Prion diseases are invariably fatal neurodegenerative disorders affecting humans and many mammals. Here, we will discuss the current understanding of prion biology and the molecular biology of this group of illnesses. We introduce several aspects of prion biology, from the primary structure of the cellular form of the prion protein, PrPC, to the conformational changes that occur during the conversion to the pathological form, PrPSc. In particular, we provide recent developments in our understanding of the molecular determinants of prion infectivity. We present in detail the discovery of synthetic mammalian prions and the implications that such findings may have for the future of prion research. © 2012 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.
Synthetic prions
Giachin G.
2012
Abstract
Prion diseases are invariably fatal neurodegenerative disorders affecting humans and many mammals. Here, we will discuss the current understanding of prion biology and the molecular biology of this group of illnesses. We introduce several aspects of prion biology, from the primary structure of the cellular form of the prion protein, PrPC, to the conformational changes that occur during the conversion to the pathological form, PrPSc. In particular, we provide recent developments in our understanding of the molecular determinants of prion infectivity. We present in detail the discovery of synthetic mammalian prions and the implications that such findings may have for the future of prion research. © 2012 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.
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