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Structural clues to prion mysteries

Four recent studies on the molecular architecture of amyloid fibrils made from different prion protein segments suggest commonalities among these fibrils. These studies also shed light on the structural distinctions between prion strains and the mechanism of fiber formation.

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Figure 1: Models of prion fiber structural data.
Figure 2: Unifying models of fibers made of Sup35NM and HET-s fragments.

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Acknowledgements

Research in the laboratory of S.W.L. is supported by the US National Institutes of Health.

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Liebman, S. Structural clues to prion mysteries. Nat Struct Mol Biol 12, 567–568 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nsmb0705-567

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