Transgenic Animal Expressing Alzheimer's Tau Protein

A transgenic mouse having germ and somatic cells whose genome comprises a transgene comprising a DNA construct comprising:

• (i) a cDNA molecule coding for a transgenic truncated tau protein, wherein:
• the cDNA molecule is truncated relative to a cDNA encoding full-length 4-repeat or 3-repeat human tau protein both at a 5′- or N-terminal truncation site and at a 3′- or C-terminal truncation site, wherein the 5′- or N-terminal truncation site is located at least 30 nucleotides downstream of the start codon and the 3′- or C-terminal truncation site is located at least 30 nucleotides upstream of the stop codon of the full length human tau cDNA sequence coding for either a 4-repeat or a 3-repeat tau protein;
• and
• the cDNA molecule comprises SEQ ID No. 9;
• and
• (ii) a tissue-specific promoter, wherein the cDNA molecule is operably linked to the tissue-specific promoter, wherein the tissue-specific promoter is functional in mouse brain cells;
• the transgenic truncated tau protein so encoded is truncated at both the N-terminus and at the C-terminus, relative to full-length human tau, and is expressed in the brain of the transgenic mouse;
• and
• neurofibrillary (NF) pathology associated with Alzheimer's disease occurs in the resulting transgenic mouse expressing the transgenic truncated tau protein in the brain when compared to non-transgenic mouse counterparts.

A transgenic mouse having germ and somatic cells whose genome comprises a transgene comprising a DNA construct comprising:

• (i) a cDNA molecule coding for the transgenic truncated tau protein encoded by SEQ ID No. 3, wherein the cDNA molecule comprises SEQ ID NO. 9;
• and
• (ii) a promoter, wherein the cDNA molecule is operably linked to the promoter, and wherein the promoter is a Thy-1 promoter;
• and
• wherein the transgenic truncated tau protein so encoded is truncated at both the N-terminus and at the C-terminus, relative to full-length human tau protein, and is expressed in the brain of the transgenic mouse;
• and
• wherein neurofibrillary (NF) pathology associated with Alzheimer's disease occurs in the resulting transgenic mouse expressing the transgenic truncated tau protein in the brain, when compared to non-transgenic mouse counterparts.

A transgenic mouse having germ and somatic cells whose genome comprises a transgene comprising a DNA construct comprising:

• (i) a cDNA molecule coding for the transgenic truncated tau protein encoded by SEQ ID No. 12, wherein the cDNA molecule comprises SEQ ID NO. 9;
• and
• (ii) a promoter, wherein the cDNA molecule is operably linked to the promoter, and wherein the promoter is a Thy-1 promoter;
• and
• wherein the transgenic truncated tau protein so encoded is truncated at both the N-terminus and at the C-terminus, relative to full-length human tau protein, and is expressed in the brain of the transgenic mouse;
• and
• wherein neurofibrillary (NF) pathology associated with Alzheimer's disease occurs in the resulting transgenic mouse expressing the transgenic truncated tau protein in the brain, when compared to non-transgenic mouse counterparts.

A transgenic mouse having germ and somatic cells whose genome comprises a transgene comprising a DNA construct comprising:

• (i) a cDNA molecule coding for the transgenic truncated tau protein encoded by SEQ ID No. 3, wherein the cDNA molecule comprises SEQ ID NO. 9;
• and
• (ii) a tissue-specific promoter, wherein the cDNA molecule is operably linked to the tissue-specific promoter, wherein the tissue-specific promoter is functional in mouse brain cells;
• and
• wherein the transgenic truncated tau protein so encoded is truncated at both the N-terminus and at the C-terminus, relative to full-length human tau protein, and is expressed in the brain of the transgenic mouse;
• and
• wherein neurofibrillary (NF) pathology associated with Alzheimer's disease occurs in the resulting transgenic mouse expressing the transgenic truncated tau protein in the brain, when compared to non-transgenic mouse counterparts.

A transgenic mouse having germ and somatic cells whose genome comprises a transgene comprising a DNA construct comprising:

• (i) a cDNA molecule coding for the transgenic truncated tau protein encoded by SEQ ID No. 12, wherein the cDNA molecule comprises SEQ ID NO. 9;
• and
• (ii) a tissue-specific promoter, wherein the cDNA molecule is operably linked to the tissue-specific promoter, wherein the tissue-specific promoter is functional in mouse brain cells;
• and
• wherein the transgenic truncated tau protein so encoded is truncated at both the N-terminus and at the C-terminus, relative to full-length human tau protein, and is expressed in the brain of the transgenic mouse;
• and
• wherein neurofibrillary (NF) pathology associated with Alzheimer's disease occurs in the resulting transgenic mouse expressing the transgenic truncated tau protein in the brain, when compared to non-transgenic mouse counterparts.