Biomaterial Database

Tau Oligomers. 2019

Sumihiro Maeda, and Akihiko Takashima

Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. sumihiro.maeda@keio.jp.

The accumulation of tau filaments in neurons is a pathological hallmark of various neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. However, it is not the filamentous aggregates themselves, but non-filamentous tau species, tau oligomer, that is thought to be the culprit in tau-mediated neurodegeneration. The definition of and methodology for isolating tau oligomers vary among researchers. Here we describe how tau oligomers are identified, summarize the differences of tau oligomers among research groups, and discuss their hypothesized functions.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009474	Neurons	The basic cellular units of nervous tissue. Each neuron consists of a body, an axon, and dendrites. Their purpose is to receive, conduct, and transmit impulses in the NERVOUS SYSTEM.	Nerve Cells,Cell, Nerve,Cells, Nerve,Nerve Cell,Neuron
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000544	Alzheimer Disease	A degenerative disease of the BRAIN characterized by the insidious onset of DEMENTIA. Impairment of MEMORY, judgment, attention span, and problem solving skills are followed by severe APRAXIAS and a global loss of cognitive abilities. The condition primarily occurs after age 60, and is marked pathologically by severe cortical atrophy and the triad of SENILE PLAQUES; NEUROFIBRILLARY TANGLES; and NEUROPIL THREADS. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, pp1049-57)	Acute Confusional Senile Dementia,Alzheimer's Diseases,Dementia, Alzheimer Type,Dementia, Senile,Presenile Alzheimer Dementia,Senile Dementia, Alzheimer Type,Alzheimer Dementia,Alzheimer Disease, Early Onset,Alzheimer Disease, Late Onset,Alzheimer Sclerosis,Alzheimer Syndrome,Alzheimer Type Senile Dementia,Alzheimer's Disease,Alzheimer's Disease, Focal Onset,Alzheimer-Type Dementia (ATD),Dementia, Presenile,Dementia, Primary Senile Degenerative,Early Onset Alzheimer Disease,Familial Alzheimer Disease (FAD),Focal Onset Alzheimer's Disease,Late Onset Alzheimer Disease,Primary Senile Degenerative Dementia,Senile Dementia, Acute Confusional,Alzheimer Dementias,Alzheimer Disease, Familial (FAD),Alzheimer Diseases,Alzheimer Type Dementia,Alzheimer Type Dementia (ATD),Alzheimers Diseases,Dementia, Alzheimer,Dementia, Alzheimer-Type (ATD),Familial Alzheimer Diseases (FAD),Presenile Dementia,Sclerosis, Alzheimer,Senile Dementia
D016875	tau Proteins	Microtubule-associated proteins that are mainly expressed in neurons. Tau proteins constitute several isoforms and play an important role in the assembly of tubulin monomers into microtubules and in maintaining the cytoskeleton and axonal transport. Aggregation of specific sets of tau proteins in filamentous inclusions is the common feature of intraneuronal and glial fibrillar lesions (NEUROFIBRILLARY TANGLES; NEUROPIL THREADS) in numerous neurodegenerative disorders (ALZHEIMER DISEASE; TAUOPATHIES).	tau Protein,Protein, tau,Proteins, tau
D019636	Neurodegenerative Diseases	Hereditary and sporadic conditions which are characterized by progressive nervous system dysfunction. These disorders are often associated with atrophy of the affected central or peripheral nervous system structures.	Degenerative Diseases, Nervous System,Degenerative Diseases, Central Nervous System,Degenerative Diseases, Neurologic,Degenerative Diseases, Spinal Cord,Degenerative Neurologic Diseases,Degenerative Neurologic Disorders,Nervous System Degenerative Diseases,Neurodegenerative Disorders,Neurologic Degenerative Conditions,Neurologic Degenerative Diseases,Neurologic Diseases, Degenerative,Degenerative Condition, Neurologic,Degenerative Conditions, Neurologic,Degenerative Neurologic Disease,Degenerative Neurologic Disorder,Neurodegenerative Disease,Neurodegenerative Disorder,Neurologic Degenerative Condition,Neurologic Degenerative Disease,Neurologic Disease, Degenerative,Neurologic Disorder, Degenerative,Neurologic Disorders, Degenerative