Читать книгу The SAGE Encyclopedia of Stem Cell Research - Группа авторов - Страница 88

The other most prominent microscopic finding in AD is neurofibrillary tangles composed of hyperphosphorylated tau protein. The tau protein is a soluble microtubule-associated protein that stabilizes the cytoskeleton by phosphorylation. When the protein becomes hyperphosphorylated, it becomes insoluble and filamentous.

According to the tau hypothesis, the hyperphosphorylated tau forms threads that tangle inside neurons to form masses or neurofibrillary tangles. This leads to disintegration of the neuronal cytoskeleton and transport system.

Although both the amyloid plaques and the neurofibrillary tangles are also identified on microscopy in other neurodegenerative diseases, they are found in larger numbers in Alzheimer’s disease.