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Extracellular Tau Oligomers Damage the Axon Initial Segment.

Merci N Best1,2, Yunu Lim1, Nina N Ferenc1

  • 1Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.

Journal of Alzheimer'S Disease : JAD
|May 14, 2023
PubMed
Summary

Extracellular tau oligomers damage the axon initial segment (AIS) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) models. This damage, dependent on intracellular tau, suggests a mechanism for AIS dysfunction in AD neurons.

Keywords:
Alzheimer’s diseaseTRIM46 proteinankyrin-G proteinaxon initial segmentneurofascin proteintau proteins

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cell Biology
  • Neurodegenerative Diseases

Background:

  • Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by compromised neuronal polarity and synaptic connectivity.
  • The axon initial segment (AIS) is crucial for neuronal polarity and function, regulating protein segregation and action potential initiation.
  • Extracellular tau oligomers (xcTauOs) spread pathology via a prion-like mechanism, but their broader cellular effects are less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the hypothesis that AIS structure is sensitive to extracellular tau oligomers (xcTauOs).

Main Methods:

  • Primary cortical neurons from wild-type (WT) and tau knockout (KO) mice were treated with xcTauOs.
  • Quantitative western blotting and immunofluorescence microscopy were used to assess AIS proteins, including TRIM46.
  • Human hippocampal tissues from AD and age-matched non-AD donors were analyzed for AIS protein composition and length.

Main Results:

  • xcTauOs reduced TRIM46 concentration and shortened the AIS in cultured WT neurons, but not in tau KO neurons.
  • Lentiviral tau expression in KO neurons restored AIS sensitivity to xcTauOs.
  • In AD human hippocampus, neurons with neurofibrillary tangles showed reduced AIS TRIM46 concentration and length, despite unchanged overall AIS protein levels.

Conclusions:

  • Extracellular tau oligomers induce partial AIS damage in cultured neurons through an intracellular tau-dependent mechanism.
  • This suggests xcTauOs may contribute to AIS reduction in AD neurons in vivo by interacting with endogenous tau.