Table 1 Comparison of some commonly used transgenic mouse models of tauopathies to the new tau SPAM mice.

From: Pathogenic tau recruits wild-type tau into brain inclusions and induces gut degeneration in transgenic SPAM mice

Model

Mutation with human tau isoform

Promoter

Expression relative to mouse tau

Tau pathology

Property

rTg4510 mice54,55

Inducible tTA, 0N4R P301L

CamKII

12–13X

Cortex, hippocampus at 4-5.5 months

Overexpression, disrupted developmental genes57,58

RT2/T2 mice58

Inducible tTA, 0N4R P301L

CamKII

17X

Cortex, hippocampus at 5–7 months

Overexpression, tTA disruption of several genes58

PS19 mice56

1N4R P301S

MoPrP

5X

Brainstem, hippocampus at 6-12 months

Inconsistent pathology59,61, paralysis56

tau SPAM mice

0N4R P301S/S320F

MoPrP

0.7X

Cortex, hippocampus, and other areas at 2-6 months

No sex difference, premature death from enteric neuronal loss

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