Physiology and pathology of Tau as studied by NMR

The most studied physiological role of Tau is the stabilization of microtubules. However, how this function is performed, is still unknown. We will present results based on NMR spectroscopy with Tau and a stathmin stabilized soluble tubulin form that give mechanistic insights in this process. Phosphorylation regulates Tau’s function in a complex manner. Combining in vitro phosphorylation and NMR spectroscopy, we can obtain a qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the resulting phospho-pattern, and have obtained new insights in the phosphorylation code of Tau. NMR can equally be used to study the aggregation process, and we will present novel results on the process and on small molecules that can disrupt this process.