The Microtubule-Associated Protein Tau Mediates the Organization of Microtubules and Their Dynamic Exploration of Actin-Rich Lamellipodia and Filopodia of Cortical Growth Cones

Proper organization and dynamics of the actin and microtubule (MT) cytoskeleton are essential for growth cone behaviors during axon growth and guidance. The MT-associated protein tau is known to mediate actin/MT interactions in cell-free systems but the role of tau in regulating cytoskeletal dynamics in living neurons is unknown. We used cultures of cortical neurons from postnatal day (P)0–P2 golden Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) of either sex to study the role of tau in the organization and dynamics of the axonal growth cone cytoskeleton. Here, using super resolution microscopy of fixed growth cones, we found that tau colocalizes with MTs and actin filaments and is also located at the interface between actin filament bundles and dynamic MTs in filopodia, suggesting that tau links these two cytoskeletons. Live cell imaging in concert with shRNA tau knockdown revealed that reducing tau expression disrupts MT bundling in the growth cone central domain, misdirects trajectories of MTs in the transition region and prevents single dynamic MTs from extending into growth cone filopodia along actin filament bundles. Rescue experiments with human tau expression restored MT bundling, MT penetration into the growth cone periphery and close MT apposition to actin filaments in filopodia. Importantly, we found that tau knockdown reduced axon outgrowth and growth cone turning in Wnt5a gradients, likely due to disorganized MTs that failed to extend into the peripheral domain and enter filopodia. These results suggest an important role for tau in regulating cytoskeletal organization and dynamics during growth cone behaviors.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Growth cones are the motile tips of growing axons whose guidance behaviors require interaction of the dynamic actin and microtubule cytoskeleton. Tau is a microtubule-associated protein that stabilizes microtubules in neurons and in cell-free systems regulates actin–microtubule interaction. Here, using super resolution microscopy, live-cell imaging, and tau knockdown, we show for the first time in living axonal growth cones that tau is important for microtubule bundling and microtubule exploration of the actin-rich growth cone periphery. Importantly tau knockdown reduced axon outgrowth and growth cone turning, due to disorganized microtubules that fail to enter filopodia and co-align with actin filaments. Understanding normal tau functions will be important for identifying mechanisms of tau in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.