Function Of Tau Protein Research Articles

Proteasome inhibition-induced downregulation of Akt/GSK-3β pathway contributes to abnormality of tau in hippocampal slice.

Proteasome inhibition can induce abnormal accumulation and phosphorylation of microtubule-associated protein tau. The major function of tau protein is to promote microtubules assembly and stabilization, and abnormal tau protein would disturb its microtubule-binding function. In this study, proteasome inhibitor MG132 was used to treat hippocampal slices to explore the role and mechanism of Akt/glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) in proteasome inhibition-induced tau abnormality. During the culture period, we measure the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) content to assay the viability of hippocampal slices. Following 2.5 and 5 μM MG132 treatment for 6 h, we detected the expression, phosphorylation modification, and microtubule-binding function of tau protein of slices. We also analyzed the changed activities of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) and protein kinase B (PKB/Akt) and the level of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) in the process. In addition, co-immunoprecipitation was used to investigate the interaction between Akt and Hsp90, Akt and protein phosphatase-2A (PP2A) in the MG132-treated organotypic hippocampal slices. Our results indicated that proteasome inhibition led to degradation obstacles and abnormal phosphorylation of tau protein. The downregulated Akt/GSK-3β signaling pathway might be responsible for the abnormal phosphorylation of tau protein at multiple sites which further reduced the microtubule-binding function of tau protein. Furthermore, proteasome inhibition decreased the binding capacity of Akt-Hsp90 while increased the Akt-PP2A binding ability which mediated Akt inactivity. This current study establishes a hippocampal slice model targeting Akt/GSK-3β signaling pathway to explore the pivotal role of proteasome inhibition in tau pathology.

Molecular mechanisms of neuropathological changes in Alzheimer’s disease: a review

More than 100 years after description of Alzheimer's disease (AD), two major pathological processes observed already by Alois Alzheimer, remain as the main explanation of the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Important molecular interactions leading to AD neuropathology were described in amyloid cascade and in tau protein function. No clinical trials with novel therapies based on amyloid cascade and tau protein hypotheses have been successful. The main aim of recent research is focused on the question what is primary mechanism leading to the molecular development of AD pathology. Promising explanation of triggering mechanism can be seen in vascular pathology that have direct influence on the development of pathological processes typical for Alzheimer disease. Novel insight into a number of cellular signaling mechanisms, as well as mitochondrial function in Alzheimer disease could also bring explanations of initial processes leading to the development of this pathology.

Structure and Pathology of Tau Protein in Alzheimer Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia. In connection with the global trend of prolonging human life and the increasing number of elderly in the population, the AD becomes one of the most serious health and socioeconomic problems of the present. Tau protein promotes assembly and stabilizes microtubules, which contributes to the proper function of neuron. Alterations in the amount or the structure of tau protein can affect its role as a stabilizer of microtubules as well as some of the processes in which it is implicated. The molecular mechanisms governing tau aggregation are mainly represented by several posttranslational modifications that alter its structure and conformational state. Hence, abnormal phosphorylation and truncation of tau protein have gained attention as key mechanisms that become tau protein in a pathological entity. Evidences about the clinicopathological significance of phosphorylated and truncated tau have been documented during the progression of AD as well as their capacity to exert cytotoxicity when expressed in cell and animal models. This paper describes the normal structure and function of tau protein and its major alterations during its pathological aggregation in AD.

Tau oligomers and aggregation in Alzheimer’s disease

We are analyzing the physiological function of Tau protein and its abnormal pathological behavior when this protein is self-assemble into pathological filaments. These aggregates of Tau protein are the main components in many diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent studies suggest that Tau acquires complex oligomeric conformations which may be toxic. In this review, we emphasized the possible phenomena implicated in the formation of these oligomers. Studies with chemical inductors indicates that the microtubule-binding domain is the most important region involved in Tau aggregation and showed the requirement of a pre-arrange Tau in abnormal conformation to promote self-assembly. Transgenic animal models and AD neuropathology studies showed that post-translational modifications are also implicated in Tau aggregation and neural cell death during AD development. Therefore, we analyzed some events that could be present during Tau aggregation. Finally, we included a brief discussion of the possible relation between glucose metabolism dysfunction in AD, and data of Tau aggregation by using aggregation inhibitors. In conclusion, the process Tau aggregation deserves further investigations to design possible therapeutic targets to inhibit the toxicity of these aggregates and it is possible that could be extended to other diseases with similar etiology.

