Tau story: from frontotemporal dementia to other tauopathies

Tau proteins belong to the family of microtubule-associated proteins. They are mainly expressed in neurons where they play an important role in the assembly of tubulin monomers into microtubules to constitute the neuronal microtubules network. Tau proteins are translated from a single gene located on chromosome 17. Their expression is developmentally regulated by an alternative splicing mechanism and six different isoforms exist in the human adult brain. Tau proteins are the major constituents of fibrillar lesions described in Alzheimer's disease and numerous neurodegenerative disorders referred to as 'tauopathies'. Molecular analysis has revealed that an abnormal phosphorylation might be one of the important events in the process leading to their aggregation. Moreover, a specific set of pathological tau proteins exhibiting a typical biochemical pattern, and a different regional and laminar distribution could characterize each of these disorders. Finally, the recent discovery of tau gene mutations in fronto-temporal dementia with parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 has reinforced the direct role attributed to tau proteins in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders, and underlined the fact that distinct sets of tau isoforms expressed in different neuronal populations could lead to different pathologies. Conversely, recent data in myotonic dystrophy has demonstrated that indirect effect (CTG repeat expansion) leading to variations in tau alternative splicing also produce neurofibrillary degeneration.     

Pseudophosphorylation of tau protein alters its ability for self-aggregation

Filamentous tau protein deposits are a pathological hallmark of a group of neurodegenerative disorders (tauopathies). Tau protein in these aggregates is highly phosphorylated at different phosphorylation sites. Although tau filaments can be formed by heparin-induced aggregation of unphosphorylated recombinant tau, it is not known how tau phosphorylation modulates aggregation behaviour. Analysis of the effect of tau phosphorylation at defined single or multiple sites is hampered by the low specificity of protein kinases and the highly dynamic turnover of phosphorylation in vivo. To overcome this problem we employed site-directed mutagenesis to convert serine and threonine to aspartic acid or glutamic acid, which introduce a negative charge and conformational change that mimic phosphorylation. We tested 14 different mutated tau proteins for their propensity for self-aggregation and formation of tau filaments. Tau aggregation was monitored with thioflavin S fluorescence in the presence of different inducers such as heparin, Al3+, Fe2+ and Fe3+. We found that mutations in the N-terminal portion up to amino acid 208 mainly suppress tau aggregation, whereas mutations in the C-terminal region mainly lead to an enhanced aggregation. Mutations in the middle portion of tau showed a mixed picture of suppression and enhancement of aggregation. A single amino acid change Ser422Glu has aggregation-favouring properties with all four inducers.     

Preparation and characterization of neurotoxic tau oligomers

Tau aggregation is a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and many other neurodegenerative disorders known as tauopathies. Tau aggregates take on many forms, and their formation is a multistage process with intermediate stages. Recently, tau oligomers have emerged as the pathogenic species in tauopathies and a possible mediator of amyloid-β toxicity in Alzheimer's disease. Here, we use a novel, physiologically relevant method (oligomer cross-seeding) to prepare homogeneous populations of tau oligomers and characterize these oligomers in vitro. We show that both Aβ and α-synuclein oligomers induce tau aggregation and the formation of β-sheet-rich neurotoxic tau oligomers.     

Calpain-mediated tau cleavage: a mechanism leading to neurodegeneration shared by multiple tauopathies

Tau dysfunction has been associated with a host of neurodegenerative diseases called tauopathies. These diseases share, as a common pathological hallmark, the presence of intracellular aggregates of hyperphosphorylated tau in affected brain areas. Aside from tau hyperphosphorylation, little is known about the role of other posttranslational modifications in tauopathies. Recently, we obtained data suggesting that calpain-mediated tau cleavage leading to the generation of a neurotoxic tau fragment might play an important role in Alzheimer's disease. In the current study, we assessed the presence of this tau fragment in several tauopathies. Our results show high levels of the 17-kDa tau fragment and enhanced calpain activity in the temporal cortex of AD patients and in brain samples obtained from patients with other tauopathies. In addition, our data suggest that this fragment could partially inhibit tau aggregation. Conversely, tau aggregation might prevent calpain-mediated cleavage, establishing a feedback circuit that might lead to the accumulation of this toxic tau fragment. Collectively, these data suggest that the mechanism underlying the generation of the 17-kDa neurotoxic tau fragment might be part of a conserved pathologic process shared by multiple tauopathies.     

