Mobility and subcellular localization of endogenous, gene-edited Tau differs from that of over-expressed human wild-type and P301L mutant Tau

Sci Rep. 2016 Jul 5:6:29074. doi: 10.1038/srep29074.

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and a subset of frontotemporal dementia termed FTLD-Tau are characterized by a massive, yet incompletely characterized and understood redistribution of Tau. To establish a framework for understanding this pathology, we used the genome-editing tool TALEN and generated Tau-mEOS2 knock-in mice to determine the mobility and subcellular localization of endogenous Tau in hippocampal cultures. We analysed Tau in axons, dendrites and spines at three stages of maturation using live-cell imaging, photo-conversion and FRAP assays. Tau-mEOS2 cultures were compared with those over-expressing EGFP-tagged forms of human wild-type (hWT-Tau) and P301L mutant Tau (hP301L-Tau), modelling Tau accumulation in AD and FTLD-Tau, respectively. In developing neurons, Tau-mEOS2 followed a proximo-distal gradient in axons and a subcellular distribution similar to that of endogenous Tau in neurons obtained from wild-type mice, which were abolished, when either hWT-Tau or hP301L-Tau was over-expressed. For the three conditions, FRAP analysis revealed a similar mobility in dendrites compared with axons; however, Tau-mEOS2 was less mobile than hWT-Tau and hP301L-Tau and the mobile fraction was smaller, possibly reflecting less efficient microtubule binding of Tau when over-expressed. Together, our study presents Tau-mEOS2 mice as a novel tool for the study of Tau in a physiological and a pathological context.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease / genetics*
  • Alzheimer Disease / pathology
  • Animals
  • Axons / chemistry
  • Axons / pathology
  • Dendrites / chemistry
  • Dendrites / pathology
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Frontotemporal Dementia / genetics*
  • Frontotemporal Dementia / pathology
  • Gene Editing*
  • Hippocampus / metabolism
  • Hippocampus / physiology
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Neurons / chemistry
  • Neurons / pathology
  • tau Proteins / chemistry
  • tau Proteins / genetics*

Substances

  • tau Proteins