DOI: 10.1083/jcb.103.6.2739. Tau protein function in living cells.

10.1083/jcb.103.6.2739

Crossref journal-article

Rockefeller University Press

The Journal of cell biology (291)

Abstract

Tau protein from mammalian brain promotes microtubule polymerization in vitro and is induced during nerve cell differentiation. However, the effects of tau or any other microtubule-associated protein on tubulin assembly within cells are presently unknown. We have tested tau protein activity in vivo by microinjection into a cell type that has no endogenous tau protein. Immunofluorescence shows that tau protein microinjected into fibroblast cells associates specifically with microtubules. The injected tau protein increases tubulin polymerization and stabilizes microtubules against depolymerization. This increased polymerization does not, however, cause major changes in cell morphology or microtubule arrangement. Thus, tau protein acts in vivo primarily to induce tubulin assembly and stabilize microtubules, activities that may be necessary, but not sufficient, for neuronal morphogenesis.

Bibliography

Drubin, D. G., & Kirschner, M. W. (1986). Tau protein function in living cells. The Journal of Cell Biology, 103(6), 2739â2746.

Authors 2

D G Drubin (first)
M W Kirschner (additional)

References 0 Referenced 602

None

Dates

Type	When
Created	21 years, 3 months ago (May 14, 2004, 8:18 p.m.)
Deposited	2 years, 1 month ago (July 21, 2023, 8:04 p.m.)
Indexed	19 hours, 32 minutes ago (Aug. 23, 2025, 9:52 p.m.)
Issued	38 years, 8 months ago (Dec. 1, 1986)
Published	38 years, 8 months ago (Dec. 1, 1986)
Published Online	38 years, 8 months ago (Dec. 1, 1986)
Published Print	38 years, 8 months ago (Dec. 1, 1986)

Funders 0

None

BibTeX

@article{Drubin_1986, title={Tau protein function in living cells.}, volume={103}, ISSN={1540-8140}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1083/jcb.103.6.2739}, DOI={10.1083/jcb.103.6.2739}, number={6}, journal={The Journal of cell biology}, publisher={Rockefeller University Press}, author={Drubin, D G and Kirschner, M W}, year={1986}, month=dec, pages={2739–2746} }

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