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In Vitro Aggregation Assays Using Hyperphosphorylated Tau Protein
Published on: January 2, 2015
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Progressive tau aggregation does not alter functional brain network connectivity in seeded hTau.P301L mice
Jan R Detrez1, Inès R H Ben-Nejma2, Kristof Van Kolen3
1Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, University of Antwerp, Belgium.
Neurobiology of Disease
|July 13, 2020
Summary
This study found that despite accumulating tau pathology, brain network connectivity and behavior remained unchanged in a mouse model of tauopathy. Further research is needed to determine if this is typical for tauopathies.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Biomedical Imaging
Background:
- Progressive accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau is a key feature of neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease.
- The impact of tau pathology on functional brain network connectivity is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of tau pathology on functional brain connectivity.
- To assess behavioral changes associated with tau accumulation in a mouse model.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study using a fibril-seeded hTau.P301L mouse model.
- Correlative whole-brain microscopy and resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) were employed.
- Behavioral testing across three different paradigms was conducted.
Main Results:
- Tau pathology progressed throughout the brain without affecting major resting-state networks up to 15 weeks post-seeding.
- Connectivity in regions with high tau levels was comparable to control groups.
- No significant behavioral differences were observed between seeded and control mice.
Conclusions:
- Seeded tau pathology, even with aggregate accumulation, did not alter functional connectivity or behavior in this specific mouse model.
- Further studies in diverse mouse models are necessary to ascertain if these findings generalize to other tauopathies.
