Protein & Peptide Letters

Author(s): Yraima Cordeiro and Jerson L. Silva

DOI: 10.2174/0929866053587138

The Hypothesis of the Catalytic Action of Nucleic Acid on the Conversion of Prion Protein

Page: [251 - 255] Pages: 5

  • * (Excluding Mailing and Handling)

Abstract

The main hypothesis for prion diseases proposes that the cellular protein (PrPC) can be altered into a misfolded, β-sheet-rich isoform (PrPSc). We describe here that host nucleic acid may catalyze the conversion between PrPC and PrPSc isoforms, by reducing the protein mobility and by making the protein-protein interactions more likely. We summarize the findings, focusing in the biological relevance of the catalytic action of nucleic acid.

Keywords: prion, structural conversion, nucleic acid, catalysis, aggregation