Tau Secretion is Driven by Circadian Variations of Body Temperature during the Sleep/Wake Cycle: Implications for Tau Spreading in Alzheimer's Disease

Abstract

Propagation of hyperphosphorylated and aggregated tau protein is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Previously, we demonstrated that tau phosphorylation is inversely correlated with body temperature (BT) variations during the sleep/wake cycle. Tau is hyperphosphorylated during sleep (when BT is lower), compared to wakefulness (when BT is higher). Interestingly, it has been shown that tau in ISF and CSF is increased during wakefulness, suggesting increased secretion. We thus hypothesized that tau secretion might be regulated by BT during the sleep/wake cycle.