OptimAb Neurofilament H Phosphorylated , Monoclonal Antibody, purified

Blue ice

Neurofilaments are key components of the neuronsCytoskeleton whose main function is to provide structural support to the axons. There are 3 major neurofilament subunits: light or lowest (NF-L), medium or middle (NF-M) and heavy or highest (NF-H). SMI 34 reacts with a phosphorylated epitope in extensively phosphorylated NF-H and, to a lower extent, with NF-M in most mammalian species, as well as in chicken. Immunocytochemically, SMI 34 reacts broadly with thick and thin axons and some dendrites such as basket cell dendrites, but not Purkinje cell dendrites. Nerve cell bodies are generally unreactive. Other cells and tissues are unreactive except for peripheral axons. Phosphatase treatment of tissue sections or Western blots abolishes reaction with SMI 34. Staining is unaffected by trypsin. In pathological conditions, reaction with SMI 34 may be found also in neuronal cell bodies. In Alzheimer's disease, SMI 34 reacts with intraneuronal tangles but does not react with extraneuronal (ghost) tangles. It is the only anti-phosphoneurofilament that reacts regularly with Alzheimer tangles. It does not cross-react at concentrations of 1:20, 000 with Alzheimer MAP-Tau in immunoblots, demonstrating, thereby, the presence of neurofilaments in Alzheimer tangles.