Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
Science. 2010 Oct 29;330(6004):629-32. doi: 10.1126/science.1191081.
Prions are an unusual form of epigenetics: Their stable inheritance and complex phenotypes come about through protein folding rather than nucleic acid-associated changes. With intimate ties to protein homeostasis and a remarkable sensitivity to stress, prions are a robust mechanism that links environmental extremes with the acquisition and inheritance of new traits.
它们的稳定遗传和复杂表型是通过蛋白质折叠而不是核酸相关变化产生的。朊病毒与蛋白质动态平衡密切相关，对压力具有显著的敏感性，是一种将极端环境与新性状的获得和遗传联系起来的强大机制。
