title: On safari with PrP: prion diseases of animals.
abstract: Prions are infectious pathogens that cause fatal neurodegeneration in humans and animals and are composed largely, or entirely, of an aberrant isoform of the host-encoded prion protein (PrP). A post-translational process involving a conformational change in PrP is a significant feature of their replication. Differences in PrP sequences modify the incubation times, neuropathology and properties of prion 'strains'.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco 94143, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Westaway
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Carlson
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Prusiner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018621:PrPC Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018620:PrPSc Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017096:Prion Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011328:Prions / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity; D012608:Scrapie / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D018621:PrPC Proteins; D018620:PrPSc Proteins; D011328:Prions