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Abnormal phosphorylation of the microtubule-associated protein tau (tau) in Alzheimer cytoskeletal pathology.
Inge Grundke‐Iqbal, K Iqbal, Y C Tung, M Quinlan, Henryk M. Wisniewski, Lester I. Binder. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 1986-07-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
A monoclonal antibody to the microtubule-associated protein tau (tau) labeled some neurofibrillary tangles and plaque neurites, the two major locations of paired-helical filaments (PHF), in Alzheimer disease brain. The antibody also labeled isolated PHF that had been repeatedly washed with NaDodSO4. Dephosphorylation of the tissue sections with alkaline phosphatase prior to immunolabeling dramatically increased the number of tangles and plaques recognized by the antibody. The plaque core amyloid was not stained in either dephosphorylated or nondephosphorylated tissue sections. On immunoblots PHF polypeptides were labeled readily only when dephosphorylated. In contrast, a commercially available monoclonal antibody to a phosphorylated epitope of neurofilaments that labeled the tangles and the plaque neurites in tissue did not label any PHF polypeptides on immunoblots. The PHF polypeptides, labeled with the monoclonal antibody to tau, electrophoresed with those polypeptides recognized by antibodies to isolated PHF. The antibody to tau-labeled microtubules from normal human brains assembled in vitro but identically treated Alzheimer brain preparations had to be dephosphorylated to be completely recognized by this antibody. These findings suggest that tau in Alzheimer brain is an abnormally phosphorylated protein component of PHF.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Grundke‐Iqbal, I., Iqbal, K., Tung, Y. C., Quinlan, M., Wisniewski, H. M., & Binder, L. I. (1986). Abnormal phosphorylation of the microtubule-associated protein tau (tau) in Alzheimer cytoskeletal pathology. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.83.13.4913
Vancouver
Grundke‐Iqbal I, Iqbal K, Tung YC, Quinlan M, Wisniewski HM, Binder LI. Abnormal phosphorylation of the microtubule-associated protein tau (tau) in Alzheimer cytoskeletal pathology. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 1986. doi:10.1073/pnas.83.13.4913. PMID: 3088567.
BibTeX
@article{grundkeiqbal1986-3088567,
author = {Grundke‐Iqbal, Inge and Iqbal, K and Tung, Y C and Quinlan, M and Wisniewski, Henryk M. and Binder, Lester I.},
title = {{Abnormal phosphorylation of the microtubule-associated protein tau (tau) in Alzheimer cytoskeletal pathology}},
journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences},
year = {1986},
doi = {10.1073/pnas.83.13.4913},
pmid = {3088567},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.83.13.4913}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Why it matters
Using an antibody to the protein tau, researchers studied neurofibrillary tangles and plaque neurites in Alzheimer brain tissue. The findings suggest that tau in the Alzheimer brain is an abnormally phosphorylated component of the paired helical filaments found in these lesions.
How this study scored 55/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on strength of evidence and institution's track record, so those were left out: it earned 51 of the 92 points we could judge it on, which is 55 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: journal h-index 1,167 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | — / 5 | No evidence rating recorded — left out of this score |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 1986 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 7 / 7 | Cited 3,683 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 87.7 citations a year over 42 year(s) since 1986 |
| Impact for its field and year | 6 / 6 | Cited 45.6× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 4 / 4 | Cited 373 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Lester I. Binder: h-index 79 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multicenter collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 0 institution(s) in 0 countries — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 3088567) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Points | 51 / 92 | Scored on 18 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 51 of the 92 points we could judge it on is 55 out of 100. |
| Total | 55 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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