Shortest known prion protein allele in highly BSE-susceptible lemurs

Gilch, S.; Spielhaupter, C. und Schätzl, H. M. (2000): Shortest known prion protein allele in highly BSE-susceptible lemurs. In: Biological Chemistry, Bd. 381, Nr. 5-6: S. 521-523

Abstract

We describe the shortest prion protein allele known to date. Surprisingly, it is found as a polymorphism exactly in a species (prosimian lemurs) which seems highly susceptible to oral infection with BSE-derived prions. The truncation of the prion protein we found raises several questions. First, is the truncated octarepeat structure we describe, consisting of two octarepeats, still functional in copper binding? A second question is whether this truncation is related to the remarkable oral infectibility of lemurs with BSE-derived prions. And finally, one could argue that this genotype alone might favour development of a prion disease, even in the absence of exogenous infection.

• Dokumententyp: Zeitschriftenartikel
• Publikationsform: Publisher's Version
• Fakultät: Medizin
• Themengebiete: 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik > 540 Chemie
• ISSN: 1431-6730
• Allianz-/Nationallizenz: Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.
• Sprache: Englisch