PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

The origin of the evil conformation

Where does the pathological misfolding of the prion originate?

2014-01-24
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Federica Sgorbissa
federica@medialab.sissa.it
0039-040-378-7644
International School of Advanced Studies (SISSA)
The origin of the evil conformation Where does the pathological misfolding of the prion originate?

"When they are healthy, they look like tiny spheres; when they are malignant, they appear as cubes" stated Giuseppe Legname, principal investigator of the Prion Biology Laboratory at the Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA) in Trieste, when describing prion proteins. Prions are "misfolded" proteins that cause a group of incurable neurodegenerative diseases, including spongiform encephalopathies (for example, mad cow diseases) and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Legname and coworkers have recently published a detailed analysis of the early mechanisms of misfolding. Their research has just been published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, the most authoritative scientific journal in the field.

Prions are unique infective agents —unlike viruses, bacteria, fungi and other parasites, prions do not contain either DNA or RNA. Despite their seemingly simple structure, they can propagate their pathological effects like wildfire, by "infecting" normal proteins. PrPSc (the pathological form of the prion protein) can induce normal prion proteins (PrPC) to acquire the wrong conformation and convert into further disease-causing agents.

"For the first time, our experimental study has investigated the structural elements leading to the disease-causing conversion" explains Legname. "With the help of X-rays, we observed some synthetic prion proteins engineered in our lab by applying a new approach —we used nanobodies, i.e. small proteins that act as a scaffolding and induce prions to stabilize their structure". Legname and colleagues reported that misfolding originates in a specific part of the protein named "N-terminal". "The prion protein consists of two subunits. The C-terminal has a clearly defined and well-known structure, whereas the unstructured N-terminal is disordered, and still largely unknown. This is the very area where the early prion pathological misfolding occurs" adds Legname. "The looser conformation of the N-terminal likely determines a dynamic structure, which can thus change the protein shape".

"Works like ours are the first, important steps to understand the mechanisms underlying the pathogenic effect of prions" concludes Legname. "Elucidating the misfolding process is essential to the future development of drugs and therapeutic strategies against incurable neurodegenerative diseases".



INFORMATION:



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

When hospitals share patient records, emergency patients benefit, study suggests

2014-01-24
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — As hospitals and doctors' offices across ...

Rainforests in Far East shaped by humans for the last 11,000 years

2014-01-24
New research from Queen's University Belfast shows that the tropical forests of South East Asia have been shaped by humans for the last 11,000 years. The rain forests of Borneo, Sumatra, Java, ...

Loyola physician research shows gap in care for childhood cancer survivors

2014-01-24
MAYWOOD, Ill. – A recent study shows that many internists feel ill-equipped to care ...

Infections damage our ability to form spatial memories

2014-01-24
Increased inflammation following an infection impairs the brain's ability to form spatial memories – according to new research. The impairment results from a decrease in glucose metabolism in the ...

A good tern deserves another

2014-01-24
The use of portable, wireless cameras and monitoring equipment for recording and transmitting footage of wildlife is perhaps familiar to anyone who watches nature programs on TV. However, common ...

Researchers developing new approach for imaging dense breasts for abnormalities

2014-01-24
(Lebanon, NH, 1/24/14) — Dartmouth engineers and radiologists are developing new approaches ...

Simple protein test could improve prediction of survival rates for patients with head and neck cance

2014-01-24
Scientists from The University of Manchester – part of the Manchester Cancer Research Centre - used a simple protein test that could prove more ...

Do doctors spend too much time looking at computer screen?

2014-01-24
CHICAGO --- When physicians spend too much time looking at the computer screen in the exam room, nonverbal ...

Cause identified for children and adults with joint, skeletal and skin problems

2014-01-24
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 24-Jan-2014 [ | E-mail ] var addthis_pub="eurekalert"; var addthis_options = "favorites, delicious, digg, facebook, twitter, google, newsvine, reddit, slashdot, stumbleupon, buzz, more" Share Contact: Alison Barbuti alison.barbuti@manchester.ac.uk 44-016-127-58383 University of Manchester Cause identified for children and adults with joint, skeletal and skin problems Scientists from the University of Manchester and Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have identified the cause of a rare condition called Leri's ...

Study expands the cancer genomics universe

2014-01-24
A landmark study across many cancer types reveals that the universe of cancer mutations is much bigger than ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

JMIR Biomedical engineering invites submissions on voice phenotyping and vocal biomarkers

The metabolic dialogue between intratumoral microbes and cancer: implications for immunotherapy

Demographic data supporting FDA authorization of AI devices for Alzheimer disease and related dementias

How the common fungus Candida albicans colonizes the gut

How are coastal New Jersey communities communicating hazards of climate change?

AI-based breast cancer risk technology receives FDA Breakthrough Device designation

Young men with passive approach to news tend to believe medical misinformation

Announcing Zuber Lawler as a Sponsor of ARDD 2025

Is this what 2,500-year-old honey looks like?

Economic evaluation of wastewater surveillance for COVID-19 testing in long-term care settings

Announcing Deep Origin as a sponsor of ARDD 2025

Cancer cells ‘power up’ when literally pressed to the limit

Huge hidden flood bursts through the Greenland ice sheet surface

The brain shapes what we feel in real time

New study confirms post-pandemic surge in gut-brain disorders

Through the shot glass, and what can be found in liverworts

Stepping for digital rewards

Developing next-generation analytical technique for gene and cell doping and ensuring ethics and fairness in sports

Debunking a life-threatening myth: "Tongue swallowing prevention" maneuvers delay CPR and might contribute to brain injury or death for collapsed athletes

Female pilots perform better under pressure, study finds

Hydroquinone-buffered covalent organic frameworks for long-term photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide production

From coal to chemicals: Breakthrough syngas catalysis powers green industrial future

AI detects the stiffness of cancer cell exosomes: DGIST develops deep learning-based lung cancer diagnostic technology

Positive ethnic identity fosters STEM career aspirations

Wildlife show wide range of responses to human presence in U.S. national parks

Great Tits show early signs of splitting up: Oxford researchers uncover social clues to bird 'divorce'

From the lab to the hand: nanodevice brings personalized genomics closer to reality

Women politicians receive more identity-based attacks on social media than men, study finds

Idaho National Laboratory accelerates nuclear energy projects with Amazon Web Services cloud and AI technologies

Kavraki elected to European Academy of Sciences

[Press-News.org] The origin of the evil conformation
Where does the pathological misfolding of the prion originate?