Tau antibodies have shown therapeutic potential for Alzheimer's disease and several are in clinical trials. As a microtubule-associated protein, tau relies on dynamic phosphorylation for its normal functions. In tauopathies, it becomes hyperphosphory ...
Tau antibodies have shown therapeutic potential for Alzheimer's disease and several are in clinical trials. As a microtubule-associated protein, tau relies on dynamic phosphorylation for its normal functions. In tauopathies, it becomes hyperphosphorylated and aggregates into toxic assemblies, which collectively lead to neurodegeneration. Of the phospho-epitopes, the region around Ser396 has received particular attention because of its prominence and stability in tauopathies. Here we report the first structure of a monoclonal tau antibody in complex with the pathologically important phospho-Ser396 residue. Its binding region reveals tau residues Tyr394 to phospho-Ser396 stabilized in a β-strand conformation that is coordinated by a phospho-specific antigen binding site. These details highlight a molecular switch that defines this prominent conformation of tau and ways to target it. Overall, the structure of the antibody-antigen complex clarifies why certain phosphorylation sites in tau are more closely linked to neurodegeneration than others.
Organizational Affiliation:
Neuroscience & Physiology, & Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA. einar.sigurdsson@nyumc.org.,Neurodegeneration, H. Lundbeck A/S, DK-2500, Valby, Denmark.,Departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA. xiangpeng.kong@med.nyu.edu.,Departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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