A high-throughput assay for tau phosphorylation by cdk5/p25 is described. Full-length recombinant tau was used as a substrate in the presence of saturating adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Using PHF-1, an antibody directed specifically against 2 tau phosphorylation epitopes (serine 396 and serine 404), an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)- based colorimetric assay was formatted in 384-well plates. The assay was validated by measuring kinetic parameters for cdk5/p25 catalysis and known inhibitors. Rate constants for the site-specific phosphorylations at the PHF-1 epitopes were determined and suggested preferential phosphorylation at these sites. The performance of this assay in a high-throughput format was demonstrated and used to identify inhibitors of tau phosphorylation at specific epitopes phosphorylated by cdk5/p25. (Journal of Biomolecular Screening 2004:122-131)
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