Tau Protein
| Gene Ontology | |
|---|---|
| Molecular function | • structural constituent of cytoskeleton • protein binding • microtubule binding • SH3 domain binding • enzyme binding • protein kinase binding • apolipoprotein binding • lipoprotein particle binding |
| Cellular component | • cytosol • microtubule • microtubule associated complex • plasma membrane • axon • growth cone • nuclear periphery • cilium axoneme • tubulin complex |
| Biological process | • microtubule cytoskeleton organization • neuron migration • apoptotic process • cellular component disassembly involved in execution phase of apoptosis • adult walking behavior • axon cargo transport • regulation of autophagy • regulation of microtubule polymerization • positive regulation of microtubule polymerization • negative regulation of intracellular transport • positive regulation of axon extension • mitochondrion transport along microtubule • axon extension involved in development • generation of neurons • regulation of microtubule-based movement |
| Sources: Amigo / QuickGO | |
43.97 – 44.11 Mb
104.23 – 104.33 Mb
Tau proteins are proteins that stabilize microtubules. They are abundant in neurons of the central nervous system and are less common elsewhere, but are also expressed at very low levels in CNS astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. When tau proteins are defective, and no longer stabilize microtubules properly, they can result in dementias such as Alzheimer's disease.
The tau proteins are the product of alternative splicing from a single gene that in humans is designated MAPT (microtubule-associated protein tau). They were discovered in 1975 in Marc Kirschner's laboratory at Princeton University.
Read more about Tau Protein: Function, Structure, Genetics, Role in Disease, Traumatic Brain Injury, Interactions
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