DATE2024.07.22 #Press Releases

Light-induced Protein Aggregation Tool Leads to New Understanding of Tau Aggregation Generation Mechanisms in the Brains of Alzheimer's Disease Patients and Others

Summary

A research group led by Assistant Professor Yoshiyuki Soeda, Graduate Student Riki Koike, Professor Akihiko Takashima, Assistant Professor Isshin Shiiba in the Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, Assistant Professor Hideaki Yoshimura, School of Science of The University of Tokyo, and Professor Hiroko Bannai, School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, has revealed how a specific mutated tau protein observed in the brains of patients with neurodegenerative diseases collectively known as tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease, form abnormal aggregates. In particular, the use of the light-responsive protein CRY2olig provided clues to controlling the movement of tau protein and elucidating the mechanism of disease progression.

The results of this research will promote the understanding of the aggregation mechanism of tau protein and contribute to the accumulation of fundamental knowledge for understanding the pathophysiology of tauopathies such as Alzheimer's disease. The research results were published in Structure by Cell Press (USA) on July 20, 2024 at 1:00 a.m. (Japan Standard Time).

For more information, please visit the Gakushuin University website.（in Japanese)

Links: Waseda University.（in Japanese)

Published Journals

Journal name	Structure
Title of paper	Intracellular Tau Fragment Droplets Serve as Seeds for Tau Fibrils