Tau蛋白在阿尔茨海默病中的作用

阿尔茨海默病(AD)是非常普遍的神经变性性疾病并且是老年人痴呆的主要原因。AD患者的症状特点包括进行性的认知障碍、记忆丧失和行为障碍,与大脑中的病理变化密切相关。AD现成为全球最严重的健康和社会经济问题。在AD患者脑中神经纤维网或神经营养障碍的过程中存在tau蛋白的异常。tau蛋白丧失其促微管组装的生物学功能,导致细胞骨架的破坏、丝状物形成和神经缠结,轴突运输损害,进而导致突触蛋白失去功能和神经退行性病变。其数量和结构的改变将会影响其功能而且会出现异常聚集。调节Tau蛋白的异常聚集的分子机制主要是一些翻译后修饰使其结构及构象发生变化。因此,异常磷酸化和截断的tau蛋白作为tau蛋白病理过程的关键机制而引起学者关注。本文描述了tau蛋白的结构和功能及其在AD中的主要病理变化,同时在本文中还涉及到磷酸化的tau蛋白是神经元对氧化应激的代偿反应这一观点。对tau蛋白进行更加全面的解读。     

Tau phosphorylation and aggregation in Alzheimer's disease pathology

In this article I shall review how tau phosphorylation and aggregation participates in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other tauopathies. Tau, a microtubule associated protein, is the main component, in phosphorylated form, of the aberrant paired helical filaments found in AD. Tau is present in phosphorylated and aggregated form not only in AD, but in other pathologies (tauopathies). In this review, the phosphorylation of tau, its aggregation, and the possible relation between tau phosphorylation and aggregation is, briefly, described. Also, it is discussed the toxicity of modified tau. In addition, I propose a working model detailing the progression of tau pathologies.     

Mutations causing neurodegenerative tauopathies

Tau is the major component of the intracellular filamentous deposits that define a number of neurodegenerative diseases. They include the largely sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD), progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, Pick's disease and argyrophilic grain disease, as well as the inherited frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17). For a long time, it was unclear whether the dysfunction of tau protein follows disease or whether disease follows tau dysfunction. This was resolved when mutations in Tau were found to cause FTDP-17. Currently, 32 different mutations have been identified in over 100 families. About half of the known mutations have their primary effect at the protein level. They reduce the ability of tau protein to interact with microtubules and increase its propensity to assemble into abnormal filaments. The other mutations have their primary effect at the RNA level and perturb the normal ratio of three-repeat to four-repeat tau isoforms. Where studied, this resulted in a relative overproduction of tau protein with four microtubule-binding domains in the brain. Individual Tau mutations give rise to diseases that resemble progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration or Pick's disease. Moreover, the H1 haplotype of Tau has been identified as a significant risk factor for progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal degeneration. At a practical level, the new work is leading to the production of experimental animal models that reproduce the essential molecular and cellular features of the human tauopathies, including the formation of abundant filaments made of hyperphosphorylated tau protein and nerve cell degeneration.     

The neuropathological spectrum of neurodegenerative tauopathies

Abundant neurofibrillary lesions made of abnormal and hyperphosphorylated microtubule-associated protein tau constitute one of the defining neuropathological features of Alzheimer's disease. However, tau containing filamentous deposits in neurons and/or glial cells also define a heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative disorders clinically characterized by dementia and/or motor syndromes. Thus, all these disorders are collectively grouped under the generic term of tauopathies. In the present review we outline the morphological and biochemical characteristics of some major tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease, Pick's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration and argyrophilic grain disease. The second part will deal with the recent discovery of tau gene mutations in frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 which demonstrates that tau dysfunction can lead to neurodegeneration. Finally, we will discuss the very recent finding of 'tau-deficient' tauopathy in a subset of frontotemporal dementia cases.     

