Tau proteins interact with tubulin to stabilise and promote microtubule assembly and are implicated in multiple neurodegenerative tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease; however, little is known about other cellular functions of tau. On , Vandana Sharma and colleagues explore its interaction with Src family kinases (SFKs). They show that tau potentiates activation of SFKs (Src and Fyn) both in vitro and in vivo, which alters actin organisation in response to growth factor stimulation. This effect on actin organisation is mediated, at least in part, by Src and does not require association of tau with microtubules. They conclude that the interaction between Src and tau allows tau to participate in growth-factor-induced actin remodelling and establish a cell biological function for tau beyond its role in microtubule assembly and stabilisation. The authors go on to speculate that mutant or hyperphosphorylated forms of tau that show increased association with and activation of SFKs could impact actin dynamics and cell proliferation in neurodegenerative tauopathies.
