Detection of mutations in the binding domain of tau protein by kinesin-microtubule gliding assay

On-chip detection of wild 3R, 4R and mutant 4R tau through kinesin-microtubule binding

“…Our prime focus to retain the assay sensitivity in the microfluidic device was achieved by focusing on the following points: (1) to detain the MTs that glide into the collector region, (2) to increase the probability of MTs landing in the reservoir region, (3) to prevent random entry of MTs into the assay region (yellow part in Figure 1a and c) and (4) the confinement of MTs within the assay region. These conditions were attained by sensible designing and fabrication steps described below.…”

“…Elaborate study relating to the distribution of tau isoforms and mutants in the brain and CSF could not be consolidated into developing an early detection method for various neurodegenerative conditions; one reason is that a standardized tau detection method which does not employ antibodies has not been established. We developed a non-immunological tau detection method and reported two new detection parameters: landing rate and MT binding density (MEMS 2014 [2]). In this paper we show the device design and experimental results of tau detection assay on a chip.…”