19 | Today in Science: Prions
- Virginia&Frances MD&MS
- Oct 21, 2020
- 1 min read
(picture from NIH NIAD: Prion protein expressed in E. coli)
Hello science friends! We are really excited about this today in science episode on prions. Prions are truly a biological anomaly. As infectious proteins, prions can convert the normal protein to prion confirmation using themselves as a template! Sounds hard to believe, but now we have characterized several prion diseases.
Frances kicks of the episode with some basic biochemistry about prions. Compared to normal protein, prions tend to have more beta-sheets (think pleats) than alpha helices (think spirals) in their structures. She also introduces the 'protein only hypothesis,' current dogma in the field that prions conversion requires only the proteins themselves.
Virginia wraps up the episode with discussion about prion diseases in humans. When scientists first described prion disease in humans, they believed it was caused about 'slow viruses'. However, scientists eventually recognized that prions were the culprit. While rare, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is the most characterized prion disease in humans, and it presents as rapid dementia.
Hope you enjoyed the episode!
Sources:
Frances
Prions
Darwinian Evolution of Prions in Cell Culture
Biology and Genetics of Prions Causing Neurodegeneration
Prions and their partners in crime
Formation of native prions from minimal components in vitro
Virginia
Prion Diseases
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
New breakthrough may help cure prion disease
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