Tau mutations in neurodegenerative diseases

Tau deposition is found in a variety of neurodegenerative brain diseases. The identification of tau mutations that cause familial dementia demonstrated that aberrant Tau alone could cause neurodegenerative disease and suggested that Tau likely plays a role in other cases in which Tau deposits are found, most notably Alzheimer disease. The mechanisms by which tau mutations cause neurodegeneration vary and are unclear to some degree, but evidence supports changes in alternative splicing, phosphorylation state, interaction with tubulin, and self-association into filaments as important contributing factors.     

Tau protein and neurodegeneration

Tau protein is the major component of the intracellular filamentous deposits that define a number of neurodegenerative diseases. They include the largely sporadic Alzheimer's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal degeneration (CBD), Pick's disease (PiD), argyrophilic grain disease, as well as the inherited frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17). The identification of mutations in Tau as the cause of FTDP-17 established that dysfunction or misregulation of tau protein is sufficient to cause neurodegeneration and dementia. At an experimental level, the new understanding is leading to the development of good transgenic animal models of the tauopathies.     

DnaJA1 antagonizes constitutive Hsp70-mediated stabilization of tau

Tau aggregation and amyloidogenesis are common hallmarks for neurodegenerative disorders called tauopathies. The molecular chaperone network constitutes the cellular defense against insults such as tau aggregation. However, chaperone effects on tau are dichotomous. Loss of tau's microtubule-binding activity facilitates an inappropriate chaperone interaction that promotes an amyloidogenic tau conformation. Conversely, other chaperones are capable of promoting tau clearance. Here, we demonstrate that a critical contributor to tau triage is the DnaJ-binding domain of Hsp70 proteins. In particular, over-expression of the constitutive DnaJ, DnaJA1, mediated tau clearance, while knockdown facilitated tau accumulation. This clearance was not specific to distinct pathogenic tau species. The activity of DnaJA1 was attenuated by concomitant increases in Hsp70. Tau reductions facilitated by DnaJA1 were dependent on the integrity of lysines known to be poly-ubiquitinated in human Alzheimer's brain. In vivo, DnaJA1 and tau levels were inversely correlated. The effects of DnaJA1 were partially specific: DnaJA1 reduced the levels of a polyQ protein but had no significant effect on α-synuclein levels. These data suggest that DnaJA1 triages all tau species for ubiquitin-dependent clearance mechanisms. Moreover, the levels of DnaJA1 and Hsp70 seem to play against each other with regard to tau: as DnaJA1 levels increase, tau levels are reduced, but this can be prevented if Hsp70 levels are simultaneously induced. Thus, the DnaJ repertoire possibly represents a powerful set of genetic modifiers for tau pathogenesis. Further investigations could provide new insights about triage decisions that facilitate or prevent amyloidogenesis of tau and other proteins associated with neurodegenerative disease.     

Direct analysis of tau from PSP brain identifies new phosphorylation sites and a major fragment of N-terminally cleaved tau containing four microtubule-binding repeats

Tangles containing hyperphosphorylated aggregates of insoluble tau are a pathological hallmark of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Several phosphorylation sites on tau in PSP have been identified using phospho-specific antibodies, but no sites have been determined by direct sequencing due to the difficulty in enriching insoluble tau from PSP brain. We describe a new method to enrich insoluble PSP-tau and report eight phosphorylation sites [Ser46, Thr181, Ser202, Thr217, Thr231, Ser235, Ser396/Ser400 (one site) and Thr403/Ser404 (one site)] identified by mass spectrometry. We also describe a 35 kDa C-terminal tau fragment (tau35), lacking the N-terminus of tau but containing four microtubule-binding repeats (4R), that is present only in neurodegenerative disorders in which 4R tau is over-represented. Tau35 was readily detectable in PSP, corticobasal degeneration and 4R forms of fronto-temporal dementia with parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17, but was absent from control, Alzheimer's disease and Pick's disease brain. Our findings suggest the aggregatory characteristics of PSP-tau differ from those of insoluble tau in Alzheimer's disease brain and this might be related to the presence of a C-terminal cleavage product of tau.     

