Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery about tau, a protein linked to Alzheimer’s disease. On Wednesday, Professor Son Min-joo from the Department of Physics and Systems Bioengineering, Professor Hwang Dong-soo from the Department of Environmental Engineering and Systems Engineering Graduate School, and Dr. Hong Yoo-ri from the Max Planck Institute unveiled Tau’s previously unknown function.
The team’s focus on tau emerged while investigating the mechanisms behind accurate chromosome division during cell replication.
Cell division, a cornerstone of life processes, can lead to infertility or birth defects when disrupted.
The scientists found that tau forms condensates on DNA, influencing both chromosomes and microtubules. They also discovered that tau’s phosphorylation, a chemical modification, plays a crucial role in this process.
Recent studies have shown that tau aggregates various molecules within cells to form small condensates, but the implications of tau-DNA interactions remained elusive until now.
This breakthrough could revolutionize research on infertility, congenital disorders, and neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s.
Professor Son explained that the findings suggest that tau proteins not only interact with microtubules but also directly with DNA, potentially bridging these two structures. Further adding that this study demonstrates tau’s possible involvement in the early stages of cell division.