A role for FKBP52 in Tau protein function

Tau is a microtubule-associated protein, which is widely expressed in the central nervous system, predominantly in neurons, where it regulates microtubule dynamics, axonal transport, and neurite outgrowth. The aberrant assembly of Tau is the hallmark of several human neurodegenerative diseases, collectively known as tauopathies. They include Alzheimer's disease, Pick's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, and frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17. Several abnormalities in Tau, such as hyperphosphorylation and aggregation, alter its function and are central to the pathogenic process. Here, we describe biochemical and functional interactions between FKBP52 and Tau. FKBP52 is a member of the FKBP (FK506-binding protein) family that comprises intracellular protein effectors of immunosuppressive drugs (such as FK506 and rapamycin). We found that FKBP52, which is abundant in brain, binds directly and specifically to Tau, especially in its hyperphosphorylated form. The relevance of this observation was confirmed by the colocalization of both proteins in the distal part of the axons of cortical neurons and by the antagonistic effect of FKBP52 on the ability of Tau to promote microtubule assembly. Overexpression of FKBP52 in differentiated PC12 cells prevented the accumulation of Tau and resulted in reduced neurite length. Taken together, these findings indicate a role for FKBP52 in Tau function and may help to decipher and modulate the events involved in Tau-induced neurodegeneration.

Function of tau protein in adult newborn neurons

Levels of tau phosphorylation are high during the developmental period of intense neurite outgrowth, but decrease later. We here investigated whether tau protein plays a role in adult neurogenesis. First we demonstrate that new neurons generated in the subgranular zone express tau in a hyperphosphorylated form. Phospho-tau expression colocalized with doublecortin but not with glial fibrillary acidic protein, Ki67 or calbindin. The same was observed in the subventricular zone. Tau knockout mice did not show a significant decrease in the number of doublecortin-positive cells, although a deficit in migration was observed. These findings suggest that basal tau phosphorylation present in adult animals is in part due to neurogenesis, and from Tau knockout mice it seems that tau is involved in normal migration of new neurons.

Expression analysis of Progranulin and TDP‐43 genes in FTLD‐U and FTLD‐MND

Mutations in MAPT and Progranulin (PGRN) genes have been found in familial forms of FTLD‐U. MAPT mutations alter tau protein function or isoform ratios and PGRN mutations lead to haploinsufficiency. High PGRN expression was found in central nervous system diseases with microglial activation. PGRN is not present in the TDP‐43 or ubiquitinated inclusions of either familial or sporadic FTLD‐U. There are at least three possibilities regarding the interaction of PGRN and TDP‐43: neurodegeneration may result as a consequence of accumulation of TDP‐43, both may be the result of PGRN mutation, or TDP‐43 accumulation may be protective against neurodegeneration, but ineffective. Our gene expression microarray analysis of homogenates from superficial frontal cortex of post‐mortem frozen FTLD‐U brain showed altered expression of PGRN and TDP‐43 genes. Our array data showed TDP‐43 to be 1.5 fold increased in both FTLD‐MND and FTLD‐U while PGRN showed no gene expression differences between controls and FTLD‐MND. Only one case has a PGRN mutation and whether it is a pathogenic mutation is as yet unknown. Due to high stringency approaches in array analysis it is possible that some disease relevant information is lost. So we further investigated the array results using quantitative Real Time PCR. Preliminary data showed altered expression which will be discussed in detail. Increased PGRN from activated microglia may contribute to artificially normal PGRN.

The Role of Neurotrophins and Insulin on Tau Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease

Alterations in the structure and function of tau protein is the primary pathology of a variety of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). In these diseases, hyperphosphorylated tau protein forms aggregates which are deposited in the somadendritic regions of the neurons in the central nervous system. This series of events is toxic to neurons, and plays a crucial role in disease development. However, the events leading to the deregulation of tau protein in AD are not clear. Recently, there has been much research into the possible roles of neurotrophic factors in AD. AD brain exhibits changes in levels of different neurotrophic factors, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor and nerve growth factor. These neurotrophic factors are known to be important for the proper functioning of neurons, and their deregulation may play an important role in AD disease progression. Of particular interest, these neurotrophic factors may play a role in the regulation and proper function of tau protein. In this review, the roles of neurotrophic factors in AD and in the regulation of tau protein are discussed.

