ABSTRACT
Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other tauopathies comprise death of cell bodies, synapses and neurites but there is surprising little knowledge of the temporal sequence and the causal relationships among these events. Here, we present a novel biosensoric approach to monitor retrograde neurite degeneration before cell death occurs. We induced tau hyperphosphorylation in organotypic hippocampal slice cultures (OHSC) and applied marker-independent real-time electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) for cellular real-time pathology monitoring. Using this approach, we were able to define two distinct phases of neurite degeneration, first a rapid swelling of axonal processes that manifests itself in relative impedance above control levels followed by a slower phase of collapse and subsequent fragmentation indicated by decreased relative impedance below control levels. Initial axon swelling is strictly dose-dependent and swelling intensity correlates with second phase impedance decrease implicating a causative link between both degenerative mechanisms. Moreover, suppressing tau hyperphosphorylation by kinase inhibition nearly prevented both phases of axon degeneration. Our findings demonstrate that the temporal sequence of tau-triggered neurite degeneration can be directly visualized by EIS-based, non-invasive and label-free monitoring. We therefore suggest this approach as a powerful extension of high content applications to study mechanisms of neurite degeneration and to exploit therapeutic options against AD and tau-related disorders.