Cited by 611Alzheimer's disease research and treatmentsGlycosylation and Glycoproteins ResearchDementia and Cognitive Impairment Research

Increasing O-GlcNAc slows neurodegeneration and stabilizes tau against aggregation

Yuzwa, Scott A, Shan, Xiaoyang, Macauley, Matthew S, Clark, Thomas, Skorobogatko, Yuliya, Vosseller, Keith, Vocadlo, David J·2012·Nature Chemical Biology

Abstract

Oligomerization of tau is a key process contributing to the progressive death of neurons in Alzheimer's disease. Tau is modified by O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc), and O-GlcNAc can influence tau phosphorylation in certain cases. We therefore speculated that increasing tau O-GlcNAc could be a strategy to hinder pathological tau-induced neurodegeneration. Here we found that treatment of hemizygous JNPL3 tau transgenic mice with an O-GlcNAcase inhibitor increased tau O-GlcNAc, hindered formation of tau aggregates and decreased neuronal cell loss. Notably, increases in tau O-GlcNAc did not alter tau phosphorylation in vivo. Using in vitro biochemical aggregation studies, we found that O-GlcNAc modification, on its own, hinders tau oligomerization. O-GlcNAc also inhibits thermally induced aggregation of an unrelated protein, TAK-1 binding protein, suggesting that a basic biochemical function of O-GlcNAc may be to prevent protein aggregation. These results also suggest O-GlcNAcase as a potential therapeutic target that could hinder progression of Alzheimer's disease.

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Crossref · 10.1038/nchembio.797

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Authors
Yuzwa, S. A., Shan, X., Macauley, M. S., Clark, T., Skorobogatko, Y., Vosseller, K., & Vocadlo, D. J.
Affiliations
  • Simon Fraser University (CA)
  • Scripps Research Institute (US)
  • Drexel University (US)
Corresponding author
Vocadlo, David J
Venue
Nature Chemical Biology
Published
2012-02-26
Volume
8
Issue
4
Pages
393-399
ISSN
  • 1552-4450 (ISSN-L)
  • 1552-4469
OpenAlex
W2040714286
Cited by
611
References
50
Citations by year
2026: 28 · 2025: 41 · 2024: 44 · 2023: 49 · 2022: 41 · 2021: 58 · 2020: 59 · 2019: 34 · 2018: 50 · 2017: 50 · 2016: 38 · 2015: 22 · 2014: 47 · 2013: 27 · 2012: 21
FWCI
25.31
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Nature Chemical Biology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Glycosylation and Glycoproteins Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
Keywords
O-GlcNAc, tau protein, tau aggregation, neurodegeneration, Alzheimer's disease, O-GlcNAcase inhibitors, tau phosphorylation, protein oligomerization, neuronal loss, therapeutic target
MeSH terms
Acetylglucosamine, Alzheimer Disease, Animals, Carbohydrate Conformation, Disease Models, Animal, Enzyme Inhibitors, Female, Humans, Mice, Transgenic, Neurons, Phosphorylation, Pyrans, Thiazoles, tau Proteins, N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferases, Neurodegenerative Diseases, Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing, Mice

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