Tauopathies
Cathepsin D seems particularly important for degrading tau, as its expression was neuroprotective in a Drosophila tauopathy model. Levels of cathepsin D are elevated in flies expressing mutant human tau. If cathepsin D is genetically ablated, these tau flies exhibit enhanced neurotoxicity and a shorter lifespan (93). PubMed:24027553
The active form of calpain-2 is found in 50–75% of NFTs in tauopathies including AD, but not in protein aggregates found in other diseases (47). This is consistent with another study that found equivalent calpain levels between control and AD cases, but the activity level of the enzyme isolated from AD brain tissue was increased (48). PubMed:24027553
Cathepsin D seems particularly important for degrading tau, as its expression was neuroprotective in a Drosophila tauopathy model. Levels of cathepsin D are elevated in flies expressing mutant human tau. If cathepsin D is genetically ablated, these tau flies exhibit enhanced neurotoxicity and a shorter lifespan (93). PubMed:24027553
Cathepsin D seems particularly important for degrading tau, as its expression was neuroprotective in a Drosophila tauopathy model. Levels of cathepsin D are elevated in flies expressing mutant human tau. If cathepsin D is genetically ablated, these tau flies exhibit enhanced neurotoxicity and a shorter lifespan (93). PubMed:24027553
On the one hand, expressing a 17-kDa fragment of tau based on calpain cleavage site mapping in hippocampal neurons led to neurite retraction and the appearance of varicosities after 48 h (52). Additionally, suppressing calpain activity in a fly model of tauopathy prevented neurodegeneration, as did expressing a calpain-resistant form of tau (54). PubMed:24027553
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