Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40469052›Full record

ArticleAlzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association2025

Tau phosphorylation at Alzheimer's disease biomarker sites impairs its cleavage by lysosomal proteases.

Courtney Lane-Donovan, Andrew W Smith, Rowan Saloner, Bruce L Miller, Kaitlin B Casaletto, Aimee W Kao

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Emerging directions in tauopathy research.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2026
    Review
  2. Article
  3. Rab12 is a regulator of mitophagy and mitochondrial homeostasis.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026
    Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Tau phosphorylation at Alzheimer's disease biomarker sites impairs its cleavage by lysosomal proteases.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Courtney Lane-DonovanMemory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-9504-8346
Andrew W SmithMemory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
Rowan SalonerMemory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
Bruce L MillerMemory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
Kaitlin B CasalettoMemory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
Aimee W KaoMemory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-7686-7968

Funding

Tau Metabolism in FTD: From Gene Mutations to Molecular Chaperones and Lysosomal ProteasesU54NS123985 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI KAO, AIMEE · 2021 to 2025
$9.0M
NINDS Research Education Programs for Residents and Fellows in Neurology, Neurosurgery, Neuropathology, Neuroradiology and Emergency Medicine (R25)R25NS070680 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI JOSEPHSON, SCOTT ANDREW · 2010 to 2023
$6.8M
US-South American Initiative for Genetic-Neural-Behavioral Interactions in Human Neurodegenerative ResearchR01AG057234 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI Claudia Duran-Aniotz, Agustin M. Ibanez · 2019 to 2026
$6.1M
Unraveling the intersection of synaptic biology, lifestyle, and cognitive resilienceR01AG072475 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI CASALETTO, KAITLIN B · 2021 to 2025
$4.3M
Systematic profiling of lysosomes with age to improve proteostasis in Alzheimer'sR01AG057342 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI KAO, AIMEE · 2018 to 2022
$3.8M
Understanding the molecular functions of progranulin and granulin in FTLDR01NS095257 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI KAO, AIMEE · 2015 to 2019
$1.9M
Progranulin, Prosaposin and Lipid Biology in FTDRF1NS127414 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI KAO, AIMEE · 2022 to 2023
$1.6M
Can Behavior Shape Neural Health? Identifying Modifiable Factors to Prevent Cognitive Decline in AgeK23AG058752 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI CASALETTO, KAITLIN B · 2018 to 2022
$994k
Illuminating Lysosomal Dysfunction in Aging and Alzheimer's Disease (AD)K08AG083050 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI Courtney E Lane-Donovan · 2023 to 2026
$712k
Alzheimer's Association AARG-20-683875American Brain FoundationAssociation for Frontotemporal DegenerationCreative Minds Care, Weill Neurosciences Institute, Drew and Ellen Bradley, Bluefield Project to Cure FTDNIA NIH HHS K08 AG083050NINDS NIH HHS K08AG083050NINDS NIH HHS K23AG058752NINDS NIH HHS R01AG057234NINDS NIH HHS R01AG057342NINDS NIH HHS R01AG072475NINDS NIH HHS R01NS095257NINDS NIH HHS R25NS070680NINDS NIH HHS RF1NS127414NINDS NIH HHS U54NS123985Paul G. Allen Frontiers GroupRainwater Charitable Foundation
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionPhospho-tau peptides from the proline-rich domain (PRD) of tau are sensitive biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease (AD). The PRD is known to be relatively resistant to lysosomal proteolytic cleavage, but the effects of phosphorylation on cleavage are unknown.

methodsUsing in silico modeling and in vitro protease assays, we quantified the effects of phosphorylation on lysosomal proteolysis of tau. We further assessed levels of lysosomal proteases in patient-derived cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) relative to phosphorylated tau-181 (p-tau181).

resultsPhosphorylation renders the PRD significantly resistant to cleavage by the lysosome, especially at less acidic pH setpoints. In Alzheimer's disease subjects, CSF levels of lysosomal proteases correlate with p-tau181, suggesting that p-tau peptides are released with lysosomal contents. DISCUSSION: Loss of lysosomal acidity may contribute to the release of phospho-tau biomarkers. This study shows that phosphorylation of tau impairs its cleavage by proteases in a pH-dependent manner and provides a novel molecular basis for p-tau biomarker accumulation in AD. HIGHLIGHTS: Phosphorylated tau-181 (p-tau181) and p-tau217 originate from tau regions that are poorly cleaved by lysosomal proteases. Phosphorylation further impairs the proteolytic cleavage of AD biomarker peptides. Impaired proteolytic cleavage of phosphorylated tau is pH dependent. Levels of p-tau181 are correlated with lysosomal proteases in Alzheimer's disease (AD) cerebrospinal fluid samples. AD-associated lysosomal dysfunction may contribute to presence of disease biomarkers.

Indexed as

Alzheimer DiseaseLysosomesPeptide Hydrolasestau ProteinsAgedBiomarkersFemaleHumansHydrogen-Ion ConcentrationMalePhosphorylationProteolysisBiomarkersPeptide Hydrolasestau ProteinsAlzheimer's diseasebiomarkerlysosomeneurodegenerationphosphorylated tauprotease

Identifiers

PMID40469052
PMCPMC12138277

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.