朊病毒的状态。

The state of the prion.

作者信息

Weissmann Charles

机构信息

MRC Prion Unit, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK.

出版信息

Nat Rev Microbiol. 2004 Nov;2(11):861-71. doi: 10.1038/nrmicro1025.

DOI:10.1038/nrmicro1025

PMID:15494743

Abstract

There is little doubt that the main component of the transmissible agent of spongiform encephalopathies - the prion - is a conformational variant of the ubiquitous host protein PrP(C), and that the differing properties of various prion strains are associated with different abnormal conformations of this protein. The precise structure of the prion is not yet known, nor are the mechanisms of infection, conformational conversion and pathogenesis understood.

摘要

毫无疑问，海绵状脑病的传染性病原体的主要成分——朊病毒——是普遍存在的宿主蛋白PrP(C)的一种构象变体，而且各种朊病毒毒株的不同特性与该蛋白的不同异常构象有关。朊病毒的确切结构尚不清楚，感染、构象转化和发病机制也未明了。