title: Prions at the crossroads: the need to identify the active TSE agent.
abstract: Structural change in the cellular prion protein, PrPC to a ProteinaseK-resistant beta-sheet-rich insoluble form PrPSC and its accumulation have been considered to be central to the pathogenesis of the prion diseases (TSE). In a recent paper, Deleault et al have shown that specific endogenous RNA molecules can induce in vitro structural conversion of endogenous PrPC to PrPSC. Small highly structured synthetic RNAs can also induce this conversion process. However, recent in vivo results show that PrPSC is not directly involved in the prion pathogenesis. It is possible, however, that nucleic-acid-induced PrPSC associated with the inducer nucleic acid could be the components of the infectious agent.
authors.affiliation: Pathologie Infectieuse et Immunologie, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, 37380 Nouzilly, France. nandi@tours.inra.fr
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Nandi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D017096:Prion Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D011328:Prions / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D011487:Protein Conformation
chemical_list: D009696:Nucleic Acids; D011328:Prions