Difference in fibril core stability between two tau four-repeat domain proteins: a hydrogen-deuterium exchange coupled to mass spectrometry study

Biochemistry. 2013 Dec 10;52(49):8787-9. doi: 10.1021/bi4014352. Epub 2013 Nov 25.

Abstract

One of the signatures of Alzheimer's disease and tauopathies is fibrillization of the microtubule-associated protein tau. The purpose of this study was to compare the high-resolution structure of fibrils formed by two different tau four-repeat domain constructs, tau4RD and tauK18, using hydrogen-deuterium exchange coupled to mass spectrometry as a tool. While the two fibrils are found to be constructed on similar structural principles, the tauK18 fibril has a slightly more stable core. This difference in fibril core stability appears to be reflective of the mechanistic differences in the aggregation pathways of the two proteins.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease / metabolism
  • Amino Acid Motifs
  • Deuterium Exchange Measurement
  • Humans
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs
  • Protein Multimerization
  • Protein Stability
  • Protein Structure, Quaternary
  • tau Proteins / chemistry*

Substances

  • tau Proteins