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. 2006 Jan 11;26(2):644–654. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3861-05.2006

Figure 1.

Figure 1.

Astrocyte-specific regional human tau expression in GFAP/tauWT and GFAP/tauP301L Tg mice. A, Western blot analysis of soluble tau protein extracted from cortex, brainstem, and spinal cord samples of 2-month-old control (non-Tg), GFAP/tauP301L (PL), and GFAP/tauWT Tg (WT) mice. Ten micrograms of soluble protein extract was resolved by SDS-PAGE and immunoblotted with T14, a monoclonal antibody (mAb) specific for human tau. Both GFAP/tauWT and GFAP/tauP301L Tg lines show highest levels of human tau protein expression in the spinal cord, whereas the lowest levels are detected in the cortex. The GFAP/tauWT Tg mouse expresses approximately fourfold higher levels of human tau protein than GFAP/tauP301L. Molecular weight standards are indicated to the left of each panel. B, Immunohistochemistry was performed with the human tau-specific mAb OT12 (B) on cortex, brainstem, and spinal cords of 2-month-old GFAP/tauWT (WT) and GFAP/tauP301L (PL) Tg mice. Robust tau staining is observed in astrocytes within the gray matter of tau Tg mice. Human tau was not detected in non-Tg mice (data not shown). Insets show tau staining in cells with astrocytic morphology. Scalebar: (in a) a, b, d, e, 200 μm; (inc) c, f, 500 μm; insets, 50 μm. C, Immunohistochemistry for GFAP was performed on the spinal cord of 6 month GFAP/tauWT, GFAP/tauP301L Tg, and non-Tg mice. There is prominent GFAP staining in spinal cord gray matter of GFAP/tauWT and GFAP/tauP301L Tg mice, but only limited GFAP staining is detected in spinal cord gray matter in the non-Tg animals. Scale bar, 100 μm.