BSE infection in bovine PrP transgenic mice leads to hyperphosphorylation of tau-protein.

We observed the changes in the central nervous system (CNS) of transgenic mice expressing bovine prion protein (Bo-PrP) as a contribution to our knowledge of the pathogenesis of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). The main result was the detection of hyperphosphorylated tau. This protein was detected for the first time, using immunohistochemical techniques, in the neurons and glial cells of mice experimentally infected with BSE. The results highlighted the involvement of tau protein in the pathogenesis of BSE and the close link between hyperphosphorylated tau deposits and prion protein. Ultrastructural examination revealed a novel arrangement of intraneuronal tau deposits not hitherto reported.