2020.04.06
How understanding the dynamics of yeast prions can shed light on neurodegenerative diseases
Prions, a class of misfolded proteins, have a tendency to form infectious aggregates, causing deadly neurodegenerative diseases in humans (such as Alzheimer’s). In a new study, scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) and Kanazawa University use high-speed atomic force microscopy to uncover the structural and dynamic properties of prions in yeast. Their findings could lead to a better understanding of prions in general, including disease-causing mammalian prions.