Doublecortin-like Kinase Controls Neurogenesis by Regulating Mitotic Spindles and M Phase Progression

The mechanisms controlling neurogenesis during brain development remain relatively unknown. Through a differential protein screen with developmental versus mature neural tissues, we identified a group of developmentally enriched microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) including doublecortin-like kinase (DCLK), a protein that shares high homology with doublecortin (DCX). DCLK, but not DCX, is highly expressed in regions of active neurogenesis in the neocortex and cerebellum. Through a dynein-dependent mechanism, DCLK regulates the formation of bipolar mitotic spindles and the proper transition from prometaphase to metaphase during mitosis. In cultured cortical neural progenitors, DCLK RNAi Lentivirus disrupts the structure of mitotic spindles and the progression of M phase, causing an increase of cell-cycle exit index and an ectopic commitment to a neuronal fate. Furthermore, both DCLK gain and loss of function in vivo specifically promote a neuronal identity in neural progenitors. These data provide evidence that DCLK controls mitotic division by regulating spindle formation and also determines the fate of neural progenitors during cortical neurogenesis.

Regulation of tau isoform expression and dementia

In the central nervous system (CNS), aberrant changes in tau mRNA splicing and consequently in protein isoform ratios cause abnormal aggregation of tau and neurodegeneration. Pathological tau causes neuronal loss in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and a diverse group of disorders called the frontotemporal dementias (FTD), which are two of the most common forms of dementia and afflict more than 10% of the elderly population. Autosomal dominant mutations in the tau gene cause frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism-chromosome 17 type (FTDP-17). Just over half the mutations affect tau protein function and decrease its affinity for microtubules (MTs) or increase self-aggregation. The remaining mutations occur within exon 10 (E10) and intron 10 sequences and alter complex regulation of E10 splicing by multiple mechanisms. FTDP-17 splicing mutations disturb the normally balanced levels of distinct protein isoforms that result in altered biochemical and structural properties of tau. In addition to FTDP-17, altered tau isoform levels are also pathogenically associated with other FTD disorders such as progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal degeneration and Pick's disease; however, the mechanisms remain undefined and mutations in tau have not been detected. FTDP-17 highlights the association between splicing mutations and the pronounced variability in pathology as well as phenotype that is characteristic of inherited disorders.

Role of tau phosphorylation by glycogen synthase kinase-3beta in the regulation of organelle transport.

Anterograde organelle transport is known to be inhibited by overexpression of the microtubule-associated protein tau in cultured cells. However, the molecular mechanism regulating this function of tau protein has not previously been understood. We found that in PC12 cells treated with NGF or fibroblast growth factor-2, glycogen synthase kinase-3beta and tau were upregulated simultaneously from around day 2 of differentiation, with increasing glycogen synthase kinase-3-mediated tau phosphorylation. This phosphorylation did not alter tau's ability to bind to microtubules but appeared to be required for the maintenance of the anterograde organelle transport in differentiated cells. Lithium, alsterpaullone or valproate, three independent glycogen synthase kinase-3 inhibitors, but not butyrolactone 1, an inhibitor of cyclin-dependent protein kinases, induced mitochondrial clustering in association with tau dephosphorylation. In CHO cells transfected with human tau(441), mitochondrial clustering was found in cells in which tau was unphosphorylated. These findings raise the possibility that the phosphorylation of tau by glycogen synthase kinase-3 might be involved in the regulation of organelle transport.

Tau protein function in axonal formation.

Tau protein is a predominantly neuronal microtubule-associated protein that is enriched in axons and is capable of promoting microtubule assembly and stabilization. In the present article we review some of the key experiments directed to obtain insights about tau protein function in developing neurons. Aspects related to whether or not tau has essential, unique, or complementary functions during axonal formation are discussed.

