[Detection of Alzheimer type pathological epitopes on Tau proteins of neuroblastoma cells after treatment with okadaic acid].

In Alzheimer's disease, Tau proteins are abnormally phosphorylated. In this paper, we describe a cellular model producing such pathological Tau proteins. After differentiation by NGF and treatment with okadaic acid (an inhibitor of phosphatases 1 and 2 A), neuroblastoma SKNSH-SY 5Y cells produced Tau proteins with an increased apparent molecular weight and a more acidic isoelectric point when compared to Tau proteins from control cells. These modified tau proteins bore Alzheimer-type epitopes detectable by antibodies specific to phosphorylated Alzheimer epitopes. This model is the first step toward a pharmacological approach of neuroprotection.