MTOR regulates tau phosphorylation and degradation: implications for Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies.

ABSTRACT: Accumulation of tau is a critical event in several neurodegenerative disorders, collectively known as tauopathies, which include Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia. Pathological tau is hyperphosphorylated and aggregates to form neurofibrillary tangles. The molecular mechanisms leading to tau accumulation remain unclear and more needs to be done to elucidate them. Age is a major risk factor for all tauopathies, suggesting that molecular changes contributing to the aging process may facilitate tau accumulation and represent common mechanisms across different tauopathies. Here, we use multiple animal models and complementary genetic and pharmacological approaches to show that the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) regulates tau phosphorylation and degradation. Specifically, we

SUBMITTER: Caccamo A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3655115 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature