Are Mouse Models a surrogate for human disease? A temporal, quantitative and molecular perspective.

It is unclear to what extent Tau molecular pathology in murine models reflect human Tauopathies. Nevertheless, mouse models that overexpress human mutant Tau (P301S and P301L) are widely used in studies of Tauopathies and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). In this study, we perform an in-depth temporally and spatially resolved mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis of P301S (hTau.P301S) and P301L (rTg(tauP301L)4510) mice as well as human patients with AD or frontotemporal dementia due to the P301L mutation, to identify differences and similarities between human AD, animal models and human P301L patients. Both mouse models and human P301L patients show progressive Tau accumulation driven by Tau phosphorylation during disease progression as also observed in early human AD. However, Tau ubiquitination and acetylation, important in human AD, are less or not represented in the mouse models or in P301L patients. Our analyses provide guidance regarding designing mechanistic studies and testing of Tau directed therapeutics.