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The prion hypothesis: from biological anomaly to basic regulatory mechanism

Tuite, Mick F., Serio, Tricia R. (2010) The prion hypothesis: from biological anomaly to basic regulatory mechanism. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, 11 (12). pp. 823-833. ISSN 1471-0072. (doi:10.1038/nrm3007) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:29219)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrm3007

Abstract

Prions are unusual proteinaceous infectious agents that are typically associated with a class of fatal degenerative diseases of the mammalian brain. However, the discovery of fungal prions, which are not associated with disease, suggests that we must now consider the effect of these factors on basic cellular physiology in a different light. Fungal prions are epigenetic determinants that can alter a range of cellular processes, including metabolism and gene expression pathways, and these changes can lead to a range of prion-associated phenotypes. The mechanistic similarities between prion propagation in mammals and fungi suggest that prions are not a biological anomaly but instead could be a newly appreciated and perhaps ubiquitous regulatory mechanism.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1038/nrm3007
Subjects: Q Science
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Natural Sciences > Biosciences
Depositing User: Susan Davies
Date Deposited: 28 Mar 2012 13:19 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:07 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/29219 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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