A Validated Method to Prepare Stable Tau Oligomers

Abstract

There is growing evidence that tau oligomers are a major pathological species in a number of tauopathies including Alzheimer's disease. However, it is still unclear what exact mechanisms underlie tau oligomer-mediated dysfunction. Studies of tau oligomers in vitro are limited by the high propensity for aggregation and consequent changes in aggregation state of the produced tau samples over time. In this protocol, we provide a step-by-step description of a validated method for producing stable and structurally characterised oligomers of tau that can be used in biochemical, cellular and animal model studies to evaluate mechanisms of action of tau in tauopathies.