Methods for Screening Inhibitors of Tau Phosphorylation By Casein Kinase I

Abstract

Methods of screening for candidate compounds capable of inhibiting activity of fyn in phosphorylating tau protein at Y394 or binding to fyn to inhibit interaction with tau protein at Y394, including determining whether, and optionally the extent, the candidate compounds have these capabilities under conditions where fyn has these capabilities in the absence of the candidate compound. Methods of screening for substances capable of promoting dephosphorylation of tau protein by a phosphatase at a site of tau protein including contacting a candidate substance, the tau protein and a phosphatase capable of dephosphorylating the tau protein under conditions where the phosphatase is capable of dephosphorylating the site in absence of the candidate substance, where the kinase is fyn; determining whether, and optionally the extent, the candidate substance promotes dephosphorylation of the tau protein at the site; and selecting the candidate substance which promotes dephosphorylation of the tau protein the sites.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to methods for screening for substances capable of modulating the phosphorylation of tau protein, and in particular paired helical filament (PHF) tau, and the use of such modulators in the treatment of tauopathies. The assays and screening methods are based on the identification of new phosphorylation sites in PHF tau and new kinases and combinations of kinases as therapeutic targets.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterised by the presence of senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. The degree of dementia at death correlates better with neurofibrillary tangle numbers than with senile plaques counts. The presence of neurofibrillary tangles in neurons results in the death of those neurons, implying that prevention of tangle formation is an important therapeutic goal. The principal protein that forms the neurofibrillary tangle is the microtubule-associ...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

However, increased phosphorylation of tau on multiple serine and threonine residues reduces the ability of tau to promote microtubule assembly and to stabilise assembled microtubules, effects that have been demonstrated both in vitro and in cells.

It remains a considerable problem in the art in identifying the enzymes responsible for causing phosphorylation of paired helical filament tau and the sites phosphorylated by those enzymes.

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