Cited by 628Alzheimer's disease research and treatmentsDementia and Cognitive Impairment ResearchNeuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms

Mechanisms of tau-induced neurodegeneration

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Iqbal, Khalid, Liu, Fei, Gong, Cheng-Xin, Alonso, Alejandra del C., Grundke-Iqbal, Inge·2009·Acta Neuropathologica

Abstract

Alzheimer disease (AD) and related tauopathies are histopathologically characterized by a specific type of slow and progressive neurodegeneration, which involves the abnormal hyperphosphorylation of the microtubule associated protein (MAP) tau. This hallmark, called neurofibrillary degeneration, is seen as neurofibrillary tangles, neuropil threads, and dystrophic neurites and is apparently required for the clinical expression of AD, and in related tauopathies it leads to dementia in the absence of amyloid plaques. While normal tau promotes assembly and stabilizes microtubules, the non-fibrillized, abnormally hyperphosphorylated tau sequesters normal tau, MAP1 and MAP2, and disrupts microtubules. The abnormal hyperphosphorylation of tau, which can be generated by catalysis of several different combinations of protein kinases, also promotes its misfolding, decrease in turnover, and self-assembly into tangles of paired helical and or straight filaments. Some of the abnormally hyperphosphorylated tau ends up both amino and C-terminally truncated. Disruption of microtubules by the non-fibrillized abnormally hyperphosphorylated tau as well as its aggregation as neurofibrillary tangles probably impair axoplasmic flow and lead to slow progressive retrograde degeneration and loss of connectivity of the affected neurons. Among the phosphatases, which regulate the phosphorylation of tau, protein phosphatase-2A (PP2A), the activity of which is down-regulated in AD brain, is by far the major enzyme. The two inhibitors of PP-2A, I (1) (PP2A) and I (2) (PP2A) , which are overexpressed in AD, might be responsible for the decreased phosphatase activity. AD is multifactorial and heterogeneous and involves more than one etiopathogenic mechanism.

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  • Pathological tau aggregates, in the absence of amyloid plaques, can induce neurotoxicity, chronic brain inflammation, and subsequent cognitive impairment in primary human tauopathies including Pick's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, and corticobasal degeneration.

    “pathological tau aggregates, in the absence of amyloid plaques, can induce neurotoxicity, chronic brain inflammation, and subsequent cognitive impairment in many primary human tauopathies, including Pick's disease (PiD), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and corticobasal degeneration. 4 , 5 , 6”

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  1. [203]Wang X Blanchard J Li B Fan G Liu F Linden RM Clement N Kohlbrenner E Radu A Grundke-Iqbal I Iqbal K 2008 Generation of a non-transgenic rat model of Alzheimer-like abnormal hyperphosphorylation of tau Abstract presented at the 11th international conference on Alzheimer’s disease (ICAD) Chicago, IL, USA 26–31 July, 2008

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Authors
Iqbal, K., Liu, F., Gong, C.-X., Alonso, A. D. C., & Grundke-Iqbal, I.
Affiliations
College of Staten Island (US)
Corresponding author
Iqbal, Khalid
Venue
Acta Neuropathologica
Published
2009-01-30
Volume
118
Issue
1
Pages
53-69
ISSN
  • 0001-6322 (ISSN-L)
  • 1432-0533
OpenAlex
W2086729582
Cited by
628
References
219
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 27 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 31 · 2020: 38 · 2019: 29 · 2018: 43 · 2017: 28 · 2016: 36 · 2015: 42 · 2014: 49 · 2013: 55 · 2012: 46
FWCI
6.57
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Acta Neuropathologica (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute on Aging (R01AG019158, R01AG028538, R01AG027429)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
Keywords
tau hyperphosphorylation, neurodegeneration, Alzheimer's disease, tauopathy, neurofibrillary tangles, microtubule stabilization, protein kinases, protein phosphatase 2A, PP2A inhibitors, tau truncation, axoplasmic flow, retrograde degeneration, paired helical filaments
MeSH terms
Alzheimer Disease, Animals, Brain, Dementia, Down Syndrome, Glucose, Humans, Microtubule-Associated Proteins, Microtubules, Mutation, Nerve Degeneration, Phosphorylation, Protein Conformation, Amyloid beta-Peptides, Neurofibrillary Tangles, tau Proteins, Endoplasmic Reticulum, Rough, Tauopathies

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