed of bundles of paired helically twisted 10–13 nm filaments (PHF)3,4, which may be either neurofilaments3 or microtubules5. Attempts to isolate tangles from postmortem material have met with some success6 but there is disagreement over the molecular weight (Mr) of presumptive PHF proteins enriched in these fractions, with conflicting claims of 50,000 (refs 6,7) and 20,000 (ref. 8). Initially it seemed that the 50,000-Mr putative PHF protein and tubulin cross-react9,10 but this result may have been a serological artefact, due to tangle-associated material in preparations of microtubule proteins used as immunogen and as test antigen11. We have used monoclonal antibodies to show here that neurofilament antigens are present in neurofibrillary tangles.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Wisniewski, H., Terry, R. D. & Hirano, A. J. Neuropath. exp. Neurol. 29, 163–176 (1970).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Tomlinson, B. E. in Dementia 2nd edn (ed. Wells, C. E.) 113–153 (Davis, Philadelphia, 1977).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Kidd, M. Nature 197, 192–193 (1963).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Wisniewski, H. M., Narang, H. K. & Terry, R. D. J. neurol. Sci. 27, 173–181 (1976).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Terry, R. D. & Wisniewski, H. M. in Alzheimer's Disease and Related Conditions (eds Wolstenholme, G. E. W. & O'Connor, M.) 145–168 (Churchill, London, 1970).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Iqbal, K. et al. Brain Res. 77, 337–343 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Iqbal, K., Wisniewski, H. M., Grundke-Iqbal, I., Korthals, J. K. & Terry, R. D. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 23, 563–569 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Selkoe, D. J. Ann. Neurol. 8, 468–478 (1980).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Grundke-Iqbal, I., Johnson, A. B., Terry, R. D., Wisniewski, H. M. & Iqbal, K. Ann. Neurol. 6, 532–537 (1979).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Grundke-Iqbal, I., Johnson, A. B., Wisniewski, H. M., Terry, R. D. & Iqbal, K. Lancet i, 578–580 (1979).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Yen, S-H., Gaskin, F. & Terry, R. D., Am. J. Path. 104, 77–89 (1981).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Wood, J. N. & Anderton, B. H. Biosci. Rep. 1, 263–268 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Kahn, J., Green, P. J., Thorpe, R. & Anderton, B. H. J. clin. exp. Gerontol. 2, 199–210 (1980).

    Google Scholar 

  14. Anderton, B. H., Thorpe, R., Cohen, J., Selvendran, S. & Woodhams, P. J. Neurocytol. 9, 835–844 (1980).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Towbin, H., Staehelin, T. & Gordon, J. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 76, 4350–4354 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Liem, R. K. H., Yen, S-H., Solomon, G. D. & Shelanski, M. L. J. Cell Biol. 79, 637–645 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Yen, S-H. & Fields, K. L., J. Cell Biol. 88, 115–126 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Yagashita, S., Itoh, Y., Wang, N. & Amano, N. Acta neuropath. 54, 239–246 (1981).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Metuzals, J., Montpetit, V. & Clapin, D. F. Cell Tissue Res. 214, 455–482 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Selkoe, D. J., Ihara, Y. & Salazar, F. J. Science 215, 1243–1245 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Selkoe, D. J., Brown, B. A., Salazar, F. J. & Marotta, C. A. Ann. Neurol. 10, 429–436 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Laemmli, U. K. & Favre, M. J. molec. Biol. 80, 575–599 (1970).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Anderton, B., Breinburg, D., Downes, M. et al. Monoclonal antibodies show that neurofibrillary tangles and neurofilaments share antigenic determinants. Nature 298, 84–86 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1038/298084a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/298084a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing