Prion: Decoding Structure-Based Infection

Prion is a state of protein folding. By studying the prion state, we can learn how proteins encode and transfer of information. To investigate this phenomenon, we study the prion protein, whose native and uninfectious structure is shown above. The scrapie form of the prion protein is toxic and infectious. We focus on prion infection: the process by which a protein can encode and transfer information with potentially lethal consequences.