Tau-protein kinase

A tau-protein kinase is an enzyme in the protein-serine/threonine kinase family that catalyzes the phosphorylation of tau protein, primarily at serine/threonine residues. Tau kinases include multiple enzymes such as glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK3β), cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5), and tau-tubulin kinases (TTBK1, TTBK2), which participate in both physiological signaling and pathological processes. Dysregulated activity or overexpression leads to tau hyperphosphorylation, resulting in tau aggregation and neurofibrillary tangle formation characteristic of Alzheimer's disease and related tauopathies. Tau-protein kinases are considered an important but challenging therapeutic target for neurodegenerative disease. Multiple kinase inhibitors have been tested for efficacy in reducing tau pathology, with limited clinical success to date due to complex physiological roles and limited specificity.

Other names

ATP:[tau-protein] O-phosphotransferasebrain protein kinase PK40erkcdk5/p20CDK5/p23glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK3β)GSKprotein tau kinaseSTK31tau kinase[tau-protein] kinasetau-protein kinase Itau-protein kinase IItau-tubulin kinaseTPKTPK ITPK IITTK

Inhibition of tau hyperphosphorylation, Inhibition of kinase activity (e.g., GSK3β inhibition), Stabilization of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) to increase tau dephosphorylation