Tau alteration and neuronal degeneration in tauopathies: mechanisms and models

Tau becomes characteristically altered both functionally and structurally in several neurodegenerative diseases now collectively called tauopathies. Although increasing evidence supports that alterations of tau may directly cause neuronal degeneration and cell death, the mechanisms, which render tau to become a toxic agent are still unclear. In addition, it is obscure, whether neurodegeneration in tauopathies occurs via a common mechanism or specific differences exist. The aim of this review is to provide an overview about the different experimental models that currently exist, how they are used to determine the role of tau during degeneration and what has been learnt from them concerning the mechanistic role of tau in the disease process. The review begins with a discussion about similarities and differences in tau alteration in paradigmatic tauopathies such as frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). The second part concentrates on major experimental models that have been used to address the mechanistic role of tau during degeneration. This will include a discussion of cell-free assays, culture models using cell lines or dissociated neurons, and animal models. How these models aid to understand (i) alterations in the function of tau as a microtubule-associated protein (MAP), (ii) direct cytotoxicity of altered tau protein, and (iii) the potential role of tau aggregation in neurodegenerative processes will be the central theme of this part. The review ends with concluding remarks about a general mechanistic model of the role of tau alteration and neuronal degeneration in tauopathies and future perspectives.     

Genetic modifiers of tauopathy in Drosophila

In Alzheimer's disease and related disorders, the microtubule-associated protein Tau is abnormally hyperphosphorylated and aggregated into neurofibrillary tangles. Mutations in the tau gene cause familial frontotemporal dementia. To investigate the molecular mechanisms responsible for Tau-induced neurodegeneration, we conducted a genetic modifier screen in a Drosophila model of tauopathy. Kinases and phosphatases comprised the major class of modifiers recovered, and several candidate Tau kinases were similarly shown to enhance Tau toxicity in vivo. Despite some clinical and pathological similarities among neurodegenerative disorders, a direct comparison of modifiers between different Drosophila disease models revealed that the genetic pathways controlling Tau and polyglutamine toxicity are largely distinct. Our results demonstrate that kinases and phosphatases control Tau-induced neurodegeneration and have important implications for the development of therapies in Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.     

The Power and Richness of Modelling Tauopathies in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila</Emphasis>

Tauopathies are a group of neurodegenerative disorders characterised by altered levels of phosphorylation or mutations in the neuronal microtubule protein Tau. The heterogeneous pathology of tauopathies suggests differential susceptibility of different neuronal types to wild-type and mutant Tau. The genetic power and facility of the Drosophila model has been instrumental in exploring the molecular aetiologies of tauopathies, identifying additional proteins likely contributing to neuronal dysfunction and toxicity and novel Tau phosphorylations mediating them. Importantly, recent results indicate tissue- and temporal-specific effects on dysfunction and toxicity coupled with differential effects of distinct Tau isoforms within them. Therefore, they reveal an unexpected richness of the Drosophila model that, coupled with its molecular genetic power, will likely play a significant role in our understanding of multiple tauopathies potentially leading to their differential treatment.     

Filamentous nerve cell inclusions in neurodegenerative diseases: tauopathies and alpha-synucleinopathies.

Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease are the most common neurodegenerative diseases. They are characterized by the degeneration of selected populations of nerve cells that develop filamentous inclusions before degeneration. The neuronal inclusions of Alzheimer's disease are made of the microtubule-associated protein tau, in a hyperphosphorylated state. Recent work has shown that the filamentous inclusions of Parkinson's disease are made of the protein alpha-synuclein and that rare, familial forms of Parkinson's disease are caused by missense mutations in the alpha-synuclein gene. Besides Parkinson's disease, the filamentous inclusions of two additional neurodegenerative diseases, namely dementia with Lewy bodies and multiple system atrophy, have also been found to be made of alpha-synuclein. Abundant filamentous tau inclusions are not limited to Alzheimer's disease. They are the defining neuropathological characteristic of frontotemporal dementias such as Pick's disease, and of progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal degeneration. The recent discovery of mutations in the tau gene in familial forms of frontotemporal dementia has provided a direct link between tau dysfunction and dementing disease. The new work has established that tauopathies and alpha-synucleinopathies account for most late-onset neurodegenerative diseases in man. The formation of intracellular filamentous inclusions might be the gain of toxic function that leads to the demise of affected brain cells.     

