Michael Bell-Simons

University of Cologne | UOC · Institute of Human Genetics

The microtubule-associated protein TAU is a key driver of the neurodegeneration observed in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Normally, TAU stabilizes neuronal microtubules (MT) and promotes essential MT-associated functions. Alternative splicing of the TAU-encoding MAPT gene results in the expression of six isoforms in the human brain. Models of AD and TA...

Primary murine neurons are a well-established tool for investigating TAU in the context of neuronal development and neurodegeneration. However, culturing primary neurons is usually time-consuming and requires multiple feeding steps, media exchanges, proprietary media supplements, and/or preparation of complex media. Here we describe i) a relatively...

TAU pathology is a major hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases summarized under the term tauopathies. In most of these diseases, e.g., Alzheimer’s Disease, the neuronal axonal microtubule-binding TAU protein becomes mislocalized to the somatodendritic compartment. In human disease, this missorting of TAU is accompanied by an abnormally high p...

One hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), is the formation of neurofibrillary tangles by hyperphosphorylated Tau in the brain, resulting in neuronal death and cognitive decline. In the adult human brain, six Tau isoforms are expressed, originating from alternative splicing of exons 2, 3, and 10 of the MAPT g...

In the adult human brain, six isoforms of the microtubule-associated protein TAU are expressed, which result from alternative splicing of exons 2, 3, and 10 of the MAPT gene. These isoforms differ in the number of N-terminal inserts (0N, 1N, 2N) and C-terminal repeat domains (3R or 4R) and are differentially expressed depending on the brain region...

The microtubule-associated protein (MAP) TAU is mainly sorted into the axon of healthy brain neurons. Somatodendritic missorting of TAU is a pathological hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Cause, consequence and (patho)physiological mechanisms of TAU sorting and missorting are understudied, in part also...

Somatodendritic missorting of the axonal protein TAU is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease and related tauopathies. Rodent primary neurons and iPSC-derived neurons are used for studying mechanisms of neuronal polarity, including TAU trafficking. However, these models are expensive, time-consuming, and/or require the killing of animals. In this study...

Epigenetic mechanisms are emerging key players for the regulation of brain function, synaptic activity, and the formation of neuronal engrams in health and disease. As one important epigenetic mechanism of transcriptional control, DNA methylation was reported to distinctively modulate synaptic activity in excitatory and inhibitory cortical neurons...

The microtubule-associated protein TAU is sorted into the axon in healthy brain neurons. Somatodendritic missorting of TAU is a pathological hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases called tauopathies, including Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Cause, consequence, and (patho)physiological mechanisms of TAU sorting and missorting are understudied, in pa...

In the adult human brain, six isoforms of the microtubule-associated protein TAU are expressed, which result from alternative splicing of exons 2, 3 and 10 of the MAPT gene. These isoforms differ in the number of N-terminal inserts (0N, 1N, 2N) and C-terminal repeat domains (3R or 4R) and are differentially expressed depending on the brain region a...

Somatodendritic missorting of the axonal protein TAU is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease and related tauopathies. Cultured rodent primary neurons and iPSC-derived neurons are used for studying mechanisms of neuronal polarity, including TAU trafficking. However, these models are expensive, time-consuming and/or require the sacrification of animals....

Somatodendritic missorting of the axonal protein TAU is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease and related tauopathies. Cultured rodent primary neurons and iPSC-derived neurons are often used for studying mechanisms of neuronal polarity, including TAU trafficking. However, these models are expensive, time-consuming and/or re-quire the sacrification of a...

1. Abstract The human-derived SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell line is widely used for studying TAU physiology and TAU-related pathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related tauopathies. SH-SY5Y cells can be differentiated into neuron-like cells (SH-SY5Y-derived neurons), which resemble noradrenergic, dopaminergic or cholinergic neurons, by using vari...

The human-derived SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell line is widely used for studying TAU physiology and TAU-related pathology in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related tauopathies. SH-SY5Y cells can be differentiated into neuron-like cells (SH-SY5Y-derived neurons), which resemble noradrenergic, dopaminergic or cholinergic neurons, by using various substanc...