Toxic Tau Aggregates Alter Cell Nucleus Structure in Harmful Ways
Tauopathies, a set of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by altered tau protein aggregation, are linked to conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. Research suggests that understanding how toxic tau damages neurons could lead to potential advancements in treatment. The buildup of tau in the brain is associated with various tauopathies, including Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal lobar degeneration, and others. Studies reveal that toxic tau oligomers can significantly impact the structure of neuronal nuclei, leading to changes in gene expression that may exacerbate the condition. This discovery could open doors to new treatment approaches for Alzheimer’s and other tauopathies.
“Our discovery that tau oligomers alter the shape of the nucleus drove us to the next step – testing the idea that changes in gene expression are caused by the nuclear shape change. That’s exactly what we saw for many genes, and the biggest change is that the gene for tau itself increases its expression almost three-fold. So bad tau might cause more bad tau to be made by neurons – that would be like a snowball rolling downhill.”
Researchers found that patients with Alzheimer’s disease and animal models of the disease exhibited significant changes in neuronal nuclei structure, underscoring the potential impact of toxic tau on cell function. The implications of these findings could offer new pathways for slowing or halting the progression of tauopathies. For more information, visit https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1029540/a>
