title: Phosphorylation of tau protein over time in rats subjected to transient brain ischemia.
abstract: Transient brain ischemia has been shown to induce hyperphosphorylation of the microtubule-associated protein tau. To further determine the mechanisms underlying these processes, we investigated the interaction between tau, glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β and protein phos-phatase 2A. The results confirmed that tau protein was dephosphorylated during brain ischemia; in addition, the activity of GSK-3β was increased and the activity of protein phosphatase 2A was decreased. After reperfusion, tau protein was hyperphosphorylated, the activity of GSK-3β was decreased and the activity of protein phosphatase 2A remained low. Importantly, the interaction of tau with GSK-3β and protein phosphatase 2A was altered during ischemia and reperfusion. Lithium chloride could affect tau phosphorylation by regulating the interaction of tau with GSK-3β and protein phosphatase 2A, and improve learning and memory ability of rats after transient brain ischemia. The present study demonstrated that it was the interaction of tau with GSK-3β and protein phosphatase 2A, rather than their individual activities, that dominates the phosphorylation of tau in transient brain ischemia. Hyperphosphorylated tau protein may play an important role in the evolution of brain injury in ischemic stroke. The neuroprotective effects of lithium chloride partly depend on the inhibition of tau phosphorylation during transient brain ischemia.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurology Disorders, Yuquan Hospital, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100049, China ; State Key Laboratory of Biomembrane and Membrane Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurology Disorders, Yuquan Hospital, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100049, China ; Center for Advanced Materials and Biotechnology, Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen High-Tech Industrial Estate, Shenzhen 518057, China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Ao
authors.affiliation: Center for Advanced Materials and Biotechnology, Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen High-Tech Industrial Estate, Shenzhen 518057, China.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Center for Advanced Materials and Biotechnology, Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen High-Tech Industrial Estate, Shenzhen 518057, China.
authors.forename: Weiqiang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biomembrane and Membrane Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.affiliation: Medical School, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurology Disorders, Yuquan Hospital, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100049, China.
authors.forename: Huancong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zuo
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biomembrane and Membrane Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
authors.forename: Xiufang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biomembrane and Membrane Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
authors.forename: Yandao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gong
keywords: brain injury; brain ischemia; glycogen synthase kinase 3β; grants-supported paper; lithium chloride; microtubule-associated protein tau; neural regeneration; neuroregeneration; phosphorylation; protein phosphatase 2A; reperfusion