title: A functional fragment of Tau forms fibers without the need for an intermolecular cysteine bridge.
abstract: We study the aggregation of a fragment of the neuronal protein Tau that contains part of the proline rich domain and of the microtubule binding repeats. When incubated at 37 °C with heparin, the fragment readily forms fibers as witnessed by Thioflavin T fluorescence. Electron microscopy and NMR spectroscopy show bundled ribbon like structures with most residues rigidly incorporated in the fibril. Without its cysteines, this fragment still forms fibers of a similar morphology, but with lesser Thioflavin T binding sites and more mobility for the C-terminal residues.
authors: CNRS UMR 8576, University of Lille1, 59655 Villeneuve d'Ascq, France.
authors: Isabelle
authors: I
authors: Huvent
authors: CNRS UMR 8576, University of Lille1, 59655 Villeneuve d'Ascq, France.
authors: Amina
authors: A
authors: Kamah
authors: CNRS UMR 8576, University of Lille1, 59655 Villeneuve d'Ascq, France.
authors: François-Xavier
authors: FX
authors: Cantrelle
authors: Plate-forme BICeL-IFR142, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Lille, France.
authors: Nicolas
authors: N
authors: Barois
authors: Inserm U1003, Laboratoire de physiologie cellulaire, Université Lille 1, 59650 Villeneuve d'Ascq, France.
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Slomianny
authors: CNRS UMR 8576, University of Lille1, 59655 Villeneuve d'Ascq, France.
authors: Caroline
authors: C
authors: Smet-Nocca
authors: CNRS UMR 8576, University of Lille1, 59655 Villeneuve d'Ascq, France.
authors: Isabelle
authors: I
authors: Landrieu
authors: CNRS UMR 8576, University of Lille1, 59655 Villeneuve d'Ascq, France. Electronic address: Guy.Lippens@univ-lille1.fr.
authors: Guy
authors: G
authors: Lippens
mesh_terms: D003545:Cysteine / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D006493:Heparin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016875:tau Proteins; D006493:Heparin; D003545:Cysteine
keywords: Aggregation; Electron microscopy; NMR spectroscopy; Nucleation; Tau