Phospho-Tau Impairs Nuclear-Cytoplasmic Transport

Aggregation of hyperphosphorylated tau is the hallmark of several tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although the mechanism underlying tau-associated neuronal damage remains unclear, it is believed that tau hyperphosphorylation is one of the key features in disease progression. A recent study demonstrates that hyperphosphorylated tau (P-tau) interacts with components of the nuclear pore complex (NPC) to impair nuclear-cytoplasmic transport and contribute to tau-induced neurotoxicity. The NPC thus represents a point of convergence between pathological tau and neuronal dysfunction in AD.