Role of lipid in forming an infectious prion？  

作　　者：Fei Wang Jiyan Ma 

机构地区：[1]Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Ohio State University, 1645 Neil Ave., Columbus, OH 43210, USA

出　　处：《Acta Biochimica et Biophysica Sinica》2013年第6期485-493,共9页生物化学与生物物理学报（英文版）

摘　　要：The infectious agent of the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, or prion diseases, has been the center of intense debate for decades. Years of studies have provided overwhelming evidence to support the prion hypothesis that posits a protein conformal infectious agent is responsible for the transmissibility of the disease. The recent studies that generate prion infectivity with purified bacterially expressed recombinant prion protein not only provides convincing evidence supporting the core of the prion hypothesis, that a pathogenic conformer of host prion protein is able to seed the conversion of its normal counterpart to the likeness of itself resulting in the replication of the pathogenic conformer and occurrence of disease, they also indicate the importance of cofactors, particularly lipid or lipid-like molecules, in forming the protein conformation-based infectious agent. This article reviews the literature regarding the chemical nature of the infectious agent and the potential contribution from lipid molecules to prion infectivity, and discusses the important remaining questions in this research area.The infectious agent of the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, or prion diseases, has been the center of intense debate for decades. Years of studies have provided overwhelming evidence to support the prion hypothesis that posits a protein conformal infectious agent is responsible for the transmissibility of the disease. The recent studies that generate prion infectivity with purified bacterially expressed recombinant prion protein not only provides convincing evidence supporting the core of the prion hypothesis, that a pathogenic conformer of host prion protein is able to seed the conversion of its normal counterpart to the likeness of itself resulting in the replication of the pathogenic conformer and occurrence of disease, they also indicate the importance of cofactors, particularly lipid or lipid-like molecules, in forming the protein conformation-based infectious agent. This article reviews the literature regarding the chemical nature of the infectious agent and the potential contribution from lipid molecules to prion infectivity, and discusses the important remaining questions in this research area.

关 键 词：PRION prion infectivity prion proteinconversion LIPID recombinant prion 

分 类 号：S855.3[农业科学—临床兽医学] S852.659.7[农业科学—兽医学]