Showing 20 articles starting at article 2501
Categories: Biology: Microbiology, Space: General
Published 'Mad cow disease' in cattle can spread widely in autonomic nervous system before detectable in the central nervous system
(via sciencedaily.com) Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or "mad cow disease") is a fatal disease in cattle that causes portions of the brain to turn sponge-like. This transmissible disease is caused by the propagation of a misfolded form of protein known as a prion, rather than by a bacterium or virus. Previous research has reported that the autonomic nervous system (ANS) becomes affected by the disease only after the central nervous system (CNS) has been infected. In a new study researchers found that the ANS can show signs of infection prior to involvement of the CNS.
Published Prions in the brain eliminated by homing molecules
(via sciencedaily.com) Toxic prions in the brain can be detected with self-illuminating polymers. The originators, at Linköping University in Sweden, has now shown that the same molecules can also render the prions harmless, and potentially cure fatal nerve-destroying illnesses.
Published New yeast prion helps cells survive
(via sciencedaily.com) One of the greatest mysterious in cellular biology has been given a new twist. Researchers now show that prions, proteins that transmit heritable information without DNA or RNA, can contribute to drug resistance and cellular adaptation. Their discovery of a yeast prion with these properties demonstrates the active role of the prion conversion in cellular fitness adaptation, providing new insights into the potentially broader function of prions in living organisms.
Published Most lethal known species of prion protein identified
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists have identified a single prion protein that causes neuronal death similar to that seen in "mad cow" disease, but is at least 10 times more lethal than larger prion species.
Published New findings about the prion protein and its interaction with the immune system
(via sciencedaily.com) Scrapie is a neurodegenerative disease which can function as a model for other diseases caused by an accumulation of proteins resulting in tissue malformations (proteinpathies), such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Many questions regarding these diseases still remain unanswered. A new study has uncovered a number of factors relating to the uptake of the prion protein (PrPSc) associated with the development of this disease and how this protein interacts with the immune cells in the intestines.
Published Cellular stress can induce yeast to promote prion formation
(via sciencedaily.com) Biochemists have identified a yeast protein called Lsb2 that can promote spontaneous prion formation. Prions can cause neurodegenerative disorders, such as mad cow/Creutzfeld-Jakob disease, in humans and animals.
Published Tracking down BSE and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have identified an altered expression of endogenous retroviruses in BSE-infected macaques.
Published Two gene classes linked to new prion formation
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have discovered two classes of yeast genes that may hold clues as to why proteins take on the misfolded prion form, a condition associated with several neurodegenerative diseases, such as "mad cow."