Short Note on Prions

Prions were discovered in 1982 by Stanley Prusiner as the causative agent of an infectious sickness of sheep, known as scrapie. Prusiner was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1997 for his pioneering operate as regards the subject of this late accretion class of infectious agent. The most significant feature of prions is that they have been claimed to consist of only protein.

The pronounce, prion was coined to characterize these proteinacious infectious particles. Prions survive heat, radiation and chemical treatments that can normally inactivate viruses. They are susceptible to some protein hydrolyzing enzymes, but are resistant to nucleases which perform that they fighting not contain any nucleic trenchant, either DNA or RNA.

This raises an important ask: how can an infectious agent consisting of proteins adopt its own replication, because a universal characteristic of all cellular organisms as competently as viruses or even viroids is to addition genetic reference in nucleic acids, DNA or RNA. Prions are exceptions and their execution to replicate in impure hosts goes adjoining the Central Dogma.

Research during the last decade has shown that the Prion protein (PrP) is a harmless to your liking sufficient constituent discharge adherence concerning the surface concerning the neurons and glial cells of the brain in vertebrates and invertebrates. This protein is produced initially as a precursor protein containing 253 amino sour residues. Its role has been shown to bind copper ions and thereby helping the brain cells to resist the toxic effects of intensely reactive oxygen radicals.

The enzyme, superoxide dismutase, which protects cell from oxygen radicals, requires copper for its life. In absence of PrP, the cells cannot bind copper and the enzyme remains inactive. This leads to death of the cells due to oxygen toxicity. The allowable ample PrP is encoded by host cell chromosomal genes. The enough protein was designated by Prusiner as PrPc and the anomalous scrapie-inducing proteins as PrPsc.

The flashing protein has been shown to possess the same amino sour sequence as the customary one, but they differ in conformation. As a result of such conformational fine-impression, the uncharacteristic protein shows difference in properties.

Whereas, the allowable protein is soluble in some detergents and is destroyed by proteases, the irregular protein is not. Moreover, the uncharacteristic protein has mostly a pleated-sheet structure which is absent in adequate protein. As a result, the peculiar protein tends to clump together forming aggregates within the distorted cells, possibly blocking molecular traffic in the polluted cells ultimately leading to their death.

When peculiar prion protein (PrPsc) from a diseased animal is introduced into a healthy individual containing the all right prion-protein (PrPc), the individual becomes diseased, even if the incubation time is long. This means that PrPsc is infective. It has been suggested that the atypical prion-protein binds to the plenty protein forming a dimmer (PrPc  PrPsc) and alters the conformation of PrPc to PrPsc.

The newly formed PrPsc molecules can in outlook interact when PrPc bringing roughly linked conformational modify. These irregular molecules mount happening in the brain cells, because they are protease resistant and produce the characteristic symptoms. The brain tissues acquires a sponge-subsequent to declare behind than gradually increasing blank areas of dead tissues, producing what is known as spongiform encephalopathy.

Prions causing a specific illness, taking into account scrapie, have been shown to possess strains which differ in virulence. Moreover, a particular strain can alter in the degree of virulence. In auxiliary pathogenic agents, related to bacteria and viruses, such changes are known to be due to mutation.

In encounter of prions too, such changes might be due to changes in the genes coding for the prion protein. Some scientists yet acceptance to that prions are in fact made happening of a tiny nucleic sour enclosed in a prion protein molecule and they select calling prions as virinos. However, till now no nucleic hostile, either DNA or RNA has been detected in prions and the existence of appropriately called virino has not been proved.

Prions were discovered in search of the causative agent of scrapie of sheep. Scrapie is a neurological sickness which is infectious causing a loss of coordination of leisure goings-on and the affected animals tend to scratch their bodies adjoining walls or rocks. The sickness is usually fatal. It was at the forefront called a slow virus sickness, but fused was found to be caused by prions.

Another animal sickness, commonly known as Mad-Cow Disease came into wipe out in the Great Britain in 1990s. This was moreover ascribed to an infection by prions. This sickness, technically called Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), entered into the cattle by feeding them as soon as protein supplements of sheep containing bones, meat, brains, spinal columns etc.

The sheep-products evidently were contaminated taking into consideration prions of scrapie. The summit of the Mad-Cow Disease in the British Isles reached during 1992-93 behind thousands of cattle heads were afflicted. This heavily affected the meat industry of that country. Not unaccompanied that, a more colossal effect was that the consumption of beef was suspected to cause a fatal human disease, known as Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease (CJD) which is afterward a prion-inflicted complaint resulting in the go before of spongiform encephalopathy.

The sickness requires a era of 7 to 8 years for full fee of symptoms and is usually fatal. As such, it is a scarce illness, but several cases were reported in Great Britain during the last decade and a practicable member together in the midst of the Mad-Cow Disease of cattle and CJD was suspected and officially admitted.

Apart from scrapie and Mad-Cow Disease, prion-infection plus causes the mink encephalopathy. Mink, an animal valued for its excellent fur, buddies this prion infection with through feeding of meat of diseased animals. Mink encephalopathy is with a transmissible sickness.

Prions are now known to cause several human neurological disorders. Among these are Creutzfeldt-Jacob sickness, Gerstmann-Straussler syndrome, Fatal Familial Insomnia and Kuru. Except Kuru, the others are rare heritable diseases.

Creutzfeldt-Jacob illness, might be transmitted through ingestion of meat of diseased cattle, but is generally an family sickness affecting center-aged persons. It is thought to be aligned later than human chromosome 20. The afflicted persons manufacture symptoms of higher dementia and generally die within one year.

Gerstmann-Straussler syndrome is plus an familial spongiform encephalopathy affecting center- aged persons. It is thought to be controlled by an autosomal dominant gene which causes a replacement of proline to leucine in the PrP. The affected persons lose run of coordinated motion (ataxia) and mental sickness.

Fatal Familial Insomnia is a rare autosomal-dominant human sickness caused by a mutation of the prion-protein gene. The sickness appearing in center-aged persons is characterized by progressively brusque insomnia, ataxia and future degeneration of determined tissues of the thalamus of the brain  ultimately leading to death.

Kuru was an when prevalent illness found only in some cannibal tribals of Papua-New Guinea who used to practice the tribal ritual of eating the brains of dead kinsmen. Particularlywomen and children used to undertake allocation in this ritual. With the abolition of cannibalism the weakness is now extinct.