Our latest publication is now out in Cell Reports. In this work, we show that the protein Tau can phase separate into liquid-like droplets in vitro. These droplets can concentrate tubulin, which enables the polymerization of microtubule bundles that deform the droplets into rod-like structures. Read the full paper online (open access full text) and see the graphical and video abstracts below!
This work was a collaboration with the labs of Stefan Diez and Simon Alberti and was led by our postdoc Amayra Hernández-Vega. Congratulations to all involved!
Read a story about the work on Alzforum.
This work was selected for the journal cover. The watercolor painting shows the retraction of tau from rod-like microtubule bundles into spherical drops and the simultaneous debundling of microtubules after treatment with heparin. Artwork by Julia Eichhorn.