neurofibrillary tangles
Scientists have pinpointed the exact moment when healthy brain proteins are “attacked” by Alzheimer’s disease.
University of California researchers believe that the new laboratory technique that led to the discovery could be used to study the early stages of various neurodegenerative diseases.
To the tau proteins they are throughout the brain and play an important role in maintaining the structure and function of brain cells. These proteins help form a skeleton-like structure for brain cells.
However, in some cases, this does not happen, resulting in what scientists call neurofibrillary tangles. These tangles are often associated with Alzheimer’s disease and are believed to interfere with the function of brain cells and eventually cause them to die.
There is still a debate in the scientific community about whether these skeins are harmful or even help protect brain cells. Some experts suggest that neurofibrillary tangles may be produced in response to another problem and even function as a shield.
The team of researchers from the University of California found a way to observe in the laboratory tau proteins to become entangled. With little less than a volt of electricity, they have shown that they can trigger an uncontrolled entanglement in tau proteins, explains the ScienceAlert.
The applied current of electricity serves to mimic the molecular signals that cause tau protein skeins to form in the brain. This allowed the researchers to observe in real time how tau proteins pass through this “inflection point”becoming weak.
“This method provides scientists with a new means of simultaneously triggering and observing dynamic changes in the protein as it goes from good to bad”, explains biochemist Daniel Morse. “Since we can turn on and adjust the process at will, we can use this system to see which molecules can interdict or block specific stages.”
The researchers found that when tau proteins are exposed to an electrical current for a long period of time, they they become entangled quickly and irreversibly.
On the other hand, when proteins are exposed for just 15 minutes, they begin to tangle into knots that are easier to undo with a reverse electrical current. This suggests that the progression of Alzheimer’s disease symptoms may be progressive.
The finding in question is about a specific form of tau, the K18. There are many other forms of tau that are also associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The results of the study were published at the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
ZAP // 