Phylogenetic diversity of the expression of the microtubule-associated protein tau: implications for neurodegenerative disorders

The microtubule-associated protein tau regulates the dynamic stability of the neuronal cytoskeleton by interacting with microtubules. It is encoded by a single gene, but expressed in a variety of isoforms due to differential RNA splicing. Six isoforms can be found in the human central nervous system. These isoforms differ in their ability to promote the assembly of microtubules as well as in their capacity to stabilize existing microtubule structures. Furthermore, some of the isoforms of tau are specifically involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders. Thus, splicing of tau might critically influence the physiological functions of tau protein as well as the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases with tauopathy. The present study addresses the differential expression of the six isoforms of tau in the central nervous system of 12 mammalian species including Homo sapiens. The occurrence of each of the six tau isoforms was highly variable. However, species that were phylogenetically related expressed a similar pattern of tau isoforms. These results suggest a phylogenetic descent of splicing paradigms, which can be matched with known phylogenetic concepts based on morphological and molecular genetical studies. Especially, the unique expression pattern of tau isoforms in the human central nervous system implicates a possible link to the particular vulnerability of humans to neurodegenerative disorders with tauopathy, namely Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia and Pick's disease.

Expression of tau protein in non-neuronal cells: microtubule binding and stabilization.

The microtubule-associated protein tau is a developmentally regulated family of neuronal phosphoproteins that promotes the assembly and stabilization of microtubules. The carboxy-terminal half of the protein contains three copies of an imperfectly repeated sequence; this region has been found to bind microtubules in vitro. In addition, a fourth copy of the repeat has been found in adult-specific forms of tau protein. To examine the structure and function of tau protein in vivo, we have transiently expressed fetal and adult forms of tau protein and tau protein fragments in tissue culture cells. Biochemical analysis reveals full-length products with heterogeneity in post-translational modification synthesized in the cells. Immunofluorescent staining of transfected cells shows that, under our conditions, sequences on both sides of the repeat region are required for in vivo microtubule co-localization. These additional regions may be required either for enhancing microtubule contacts or for proper protein folding in the cell. In our expression system, the bundling of cellular microtubules occurs only in transfections using four-repeat tau constructs; any four-repeat construct capable of binding is also able to induce bundling. Our data suggest that the presence of bundles is correlated with enhanced microtubule stability; factors that increase stability such as higher levels of tau protein expression or the presence of the fourth repeat, increase the fraction of transfected cells showing bundles. Finally, the presence of tau protein in the cell allows all interphase microtubules to become acetylated, a post-translational modification usually reserved for a subset of stable cellular microtubules.

Involvement of mature tau isoforms in the stabilization of neurites in PC12 cells

Tau microtubule-associated proteins are believed to play a role in regulation of the growth of neuronal processes. In order to study the function of tau protein in vivo, we examined the inhibition of tau expression in PC12 cells by exposing the cells to tau antisense oligodeoxynucleotides. A specific retraction of neurites was observed after 3-4 days of incubation with nerve growth factor (NGF) and the antisense oligodeoxynucleotides. This is different from the previously described retraction of neurites at the initiation step following exposure to tubulin antisense oligodeoxynucleotides, indicating that tau proteins are involved at later stages of neurite outgrowth. Analysis of tau protein isoforms in NGF-induced PC12 cells showed a transition from immature to mature tau isoforms, thus relating the appearance of the latter with the stabilization step of neurite outgrowth. Use of an RNase-protection assay demonstrated a similar switch from immature to mature tau mRNA species. The transition to stable microtubules was verified by the appearance of microtubule bundles and their stability to colchicine treatment. Both phenomena occurred between 2 and 4 days of NGF induction. These results indicate that in vivo only mature tau isoforms are involved in the transition from unstable to stable neurites, which is a key step in neuronal development.

Tau protein function in living cells.

Tau protein from mammalian brain promotes microtubule polymerization in vitro and is induced during nerve cell differentiation. However, the effects of tau or any other microtubule-associated protein on tubulin assembly within cells are presently unknown. We have tested tau protein activity in vivo by microinjection into a cell type that has no endogenous tau protein. Immunofluorescence shows that tau protein microinjected into fibroblast cells associates specifically with microtubules. The injected tau protein increases tubulin polymerization and stabilizes microtubules against depolymerization. This increased polymerization does not, however, cause major changes in cell morphology or microtubule arrangement. Thus, tau protein acts in vivo primarily to induce tubulin assembly and stabilize microtubules, activities that may be necessary, but not sufficient, for neuronal morphogenesis.