Cited by 110Alzheimer's disease research and treatmentsDementia and Cognitive Impairment ResearchNeuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms

Tau biology, tauopathy, traumatic brain injury, and diagnostic challenges

Open access
Castellani, Rudy J., Perry, George·2019·Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract

There is considerable interest in the pathobiology of tau protein, given its potential role in neurodegenerative diseases and aging. Tau is an important microtubule associated protein, required for the assembly of tubulin into microtubules and maintaining structural integrity of axons. Tau has other diverse cellular functions involving signal transduction, cellular proliferation, developmental neurobiology, neuroplasticity, and synaptic activity. Alternative splicing results in tau isoforms with differing microtubule binding affinity, differing representation in pathological inclusions in certain disease states, and differing roles in developmental biology and homeostasis. Tau haplotypes confer differing susceptibility to neurodegeneration. Tau phosphorylation is a normal metabolic process, critical in controlling tau’s binding to microtubules, and is ongoing within the brain at all times. Tau may be hyperphosphorylated, and may aggregate as detectable fibrillar deposits in tissues, in both aging and neurodegenerative disease. The hypothesis that p-tau is neurotoxic has prompted constructs related to isomers, low-n assembly intermediates or oligomers, and the “tau prion”. Human postmortem studies have elucidated broad patterns of tauopathy, with tendencies for those patterns to differ as a function of disease phenotype. However, there is extensive overlap, not only between genuine neurodegenerative diseases, but also between aging and disease. Recent studies highlight uniqueness to pathological patterns, including a pattern attributed to repetitive head trauma, although clinical correlations have been elusive. The diagnostic process for tauopathies and neurodegenerative diseases in general is challenging in many respects, and may be particularly problematic for postmortem evaluation of former athletes and military service members.

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Crossref · 10.3233/jad-180721

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  • Tau phosphorylation at threonine 231 is one of the earliest events in the cascade of phosphorylation and modulates tubulin assembly.

    “Tau phosphorylation at threonine 231 is one of the earliest events in the cascade of phosphorylation,57 that modulates tubulin assembly.58”

    From Cerebrospinal fluid p-tau231 as an early indicator of emerging pathology in Alzheimer's disease (2022) · cites this paper as [57]

    In “Tau protein phosphorylation and hyperphosphorylation” (page unavailable), the paper discusses phosphorylated tau at the Thr231 proline motif, but does not say Thr231 phosphorylation is among the earliest events in a phosphorylation cascade. “Normal tau function” (page unavailable) says tau promotes tubulin polymerization, but does not link that effect specifically to Thr231 phosphorylation; the citing sentence attaches a separate citation to its assembly clause. (LLM, conf=0.78)

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2 of the 252 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 6

  1. [27]Di Maria E, Tabaton M, Vigo T, Abbruzzese G, Bellone E, Donati C, Frasson E, Marchese R, Montagna P, Munoz DG, Pramstaller PP, Zanusso G, Ajmar F, Mandich P (2000) Corticobasal degeneration shares a common genetic background with progressive supranuclear palsy. Ann Neurol 47, 374– 337. 10716259
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Authors
Castellani, R. J., & Perry, G.
Affiliations
  • West Virginia University (US)
  • The University of Texas at San Antonio (US)
Corresponding author
Castellani, Rudy J.
Venue
Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease
Published
2018-12-18
Volume
67
Issue
2
Pages
447-467
ISSN
  • 1387-2877 (ISSN-L)
  • 1875-8908
OpenAlex
W2906559084
Cited by
110
References
252
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 4
FWCI
1.44
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Alzheimer s Disease (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
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 protein, tauopathy
MeSH terms
Brain Injuries, Traumatic, Animals, Humans, tau Proteins, Neurodegenerative Diseases, Tauopathies, Post-Concussion Syndrome

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