title: Insights into the mechanism of prion propagation.
abstract: Proteins with prion properties have been identified in both mammals and fungi. The tractability of yeast as a genetic model has contributed significantly to our understanding of prion formation and propagation. A number of molecular chaperones have been found to modulate the ability of yeast prion proteins to propagate. The results of recent genetic and in vitro studies have shed light on the mechanism of prion propagation, the physical and structural basis of different prion strains and the species barrier, as well as the function and mechanism of the chaperones that interact with the prion proteins. Whether aspects of the mechanisms of formation, maintenance and clearance of prions are conserved between fungi and mammals remains to be seen.
authors.affiliation: National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China. sarah.perrett@iname.com
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Perrett
authors.forename: Gary W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D018832:Molecular Chaperones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D018621:PrPC Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D011328:Prions / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D018621:PrPC Proteins; D011328:Prions