Exosomes taken up by neurons hijack the endosomal pathway to spread to interconnected neurons.

ABSTRACT: In Alzheimer disease and related disorders, the microtubule-associated protein tau aggregates and forms cytoplasmic lesions that impair neuronal physiology at many levels. In addition to affecting the host neuron, tau aggregates also spread to neighboring, recipient cells where the misfolded tau aggregates, in a manner similar to prions, actively corrupt the proper folding of soluble tau, and thereby impair cellular functions. One vehicle for the transmission of tau aggregates are secretory nanovesicles known as exosomes. Here, we established a simple model of a neuronal circuit using a microfluidics culture system in which hippocampal neurons A and B were seeded into chambers 1 and 2, respectively, extending axons via microgrooves in both directions and thereby interconnecting. This syste

SUBMITTER: Polanco JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5815204 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature