Tau prevents synaptic transmission at early stage of neurodegeneration
But even before these protein accumulations are formed, the dislodged tau impedes the communication between nerve cells. VIB's research team has described a new mechanism for this in the journal Nature Communications. Professor Patrik Verstreken (VIB-KU Leuven) explains: "We have demonstrated that when mutant tau dislodges from the cytoskeleton, it mainly settles at the synapses of the nerve cells. This was not only the case in fruit flies and rats but also in the brain cells of human patients. Vesicles containing chemicals are released at these synapses, which serve as the means of communication between two different nerve cells. When tau settles at the synapse, it locks onto the vesicles, inhibiting synaptic transmission." Fundamental research with prospects for therapeutic applications These new insights are the result of a close collaboration between different laboratories at VIB, the universities of Leuven, Louvain-la-Neuve (both in Belgium), and Edinburgh (U...