Detection of Aggregation-Competent Tau in Neuron-Derived Extracellular Vesicles.

ABSTRACT: Progressive cerebral accumulation of tau aggregates is a defining feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD). A popular theory that seeks to explain the apparent spread of neurofibrillary tangle pathology proposes that aggregated tau is passed from neuron to neuron. Such a templated seeding process requires that the transferred tau contains the microtubule binding repeat domains that are necessary for aggregation. While it is not clear how a protein such as tau can move from cell to cell, previous reports have suggested that this may involve extracellular vesicles (EVs). Thus, measurement of tau in EVs may both provide insights on the molecular pathology of AD and facilitate biomarker development. Here, we report the use of sensitive immunoassays specific for full-length (FL) tau and mid-region t

SUBMITTER: Guix FX 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5877524 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature