Role of prions in normal neurologic function
- Memory requires persistent anatomic and functional changes at specific synapses.
- Local protein synthesis at relevant synapses subserves these changes.
- Candidate regulators of these changes are members of the cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding (CPEB) family.
- CPEBs maintain long-term synaptic facilitation through prion-like properties.
Sources
Bernard G, Shevell M: The wobbly child: an approach to inherited ataxias. Semin Pediatr Neurol 15:194-208, 2008. Prusiner, S: A unifying role for prions in neurodegenerative diseases. Science 336(6088):1511-1513, 2012.
