Molecular Mechanism of Nuclear Tau Accumulation and its Role in Protein Synthesis

Abstract

Several neurodegenerative diseases present Tau accumulation as the main pathological marker. Tau post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation and acetylation are increased in neurodegenerative patients. Here, we show that Tau hyper-acetylation at residue 174 increases its own nuclear presence and is the result of DNA damage signaling or the lack of SIRT6, both causative of neurodegeneration. Tau-K174ac is deacetylated in the nucleus by SIRT6. However, lack of SIRT6 or chronic DNA damage result in nuclear Tau-K174ac accumulation. Once there, it induces global changes in gene expression affecting protein translation, synthesis and energy production. Tau-K174Q expressing cells showed changes in the nucleolus increasing their intensity and number, as well as in rRNA synthesis leading to an increase in protein translation and ATP reduction. Concomitantly, AD patients showed increased Nucleolin and a decrease in SIRT6 levels. AD patients present increased levels of nuclear Tau, particularly Tau-K174ac. Our results suggest that increased Tau-K174ac in AD patients is the result of DNA damage signaling and SIRT6 depletion. We propose that Tau-K174ac toxicity is due to its increased stability, nuclear accumulation and nucleolar dysfunction.