title: Tau and tauopathies.
abstract: Tauopathies are age-related neurodegenerative diseases that are characterized by the presence of aggregates of abnormally phosphorylated tau. As tau was originally discovered as a microtubule-associated protein, it has been hypothesized that neurodegeneration results from a loss of the ability of tau to associate with microtubules. However, tau has been found to have other functions aside from the promotion and stabilization of microtubule assembly. It is conceivable that such functions may be affected by the abnormal phosphorylation of tau and might have consequences for neuronal function or viability. This chapter provides an overview of tau structure, functions, and its involvement in neurodegenerative diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chad J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Leugers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009154:Mutation; D010766:Phosphorylation; D054730:Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D024801:Tauopathies / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C054369:MAPT protein, human; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D016875:tau Proteins