Transgenic animal models of tauopathies

Tauopathies are a group of neurodegenerative disorders that include Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17) and other related diseases with prominent tau pathology. Research advances in the last several decades have characterized and defined tau neuropathologies of both neuron and glia in these diverse disorders and this has stimulated development of animal models of tauopathies. Indeed, animal models ranging from invertebrate species such as C. elegan to Drosophila melanogaster and mammalian transgenic mouse models of tauopathies have been generated and reported. This review summarizes the salient features of many of the known models of tauopathies.     

Post-translational modifications of tau protein: implications for Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) belongs to a group of neurodegenerative diseases collectively designated as "tauopathies", because they are characterized by the aggregation of abnormally phosphorylated tau protein. The mechanisms responsible for tau aggregation and its contribution to neurodegeneration are still unknown. Thereby, understanding the modes of regulation of tau is of high interest in the determination of the possible causes at the origin of the formation of tau aggregates and to elaborate protection strategies to cope with these pathological lesions. The regulation of tau takes place predominantly through post-translational modifications. Extensive reports have been published about tau phosphorylation; however, the other tau post-translational modifications have received much less attention. Here, we review the different types of post-translational modifications of tau including phosphorylation, glycosylation, glycation, prolyl-isomerization, cleavage or truncation, nitration, polyamination, ubiquitination, sumoylation, oxidation and aggregation, with a particular interest towards their relevance in AD.     

Identification and isolation of a hyperphosphorylated, conformationally changed intermediate of human protein tau expressed in yeast

Hyperphosphorylation and aggregation of protein tau are typical for neurodegenerative tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). We demonstrate here that human tau expressed in yeast acquired pathological phosphoepitopes, assumed a pathological conformation, and formed aggregates. These processes were modulated by yeast kinases Mds1 and Pho85, orthologues of GSK-3beta and cdk5, respectively. Surprisingly, inactivation of Pho85 increased phosphorylation of tau-4R, concomitant with increased conformational change defined by antibody MC1 and a 40-fold increase in aggregation. Soluble protein tau, purified from yeast lacking PHO85, spontaneously and rapidly formed tau filaments in vitro. Further fractionation of tau by anion-exchange chromatography yielded a hyperphosphorylated monomeric subfraction, termed hP-tau/MC1, with slow electrophoretic mobility and enriched with all major epitopes, including MC1. Isolated hP-tau/MC1 vastly accelerated in vitro aggregation of wild-type tau-4R, demonstrating its functional capacity to initiate aggregation, as well as its structural stability. Combined, this novel yeast model recapitulates hyperphosphorylation, conformation, and aggregation of protein tau, provides insight in molecular changes crucial in tauopathies, offers a source for isolation of modified protein tau, and has potential for identification of modulating compounds and genes.     

Amyloidogenesis of Tau protein

The role of microtubule‐associated protein Tau in neurodegeneration has been extensively investigated since the discovery of Tau amyloid aggregates in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The process of formation of amyloid fibrils is known as amyloidogenesis and attracts much attention as a potential target in the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative conditions linked to protein aggregation. Cerebral deposition of amyloid aggregates of Tau is observed not only in AD but also in numerous other tauopathies and prion diseases. Amyloidogenesis of intrinsically unstructured monomers of Tau can be triggered by mutations in the Tau gene, post‐translational modifications, or interactions with polyanionic molecules and aggregation‐prone proteins/peptides. The self‐assembly of amyloid fibrils of Tau shares a number of characteristic features with amyloidogenesis of other proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases. For example, in vitro experiments have demonstrated that the nucleation phase, which is the rate‐limiting stage of Tau amyloidogenesis, is shortened in the presence of fragmented preformed Tau fibrils acting as aggregation templates (“seeds”). Accordingly, Tau aggregates released by tauopathy‐affected neurons can spread the neurodegenerative process in the brain through a prion‐like mechanism, originally described for the pathogenic form of prion protein. Moreover, Tau has been shown to form amyloid strains—structurally diverse self‐propagating aggregates of potentially various pathological effects, resembling in this respect prion strains. Here, we review the current literature on Tau aggregation and discuss mechanisms of propagation of Tau amyloid in the light of the prion‐like paradigm.