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Apoptosis in oligodendrocytes is associated with axonal degeneration in P301L tau mice

Authors :
Cindy Zehr
Jada Lewis
Eileen McGowan
Julia Crook
Wen-Lang Lin
Kate Godwin
Joshua Knight
Dennis W Dickson
Mike Hutton
Source :
Neurobiology of Disease, Vol 15, Iss 3, Pp 553-562 (2004)
Publication Year :
2004
Publisher :
Elsevier, 2004.

Abstract

Transgenic mice overexpressing human tau with the P301L mutation develop neurofibrillary tangles, extensive gliosis, adult-onset motor abnormalities, and neuronal loss in affected brain regions. We investigated the mechanism of neuronal cell death in this model of tauopathy. There was no evidence of neuronal apoptosis at any age; however, a population of oligodendorocytes was immunopositive for TUNEL and activated caspase-3. EM confirmed that these oligodendrocytes were undergoing apoptosis. These data suggest that classical apoptosis is not a major mechanism of neuronal cell death associated with the tau dysfunction in this mouse model; however, prominent white matter pathology in the spinal cord suggests that axonal degeneration in dying neurons causes oligodendrocytes to undergo apoptosis. It is unknown if loss of oligodendrocytes either through apoptosis or through the formation of intracellular tau lesions further contributes to the neurodegeneration seen in these mice.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1095953X
Volume :
15
Issue :
3
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Neurobiology of Disease
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.4ef6b8dafab54eb48ed6eb9b88fb1212
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbd.2003.12.011