Compromised function of the ESCRT pathway promotes endolysosomal escape of tau seeds and propagation of tau aggregation

ABSTRACT Intercellular propagation of protein aggregation is emerging as a key mechanism in the progression of several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s Disease and frontotemporal dementia. However, we lack a systematic understanding of the cellular path-ways controlling prion-like propagation. To uncover such pathways, we performed CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) screens in a human cell-based model of propagation of tau aggregation. Our screens uncovered that knockdown of several components of the ESCRT machinery, including CHMP6, or CHMP2A in combination with CHMP2B (a gene linked to familial fronto-temporal dementia), promote propagation of tau aggregation. We found that knockdown of these genes caused damage to endolysosomal membranes, consistent with a role for the ESCRT pathway in endolysosomal membrane repair. Leakiness of the endolysosomal compartment significantly enhanced prion-like propagation of tau aggregation, likely by making tau seeds more available to pools of cytoplasmic tau. Together, these findings suggest that endolysosomal escape is a critical step in tau propagation.