Document Detail


Hyperphosphorylated truncated protein tau induces caspase-3 independent apoptosis-like pathway in the Alzheimer's disease cellular model.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20966551     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Neurofibrillary degeneration and neuronal loss represent key pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). It has been demonstrated that the decrease of total neuronal numbers correlates with the presence of neurofibrillary degeneration in AD brain. In order to unravel the mechanism leading to the cell death in AD, we developed a stably transfected human neuroblastoma cellular model with doxycycline-regulatable expression of AD truncated tau protein (AT tau, 151-391 4R). Cells expressing the longest tau isoform (Tau 40) were used as a control. We found that more than 80% of the total amount of AT tau and Tau 40 were phosphorylated. Strikingly, both AT tau and Tau 40 reduced the metabolic activity of the cells in a time-dependent manner (p < 0.0001) suggesting that tau overexpression slows down cell proliferation. However, AT tau showed significantly higher toxicity than Tau 40 (p < 0.0001), which indicates that truncation leads to a toxic gain of function. The analysis of the type of the cell death revealed the characteristic features of apoptosis such as cell shrinkage, nuclear, and DNA fragmentation. However, we did not find either the activation of executive caspase (caspase-3) or the caspase cleavage products (PARP and fodrin). These results show that posttranslationally modified truncated tau protein induces caspase-3-independent apoptosis-like programmed cell death, a phenomenon we term tauoptosis.
Authors:
Monika Zilkova; Norbert Zilka; Andrej Kovac; Branislav Kovacech; Rostislav Skrabana; Michaela Skrabanova; Michal Novak
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD     Volume:  23     ISSN:  1875-8908     ISO Abbreviation:  J. Alzheimers Dis.     Publication Date:  2011  
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2011-01-13     Completed Date:  2011-05-05     Revised Date:  2011-08-19    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  9814863     Medline TA:  J Alzheimers Dis     Country:  Netherlands    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  161-9     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, AD Centre, Bratislava, Slovak Republic Axon-Neuroscience GmbH, Vienna, Austria.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Analysis of Variance
Apoptosis / genetics,  physiology*
Carrier Proteins / genetics,  metabolism
Caspase 3 / metabolism*
Cell Count
Cell Line, Tumor
DNA Fragmentation / drug effects
Gene Expression / genetics
Humans
In Situ Nick-End Labeling / methods
Microfilament Proteins / genetics,  metabolism
Mutation / genetics
Neuroblastoma
Phosphorylation / drug effects,  genetics
Signal Transduction / drug effects,  genetics*
Transfection
tau Proteins / genetics*
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Carrier Proteins; 0/Microfilament Proteins; 0/fodrin; 0/tau Proteins; EC 3.4.22.-/Caspase 3

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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