Definitions for prion
ˈpri ɒn, ˈpraɪ-pri·on

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. prionnoun

   (microbiology) an infectious protein particle similar to a virus but lacking nucleic acid; thought to be the agent responsible for scrapie and other degenerative diseases of the nervous system

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Prion

   A prion (listen) is a misfolded protein that can transmit its misfolded shape onto normal variants of the same protein. Prions are the causative agent of several transmissible and fatal neurodegenerative diseases in humans and other animals. It remains unknown what causes a normal protein to misfold into a prion, however, its consequent abnormal three-dimensional structure confers infectious properties by collapsing nearby protein molecules into the same shape in a chain reaction. The word prion is derived from the term "proteinaceous infectious particle". In comparison to all other known infectious agents: such as viroids, viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites, all of which contain nucleic acids (DNA, RNA, or both), the hypothesized role of a protein as an infectious agent stands in contrast. Prion isoforms of the prion protein (PrP), whose specific function is uncertain, are hypothesized as the cause of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). These include: scrapie in sheep, chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle (commonly known as "mad cow disease") and Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD) in humans. All known prion diseases in mammals affect the structure of the brain or other neural tissue; all are progressive, have no known effective treatment, and are always fatal. Until 2015, all known mammalian prion diseases were caused by the prion protein (PrP); however, in 2015 it was hypothesized that multiple system atrophy (MSA) was caused by a prion form of alpha-synuclein.Prions are a type of intrinsically disordered protein, which change their conformation unless they are bound to a specific partner such as another protein. With a prion, two protein chains are stabilized if one binds to another in the same conformation. The probability of this happening is low, but once it does, the combination of the two is very stable. Then more units can get added, making a sort of "fibril". Prions form abnormal aggregates of proteins called amyloids, which accumulate in infected tissue and are associated with tissue damage and cell death. Amyloids are also responsible for several other neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.A prion disease is a type of proteopathy, or disease of structurally abnormal proteins. In humans, prions are believed to be the cause of Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD), its variant (vCJD), Gerstmann–Sträussler–Scheinker syndrome (GSS), fatal familial insomnia (FFI), and kuru. There is also evidence suggesting prions may play a part in the process of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); these have been termed prion-like diseases. Several yeast proteins have also been identified as having prionogenic properties, as well as a protein involved in modification of synapses during the formation of memories (see Eric Kandel § Molecular changes during learning). Prion replication is subject to epimutation and natural selection just as for other forms of replication, and their structure varies slightly between species.Prion aggregates are stable, and this structural stability means that prions are resistant to denaturation by chemical and physical agents: they cannot be destroyed by ordinary disinfection or cooking. This makes disposal and containment of these particles difficult, and the risk of iatrogenic spread through medical instruments a growing concern.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. prion

   A prion refers to infectious, abnormally folded proteins that can cause progressive diseases in humans and animals by inducing the misfolding of normal cellular proteins. Prion diseases are usually characterized by long incubation periods, neurodegeneration, and are fatal once symptoms appear. The term "prion" is derived from "proteinaceous infectious particle".

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Prion

   A prion in the Scrapie form is an infectious agent composed of protein in a misfolded form. This is the central idea of the Prion Hypothesis, which remains debated. This would be in contrast to all other known infectious agents which must contain nucleic acids. The word prion, coined in 1982 by Stanley B. Prusiner, is derived from the words protein and infection. Prions are responsible for the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in a variety of mammals, including bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle. In humans prions cause Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Gerstmann–Sträussler–Scheinker syndrome, Fatal Familial Insomnia and Kuru. All known prion diseases affect the structure of the brain or other neural tissue and all are currently untreatable and universally fatal. Prions, like viruses, are not actually alive, although both can reproduce by hijacking the functions of living cells. Prions propagate by transmitting a misfolded protein state. When a prion enters a healthy organism, it induces existing, properly folded proteins to convert into the disease-associated, prion form; the prion acts as a template to guide the misfolding of more proteins into prion form. These newly formed prions can then go on to convert more proteins themselves; this triggers a chain reaction that produces large amounts of the prion form. All known prions induce the formation of an amyloid fold, in which the protein polymerises into an aggregate consisting of tightly packed beta sheets. Amyloid aggregates are fibrils, growing at their ends, and replicating when breakage causes two growing ends to become four growing ends. The incubation period of prion diseases is determined by the exponential growth rate associated with prion replication, which is a balance between the linear growth and the breakage of aggregates. CScC

Matched Categories

1. • Microbiology
   • Particle

How to pronounce prion?

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How to say prion in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of prion in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of prion in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of prion in a Sentence

1. Simon Mead:

   We are not saying Alzheimer's is a prion disease, we are saying that it may share the fundamental mechanism that something goes rogue and spreads around the disease.

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References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=prion
2. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prion
3. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
4. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=prion