Our Research

Tau (shown in red) is one of the microtubule-associated proteins and specifically localized to the axon (cell body and dendrites shown in green), where it is thought to contribute to the axonal structure and protein trafficking. However, in pathological conditions, such as in Alzheimer’s disease, tau mis-localizes to dendrites and forms aggregates called the neurofibrillary tangles. We investigate the molecular mechanisms that determines the axonal localization in normal and how it is disrupted in diseases.

タウ（赤）は細胞骨格の微小管に結合するタンパク質で、通常は軸索内の微小管に結合しており、細胞体と樹状突起（緑）にはほとんど存在しません。しかし、アルツハイマー病患者の神経細胞ではタウが細胞体と樹状突起に異常蓄積します。われわれはタウが軸索のみに局在化するメカニズムを研究し、それがアルツハイマー病で破綻する過程を明らかにします。