New Frost lab publication focused on tau and protein translation

We are excited to announce a new Frost lab publication focused on the effects of pathogenic tau on protein translation: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acel.14245

This study was led by Dr. Gabbe Zuniga, who was inspired to analyze the effects of tau on translation due to her previous discovery that error-containing RNA transcripts accumulate in tauopathy due to failed clearance via nonsense-mediated RNA decay.

In the current study, Gabbe found that the rate of translation is elevated early in disease in Drosophila models of tauopathy, and that tau-induced elevation of translation is likely neuroprotective. We’ve previously reported that polyA RNA and error-containing RNA are present within tau-induced nuclear invaginations, as well as protein encoded by error-containing RNA. Gabbe’s new study reveals that RNA is actively translated within these invaginations.

Read the paper for more! Thanks to Dr. Sakie Katsumura and Dr. Masahiro Morita for (major) help with polysome profiling, as well as coauthors Jasmine De Mange, Paulino Ramirez, PhD and Dr. Farzaneh Atrian.

Gabbe was an MD/PhD student in the Frost lab through our UT Health San Antonio MSTP program and is currently a Resident in the Department of Emergency Medicine.