While searching for information about prions and the diseases most closely linked to them, I came across several different articles talking about the benefits of prions. I have always thought of prions to be related to being these deadly, debilitating groups of proteins. It turns out that after taking sometime to read one of the articles, it talks about a protein located in fruit fly neurons and some human neurons called cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding protein (CPEB). This protein plays a key role in helping form memories. At the same time though, CPEB is very similar to a prion in the thought that it has the same familiar sequence as a prion. When testing this out on fruit flies it seems that CPEB will form closely together with other proteins like itself. Once in doing so, these proteins will work together to form specialized proteins that help in the synapses of forming memories. Although this isn't just done by a single prion, but a co-operation with other neuronal proteins, it shows that there is an apparent prion switch that is involved in lower level organisms and as well found in humans.
I found this article to be a very interesting read, especially since I now have another look on prions and the way they can function. My question for anyone else is whether you think its possible for these prions to functionally work on there own inside an organism and still produce beneficial effects. One major question that wasn't able to be answered by this article unfortunately, is in what way CPEB is like a prion.
Here is where I read the article: http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/38721/title/The-Bright-Side-of-Prions/
Prions, as proteins, evolved from ancestral proteins. It would' be too surprising to find out that some of these have functions in the organisms that produce them. Excited to find out more.
ReplyDeleteIts interesting to read about beneficial prions when everywhere you turn you hear about bad things prions do. From my research prions are very self sufficient. They are self replicating in a sense that they bind to DNA influence the mutations and misfolding of existing proteins to create more of themselves. Most of the downfalls or problems caused from prions are from aggregation of protein clumps in the cells. I could see where this function of aggregation and clumps could be beneficial to storing memories within the synapses.
ReplyDeleteI looked into CPEB a little and found that the similar amino acid sequence typical to prions caused researchers to look into its' behavior. They found when they injected it into fruit flies, it occurred regularly and irregularly. Similar to how prions behave, when the normal form comes in contact with a prion counterpart, it becomes a prion.
ReplyDeleteThis was very interesting. I too thought that prions only caused diseases. I guess that in all of our biology classes so far the professors have only mentioned the negative aspects of prions. Its very interesting to me that the CPEB is involved in forming memories.
ReplyDeleteSo could this be used for like people with Alzheimer's or other kinds of memory disorders? Am I understanding the direction of this new concept correctly? And I'd just like to add that it is quite amazing how 'bad' proteins with such a 'bad' reputation can actually be beneficial. :)
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