Cited by 654Alzheimer's disease research and treatmentsNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchDementia and Cognitive Impairment Research

Amyloid-β/Fyn–Induced Synaptic, Network, and Cognitive Impairments Depend on Tau Levels in Multiple Mouse Models of Alzheimer's Disease

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Roberson, Erik D., Halabisky, Brian, Yoo, Jong W., Yao, Jinghua, Chin, Jeannie, Yan, Fengrong, Wu, Tiffany, Hamto, Patricia +5 more·2011·The Journal of Neuroscience

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common neurodegenerative disorder, is a growing public health problem and still lacks effective treatments. Recent evidence suggests that microtubule-associated protein tau may mediate amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) toxicity by modulating the tyrosine kinase Fyn. We showed previously that tau reduction prevents, and Fyn overexpression exacerbates, cognitive deficits in human amyloid precursor protein (hAPP) transgenic mice overexpressing Aβ. However, the mechanisms by which Aβ, tau, and Fyn cooperate in AD-related pathogenesis remain to be fully elucidated. Here we examined the synaptic and network effects of this pathogenic triad. Tau reduction prevented cognitive decline induced by synergistic effects of Aβ and Fyn. Tau reduction also prevented synaptic transmission and plasticity deficits in hAPP mice. Using electroencephalography to examine network effects, we found that tau reduction prevented spontaneous epileptiform activity in multiple lines of hAPP mice. Tau reduction also reduced the severity of spontaneous and chemically induced seizures in mice overexpressing both Aβ and Fyn. To better understand these protective effects, we recorded whole-cell currents in acute hippocampal slices from hAPP mice with and without tau. hAPP mice with tau had increased spontaneous and evoked excitatory currents, reduced inhibitory currents, and NMDA receptor dysfunction. Tau reduction increased inhibitory currents and normalized excitation/inhibition balance and NMDA receptor-mediated currents in hAPP mice. Our results indicate that Aβ, tau, and Fyn jointly impair synaptic and network function and suggest that disrupting the copathogenic relationship between these factors could be of therapeutic benefit.

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Crossref · 10.1523/jneurosci.4152-10.2011

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  • In AD models, absence of tau rescues behavioral impairments and reduces neurotoxicity despite no significant changes in Aβ levels.

    “For example, in AD models, the absence of tau has been shown to rescue behavioral impairments and reduce neurotoxicity, despite no significant changes in Aβ levels [75–79].”

    From Tau Ablation Rewires Brain Cell Programs in Health and Restores Function in Disease (2026) · cites this paper as [76]

    The Results section on behavioral abnormalities reports that tau-absent hAPPJ9/Fyn mice performed better on learning and memory tests, and the Discussion section on synaptic effects reports that tau reduction corrected neuronal dysfunction in hAPPJ20 mice (page numbers unavailable). However, the passages do not establish that these benefits occurred without significant changes in Aβ levels, or demonstrate reduced neuronal death if “neurotoxicity” means cell death. (LLM, conf=0.83)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Once tau is eliminated, glia appear better able to mount context and disease-appropriate responses, including elimination of toxic species, reduction in kinase activation, and modulation of downstream signaling, potentially explaining the broad protective effects of tau ablation across pathological models.

    “Once tau is eliminated, glia appear better able to mount context and disease-appropriate responses, including elimination of toxic species [144], reduction in kinase activation, and modulation of downstream signaling [76, 78, 145], potentially explaining the broad protective effects of tau ablation across pathological models.”

    From Tau Ablation Rewires Brain Cell Programs in Health and Restores Function in Disease (2026) · cites this paper as [76]

    Split into 2 atoms — 0 confirmed, 1 partially supported, 0 disputed, 0 misattributed, 1 unverifiable. Expand the claim to see per-atom verdicts.

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  • Tau ablation confers neuronal protection resulting in the recovery of behavioral deficits in neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental models.

    “Numerous studies across neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental models have shown that tau ablation confers neuronal protection resulting in the recovery of behavioral deficits [56, 75, 76, 121–123].”

    From Tau Ablation Rewires Brain Cell Programs in Health and Restores Function in Disease (2026) · cites this paper as [76]

    The Results section reports that tau ablation improved learning and memory performance in hAPPJ9/Fyn mice, supporting protection against behavioral deficits in an Alzheimer’s disease model. The Discussion limits the benefit to specific AD-related circumstances: it reports no benefit in an ALS model and adverse effects in a Niemann–Pick type C model. This paper does not establish the claim across neurodevelopmental models. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Tau-induced hyperexcitability exacerbates synaptic and cognitive decline in a model of amyloid toxicity.

    “This aligns with evidence that tau-induced hyperexcitability exacerbates synaptic and cognitive decline in a model of amyloid toxicity56.”

    From The R136S mutation in the APOE3 gene confers resilience against tau pathology via inhibition of the cGAS-STING-IFN pathway (2025) · cites this paper as [56]

    The Abstract and Discussion report that tau reduction prevented synaptic deficits, epileptiform activity, and cognitive impairment in amyloid-β mouse models. The Discussion suggests aberrant network activity contributes to cognitive impairment, but it does not establish that tau-induced hyperexcitability itself exacerbates both synaptic and cognitive decline; tau is described as enabling effects of amyloid-β and Fyn. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • In multiple mouse disease models, tau ablation is associated with protective effects.

    “Interestingly, in multiple mouse disease models, tau ablation has been associated with protective effects.”

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Authors
Roberson, E. D., Halabisky, B., Yoo, J. W., Yao, J., Chin, J., Yan, F., Wu, T., Hamto, P., Devidze, N., Yu, G.-Q., Palop, J. J., Noebels, J. L., & Mucke, L.
Affiliations
  • Gladstone Institutes (US)
  • Baylor College of Medicine (US)
Venue
The Journal of Neuroscience
Published
2011-01-12
Volume
31
Issue
2
Pages
700-711
ISSN
  • 0270-6474 (ISSN-L)
  • 1529-2401
OpenAlex
W2118516203
Cited by
654
References
74
Citations by year
2026: 22 · 2025: 23 · 2024: 37 · 2023: 30 · 2022: 31 · 2021: 50 · 2020: 53 · 2019: 46 · 2018: 45 · 2017: 46 · 2016: 41 · 2015: 50 · 2014: 54 · 2013: 55 · 2012: 42
FWCI
39.27
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Gladstone Institutes
  • National Institutes of Health (1c06rr018928-01, AG‐022074)
  • National Institute on Aging (AG022074, P01AG022074)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NS054811, K08NS054811, R01NS041787, NS041787, NS29709, R01NS029709)
  • National Center for Research Resources (C06-RR-018928, RR018928)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
Keywords
Alzheimer's disease, amyloid-beta, tau protein, Fyn tyrosine kinase, synaptic transmission, synaptic plasticity, spontaneous epileptiform activity, seizures, excitation-inhibition balance, NMDA receptor dysfunction, cognitive impairment, hippocampus
MeSH terms
Alzheimer Disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Animals, Cognition Disorders, Disease Models, Animal, Electroencephalography, Female, Hippocampus, Male, Mice, Mutant Strains, Nerve Net, Synaptic Transmission, Neuronal Plasticity, Seizures, Species Specificity, Synapses, Amyloid beta-Peptides, tau Proteins, Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fyn, Mice, In Vitro Techniques

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