Tau: The Center of a Signaling Nexus in Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract

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Tau is a microtubule-associated protein whose misfolding, hyper-phosphorylation, loss of normal function and toxic gain of function are linked to several neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This review discusses the role of tau in amyloid-β (Aβ) induced toxicity in AD. The consequences of tau dysfunction, starting from the axon and concluding at somadendritic compartments, will be highlighted.

Keywords

• synaptic dysfunction
• Tau phosphorylation
• Alzheimer’s disease (AD)
• Amyloid-β oligomers (AβOs)
• Neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs)