Gourt > Health > Conditions and Diseases > Infectious Diseases > Prion
- This article is about the infectious particles known as prions; for the bird, see Prion (bird).
A prion (IPA: audio) — short for proteinaceous infectious particle — is a unique type of infectious agent, as it is made only of protein. Prions are abnormally-structured forms of a host protein, which are able to convert normal molecules of the protein into the abnormal structure. Unlike other pathogens, prions cannot be denatured by protease, heat, radiation, and formalin treatments. Though the exact mechanisms of their actions and propagation are unknown, it is now commonly accepted that prions are responsible for a number of previously known but little-understood diseases classified as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). These include scrapie (a disease of sheep), Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or mad cow disease). These diseases affect the structure of brain tissue and all are fatal and untreatable.
Proteins showing prion behaviour are also found in some fungi. Some fungal prions may not be associated with any disease state and may have an evolutionary advantage for their hosts. So far all prions discovered are believed to infect and propagate by formation of an amyloid fold. However, since any infectious protein particle would be defined as a prion, other mechanisms may be possible.
More on [ Prion ]
BSE - Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy :: Consumer Concerns
@agorist You just wait. It's the alpha+beta prion zombies we really have to fear.
mward (mward) Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:04:25 -0000
@agorist You just wait. It's the alpha+beta prion zombies we really have to fear.
@mward comforting. I fear the prion zombies more. If the hive ever figures out how to get in beta-sheet phalanx formation, we're doomed.
agorist (agorist) Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:09:57 -0000
@mward comforting. I fear the prion zombies more. If the hive ever figures out how to get in beta-sheet phalanx formation, we're doomed.
Family's inherited condition links prion diseases, Alzheimer's http://mednews.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/15213.html
WUADRC (Wash Univ) Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:51:46 -0000
Family's inherited condition links prion diseases, Alzheimer's http://mednews.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/15213.html
RT @ALZHEIMERSread: Family's inherited condition links prion diseases, Alzheimer's http://bit.ly/50jMZa
lisamarieblaski (Lisa Marie Blaskie) Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:46:03 -0000
RT @ALZHEIMERSread: Family's inherited condition links prion diseases, Alzheimer's http://bit.ly/50jMZa
Family's inherited condition links prion diseases, Alzheimer's http://bit.ly/50jMZa
AlzheimersRead (Alzheimer's Reading ) Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:37:00 -0000
Family's inherited condition links prion diseases, Alzheimer's http://bit.ly/50jMZa
Family's inherited condition links prion diseases, #Alzheimer's http://ow.ly/Kmbo
SteveJJorgenson (Steve Jorgenson) Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:06:34 -0000
Family's inherited condition links prion diseases, #Alzheimer's http://ow.ly/Kmbo
Deadly Conformations-Protein Misfolding in Prion Disease - Research article on prions.
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L. Li Lab - Northwestern University - Studying prion proteins using yeast as a model organism.
Meta Description: [ We are interested in studying prion proteins using yeast as a model
organism. We want to obtain information on their structural properties,
their mutual interactions, and their interactions with other cellular
factors, particularly, with molecular chap... ]
Prion Illustration - Computer graphic showing the replication and spread of prions in cells.
Meta Description: [ Mad Cow Disease Pictures: illustration of prion replication and spread at the cellular level, by Russell Kightley Media ]
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