Tuyển tập các báo cáo nghiên cứu về y học được đăng trên tạp chí y học quốc tế cung cấp cho các bạn kiến thức về ngành y đề tài: The MAP2/Tau family of microtubule-associated proteins. | Protein family review The MAP2 Tau family of microtubule-associated proteins Leif Dehmelt and Shelley Halpain Address Department of Cell Biology The Scripps Research Institute and Institute for Childhood and Neglected Diseases 10550 North Torrey Pines Rd La Jolla CA 92037 USA. Correspondence Shelley Halpain. E-mail shelley@ Published 23 December 2004 Genome Biology 2004 6 204 The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at http 2004 6 1 204 2004 BioMed Central Ltd Summary Microtubule-associated proteins MAPs of the MAP2 Tau family include the vertebrate proteins MAP2 MAP4 and Tau and homologs in other animals. All three vertebrate members of the family have alternative splice forms all isoforms share a conserved carboxy-terminal domain containing microtubule-binding repeats and an amino-terminal projection domain of varying size. MAP2 and Tau are found in neurons whereas MAP4 is present in many other tissues but is generally absent from neurons. Members of the family are best known for their microtubulestabilizing activity and for proposed roles regulating microtubule networks in the axons and dendrites of neurons. Contrary to this simple traditional view accumulating evidence suggests a much broader range of functions such as binding to filamentous F actin recruitment of signaling proteins and regulation of microtubule-mediated transport. Tau is also implicated in Alzheimer s disease and other dementias. The ability of MAP2 to interact with both microtubules and F-actin might be critical for neuromorphogenic processes such as neurite initiation during which networks of microtubules and F-actin are reorganized in a coordinated manner. Various upstream kinases and interacting proteins have been identified that regulate the microtubulestabilizing activity of MAP2 Tau family proteins. Gene organization and evolutionary history Several types of microtubule-associated protein MAP have evolved in .
