Study on interaction between microtubule associated protein tau and prion protein.
Microtubule-associated protein tau is considered to play roles in many neurodegenerative diseases including some transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. To address the possible molecular linkage of prion protein (PrP) and tau, a GST-fusion segment of human tau covering the three-repeat region and various PrP segments was used in the tests of GST pull-down and immunoprecipitation. We found tau protein interacted with various style prion proteins such as native prion protein (PrPc) or protease-resistant isoform (PrPSc). Co-localization signals of tau and PrP were found in the CHO cell tranfected with both PrP and tau gene. The domain of interaction with tau was located at N-terminal of PrP (residues 23 to 91). The evidence of molecular interactions between PrP and tau protein highlights a potential role of tau in the biological function of PrP and the pathogenesis of TSEs.
Han
Jun
J
State Key Laboratory for Infectious Diseases Prevention and Control, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100052, China.
Zhang
Jin
J
Yao
Hailan
H
Wang
Xiaofan
X
Li
Feng
F
Chen
Lan
L
Gao
Chen
C
Gao
Jianmei
J
Nie
Kai
K
Zhou
Wei
W
Dong
Xiaoping
X
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism*; D011328:Prions / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*
D011328:Prions; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016875:tau Proteins