Surface-induced tau condensation generates a selective microenvironment around microtubules
- 1Institute of Biotechnology CAS, Centrum BIOCEV
Abstract
Tau is a neuron-specific microtubule-associated protein that can self-associate into pathological insoluble aggregates or phase separate into condensates whose (patho)physiological role is debated. Recent studies suggest that intracellular surfaces can locally promote biomolecular condensation, even at low molecular concentrations. While microtubules in neurons provide an abundant tau-interaction surface, their role in tau phase separation remains unclear. Through a dialogue between experiments and theory, we demonstrate that tau forms multilayered condensates on microtubules at physiological concentrations via a prewetting-like transition. Concomitant tau-microtubule and tau-tau interactions explain the experimentally observed cooperative binding of the innermost tau layer directly adsorbed to the microtubule. The formation of this layer is dictated by the spacing of tubulin dimers within the microtubule lattice. Additional tau layers, driven by tau-tau interactions and independent of lattice spacing, are finite in thickness and unstable away from the microtubule surface. While the microtubule-adsorbed tau can selectively restrict proteins from the microtubule surface, the multilayered tau condensates can recruit tau interactors, such as RNA or soluble tubulin, highlighting the distinct roles of the condensate layers. Our results suggest that a prewetting-like transition constitutes a general physical mechanism for organizing liquid-like biomolecular layers of defined composition on charged intracellular surfaces.
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BibTeX
@misc{lanska2026surfaceinduced,
title = {{Surface-induced tau condensation generates a selective microenvironment around microtubules}},
author = {E. Lanska and A. Nagarajan and T. Humhalova and V. Siahaan and J. Krattenmacher and M. D. Zdimalova and A. Belaid and L. Libusova and C. Janke and Z. Lansky and M. Braun and S. Choubey},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.64898/2026.08.20.745963},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.20.745963v2},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Surface-induced tau condensation generates a selective microenvironment around microtubules
AU - E. Lanska
AU - A. Nagarajan
AU - T. Humhalova
AU - V. Siahaan
AU - J. Krattenmacher
AU - M. D. Zdimalova
AU - A. Belaid
AU - L. Libusova
AU - C. Janke
AU - Z. Lansky
AU - M. Braun
AU - S. Choubey
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/20
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.08.20.745963
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.20.745963v2
AB - Tau is a neuron-specific microtubule-associated protein that can self-associate into pathological insoluble aggregates or phase separate into condensates whose (patho)physiological role is debated. Recent studies suggest that intracellular surfaces can locally promote biomolecular condensation, even at low molecular concentrations. While microtubules in neurons provide an abundant tau-interaction surface, their role in tau phase separation remains unclear. Through a dialogue between experiments and theory, we demonstrate that tau forms multilayered condensates on microtubules at physiological concentrations via a prewetting-like transition. Concomitant tau-microtubule and tau-tau interactions explain the experimentally observed cooperative binding of the innermost tau layer directly adsorbed to the microtubule. The formation of this layer is dictated by the spacing of tubulin dimers within the microtubule lattice. Additional tau layers, driven by tau-tau interactions and independent of lattice spacing, are finite in thickness and unstable away from the microtubule surface. While the microtubule-adsorbed tau can selectively restrict proteins from the microtubule surface, the multilayered tau condensates can recruit tau interactors, such as RNA or soluble tubulin, highlighting the distinct roles of the condensate layers. Our results suggest that a prewetting-like transition constitutes a general physical mechanism for organizing liquid-like biomolecular layers of defined composition on charged intracellular surfaces.
ER -