title: [Biological functions of amyloids: facts and hypotheses].
abstract: Amyloids are fibrous protein aggregates which arise due to polymerization of proteins accompanied by their conformational rearrangement and formation of a specific "cross-beta" structure. The interest to amyloids is caused by their relation to a vast group of human and animal diseases called amyloidoses. Some of these diseases caused by prions, a specific type of amyloids, are transmissible. Besides mammals, prion amyloids are described in lower eukaryotes, where they underlie non-chromosomal genetic determinants. Though in humans and animals amyloids are usually associated with pathologies, the increasing number of findings suggests that in some cases acquisition of amyloid or prion form by a protein may be of biological significance. Here, we summarize data on biological significance of prion and nonprion amyloids obtained in a wide range of species, from bacteria to mammals.
authors.forename: L N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Mironova
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Goginashvili
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Ter-Avanesian
mesh_terms: D000682:Amyloid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D011328:Prions / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D011487:Protein Conformation
chemical_list: D000682:Amyloid; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D011328:Prions