Symbol: MAPT Name: microtubule-associated protein tau Alias: tau Entrez gene ID: 4137 Ensembl gene ID: ENSG00000186868 Species: Human (Taxid: 9606) Functional description: Promotes microtubule assembly and stability, and might be involved in the establishment and maintenance of neuronal polarity. The C-terminus binds axonal microtubules while the N- terminus binds neural plasma membrane components, suggesting that tau functions as a linker protein between both. Axonal polarity is predetermined by TAU/MAPT localization (in the neuronal cell) in the domain of the cell body defined by the centrosome. The short isoforms allow plasticity of the cytoskeleton whereas the longer isoforms may preferentially play a role in its stabilization. [UniProt] Observation: Expression of wild-type human MAPT (tau) moderately shortened lifespan. Expression of a mutant form of human MAPT (Arg406 Trp), associated with an early onset familial form of demetia, results in a several shortened lifespan. MAPT is implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzeimer's disease and related disorders in humans. Transgenic flies exhibit key features of the human disorders: adult onset, progressive neurodegeneration, early death, enhanced toxicity of mutant tau, accumulation of abnormal tau, and relative anatomic selectivity. However, neurodegeneration occurred without the neurofibrillary formation that is observed in humans disease and some rodent taupathy models [11408621]. Interventions: Assays: Organismal Lifespan Classification: Aging Relevance Analysis/Source: Homologs Inparanoids Edit \ Update (Admin) | Delete |
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