Speaker
Description
Tau is classically known for its microtubule binding and association with neurodegenerative disease, but its ability to form condensates suggests a broader role in cellular organization. In this talk, I will introduce how single-molecule and cell-based assays reveal that tau binds strongly to naked DNA and nucleosomes. Such interactions drive co-condensation into mobile, liquid-like clusters that compact DNA and generate piconewton-scale forces. The resulting condensates act as hubs for microtubule capture, with their formation and function tuned by nucleosomal context and tau phosphorylation at the DNA–tau–microtubule interface. In dividing cells, tau clusters localize to centromeres, and phosphomimetic tau mutants cause chromosome misalignment. Together, these findings point to a mitotic role for tau in spindle–chromosome coupling and tau-related chromosome instability
