High specificity of widely used phospho-tau antibodies validated using a quantitative whole-cell based assay.

ABSTRACT: Antibodies raised against defined phosphorylation sites of the microtubule-associated protein tau are widely used in scientific research and being applied in clinical assays. However, recent studies have revealed an alarming degree of non-specific binding found in these antibodies. In order to quantify and compare the specificity phospho-tau antibodies and other post-translational modification site-specific antibodies in general, a measure of specificity is urgently needed. Here, we report a robust flow cytometry assay using human embryonic kidney cells that enables the determination of a specificity parameter termed Φ, which measures the fraction of non-specific signal in antibody binding. We validate our assay using anti-tau antibodies with known specificity profiles, and apply it to mea

SUBMITTER: Li D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6928439 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature