Isolation and biochemical characterization of amyloid plaques and paired helical filaments.

Full Abstract

Extracellular deposits of amyloid fibrils in the form of parenchymal plaques and cerebrovascular lesions, as well as intracellular accumulation of paired-helical filaments in the form of neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) in selected neuronal populations are the main neuropathologic hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. Amyloid fibrils composed of polymeric structures of the amyloid-beta (Abeta) concentrate at the center of senile plaques and accumulate in the walls of cerebral blood vessels, exhibiting extensive Congo red/thioflavin S staining. Intraneuronal NFT are composed of building blocks of aberrantly hyperphosphorylated species of the microtubule-associated protein tau, which accumulate in the perinuclear cytoplasm of vulnerable neurons in the form of paired helical filaments (PHF). This unit presents a variety of protocols for the isolation, biochemical analysis, and characterization of amyloid fibrils and neurofibrillary tangles.

Author information

Author/s: Rostagno, Agueda (A); Ghiso, Jorge (J);

Affiliation: Department of Pathology, New York University, New York, New York, USA.

Grants: AG008051 (Agency:NIA NIH HHS) ; AG010491 (Agency:NIA NIH HHS) ; NS051715 (Agency:NINDS NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Current protocols in cell biology / editorial board, Juan S. Bonifacino ... [et al.] (Curr Protoc Cell Biol), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Sep; vol Chapter 3 (issue ) : pp Unit 3.33 3.33.1-33

Dates: Created 2009/09/04; Completed 2009/10/26;

PMID: 19731227, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 10/26/2009, IMS Date: )

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