Mutations in the gene for the microtubule-associated protein tau are associated with frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17).
We report two tau gene mutations at positions +19 and +29, in the intronic sequences immediately following the stem loop structure in exon 10, which segregate with FTD.
Here, we describe a new mutation, consisting of a C-to-T transition at position +12 of the intron following exon 10 of the tau gene in the Kumamoto pedigree, showing frontotemporal dementia.
Concerning autosomal dominant mutations, microtubule associated protein tau gene mutations have been the first ones identified and are generally associated with early onset bvFTD phenotype.
Neurodegenerative tauopathies characterized by hyperphosphorylated tau include frontotemporal dementia and Parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17) and Alzheimer's disease (AD).
We investigated three separate families (designated D, F and G) with frontotemporal dementia that have the same molecular mutation in exon 10 of the tau gene (P301L).
The identification of mutations in the tau gene in frontotemporal dementia and Parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17) demonstrated that there is a direct link between tau dysfunction and neurodegeneration.
Comparison of extent of tau pathology in patients with frontotemporal dementia with Parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17), frontotemporal lobar degeneration with Pick bodies and early onset Alzheimer's disease.
TAU gene mutations that alter the inclusion of exon 10, and hence the 4R:3R ratio, are causal in the tauopathy frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17).
Mutations in MAPT were previously identified in familial FTD with parkinsonism (FTDP-17); however, in FTDU-17 patients, no pathogenic mutations were found in exonic regions consistent with the lack of tauopathy in FTDU-17 brains.
These data suggest that the previously identified mutations in the tau gene seen in frontotemporal dementia-17 are not merely benign polymorphisms, but may have functional consequences for microtubule binding, microtubule polymerization, and the abnormal aggregation of tau seen in a variety of neurodegenerative diseases.
The objective of this study is to report clinical, genetic, and neuropathological data of an apparently sporadic early onset frontotemporal dementia (FTD) case associated with 2 novel intronic MAPT gene mutations IVS10+4A > C and IVS9-15T > C that increase 3Rtau.
Intraneuronal accumulation of abnormal phosphorylated tau (p-tau) is a molecular pathology in many neurodegenerative tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism-linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17).
One hundred and sixty-seven mutation carriers (75 GRN, 60 C9orf72, and 32 MAPT) were included from the Genetic FTD Initiative (GENFI) study, a large international cohort of genetic FTD.
Effects of FTDP-17 mutations on the in vitro phosphorylation of tau by glycogen synthase kinase 3beta identified by mass spectrometry demonstrate certain mutations exert long-range conformational changes.
Importantly, the discovery of mutations in the tau gene in familial forms of frontotemporal dementia and of mutations in the alpha-synuclein gene in familial forms of Parkinson's disease has established that dysfunction of tau protein and alpha-synuclein can cause neurodegeneration.
In contrast, Aβ<sub>42</sub> did not reduce LTP in slices in two independently generated transgenic lines expressing tau protein with the mutation N296H associated with frontotemporal dementia (FTD).