TY - JOUR

T1 - Prions as Non-Canonical Hereditary Factors

AU - Tikhodeyev, O. N.

PY - 2022/6/1

Y1 - 2022/6/1

N2 - The present review concerns the diversity of prions (proteinaceous infectious particles) and the mechanisms of their reproduction. Various strains of the same prion are considered. We demonstrate that any prion strain regardless its molecular organization and species identity, under passaging on the isogenic homozygous background, is per se a virus-like hereditary factor. Its features depend on (i) the amino acid sequence of the prion protein that is encoded by the nucleotide sequence of the corresponding gene, and (ii) the state of the prion protein. Alteration of any of these two parameters, if stable and non-lethal, leads to a novel strain of the prion. Thus, contrast to canonical hereditary factors, prion strains are of more complex (bimodular) molecular nature. The bimodular principle is also very useful for describing any prion states. Inclusion ofprions in the general system of hereditary factors is considered.

AB - The present review concerns the diversity of prions (proteinaceous infectious particles) and the mechanisms of their reproduction. Various strains of the same prion are considered. We demonstrate that any prion strain regardless its molecular organization and species identity, under passaging on the isogenic homozygous background, is per se a virus-like hereditary factor. Its features depend on (i) the amino acid sequence of the prion protein that is encoded by the nucleotide sequence of the corresponding gene, and (ii) the state of the prion protein. Alteration of any of these two parameters, if stable and non-lethal, leads to a novel strain of the prion. Thus, contrast to canonical hereditary factors, prion strains are of more complex (bimodular) molecular nature. The bimodular principle is also very useful for describing any prion states. Inclusion ofprions in the general system of hereditary factors is considered.

KW - protein-based inheritance

KW - prions

KW - prion strains

KW - bimodular heredotary factors

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85132993821&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1134/S1022795422060126

DO - 10.1134/S1022795422060126

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85132993821

VL - 58

SP - 626

EP - 637

JO - Russian Journal of Genetics

JF - Russian Journal of Genetics

SN - 1022-7954

IS - 6

ER -