title: Inhibition of heparin-induced tau filament formation by phenothiazines, polyphenols, and porphyrins.
abstract: Tau protein is the major component of the intraneuronal filamentous inclusions that constitute defining neuropathological characteristics of Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. The discovery of tau gene mutations in familial forms of frontotemporal dementia has established that dysfunction of the tau protein is sufficient to cause neurodegeneration and dementia. Here we have tested 42 compounds belonging to nine different chemical classes for their ability to inhibit heparin-induced assembly of tau into filaments in vitro. Several phenothiazines (methylene blue, azure A, azure B, and quinacrine mustard), polyphenols (myricetin, epicatechin 5-gallate, gossypetin, and 2,3,4,2',4'-pentahydroxybenzophenone), and the porphyrin ferric dehydroporphyrin IX inhibited tau filament formation with IC(50) values in the low micromolar range as assessed by thioflavin S fluorescence, electron microscopy, and Sarkosyl insolubility. Disassembly of tau filaments was observed in the presence of the porphyrin phthalocyanine. Compounds that inhibited tau filament assembly were also found to inhibit the formation of Abeta fibrils. Biochemical analysis revealed the formation of soluble oligomeric tau in the presence of the inhibitory compounds, suggesting that this may be the mechanism by which tau filament formation is inhibited. The compounds investigated did not affect the ability of tau to interact with microtubules. Identification of small molecule inhibitors of heparin-induced assembly of tau will form a starting point for the development of mechanism-based therapies for the tauopathies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Tokyo Institute of Psychiatry, Tokyo Metropolitan Organization for Medical Research, 2-1-8 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8585, Japan.
authors.forename: Sayuri
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Masami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: Shin-ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hisanaga
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwatsubo
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goedert
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D001399:Azure Stains / Q000494:pharmacology; D001577:Benzophenones / Q000494:pharmacology; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D002392:Catechin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000494:pharmacology; D006493:Heparin / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008751:Methylene Blue / Q000494:pharmacology; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008956:Models, Chemical; D016874:Neurofibrillary Tangles / Q000378:metabolism; D010636:Phenols / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D010640:Phenothiazines / Q000737:chemistry*; D059808:Polyphenols; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000737:chemistry*; D011485:Protein Binding; D011797:Quinacrine Mustard / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D001399:Azure Stains; D001577:Benzophenones; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005419:Flavonoids; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D010636:Phenols; D010640:Phenothiazines; D059808:Polyphenols; D011166:Porphyrins; D016875:tau Proteins; D011797:Quinacrine Mustard; C040015:myricetin; C025819:Azure B; D002392:Catechin; D006493:Heparin; C062669:epicatechin gallate; C031637:phenothiazine; C025818:Azure A; C059922:gossypetin; D008751:Methylene Blue