Pathogenic tau recruits wild-type tau into brain inclusions and induces gut degeneration in transgenic SPAM mice

• Published in: Communications biology Vol. 5; no. 1; pp. 446 - 18
• Main Authors: Xia, Yuxing, Prokop, Stefan, Bell, Brach M., Gorion, Kimberly-Marie M., Croft, Cara L., Nasif, Lith, Xu, Guilian, Riffe, Cara J., Manaois, Alyssa N., Strang, Kevin H., Quintin, Stephan S., Paterno, Giavanna, Tansey, Malú Gámez, Borchelt, David R., Golde, Todd E., Giasson, Benoit I.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 12.05.2022; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 14/1; 14/28; 38/91; 631/378/1689/1283; 631/378/1689/364; 64/110; 82/29; 82/51; Animals; Biology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Brain - metabolism; Disease Models, Animal; Enteric nervous system; Humans; Inflammation; Life Sciences; Mice; Mice, Transgenic; Mutation; Neurodegeneration; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neurons - metabolism; Neurotoxicity; Pathology; Phenotypes; Rodents; Tau protein; tau Proteins - genetics; tau Proteins - metabolism; Transgenic mice
• ISSN: 2399-3642; 2399-3642
• DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03373-1

Pathological tau inclusions are neuropathologic hallmarks of many neurodegenerative diseases. We generated and characterized a transgenic mouse model expressing pathogenic human tau with S320F and P301S aggregating mutations (SPAM) at transgene levels below endogenous mouse tau protein levels. This mouse model develops a predictable temporal progression of tau pathology in the brain with biochemical and ultrastructural properties akin to authentic tau inclusions. Surprisingly, pathogenic human tau extensively recruited endogenous mouse tau into insoluble aggregates. Despite the early onset and rapid progressive nature of tau pathology, major neuroinflammatory and transcriptional changes were only detectable at later time points. Moreover, tau SPAM mice are the first model to develop loss of enteric neurons due to tau accumulation resulting in a lethal phenotype. With moderate transgene expression, rapidly progressing tau pathology, and a highly predictable lethal phenotype, the tau SPAM model reveals new associations of tau neurotoxicity in the brain and intestinal tract. A mouse model with a predictable pathogenic tau protein progression is presented, enabling further investigation into tau pathology in neurodegenerative diseases.