Low Initial Tau Phosphorylation in Human Brain Biopsy Samples

A rapid reversible tau phosphorylation at Ser 396/404 was observed in adult human cortical biopsy tissue and rat primary cortical cell cultures. Tau phosphorylation increased usually during the first 20–30 min in phosphate-buffered saline, followed by a decrease. The time course of tau phosphorylation and dephosphorylation in biopsy tissue could be lengthened by culturing in defined, oxygenated medium, instead of in phosphate-buffered saline. Phosphorylation of total protein in biopsy tissue occurred in two phases, with peaks at 30 and 90 min. The first peak of total protein phosphorylation coincided with the peak of tau phosphorylation, although both the first and second peaks of total protein phosphorylation coincided with the first and second peaks of neurofilament-H phosphorylation.