Prions are proteinaceous infectious particles implicated in fatal neurodegenerative disorders known as prion diseases. Herein, we provide an overview of prion biology, emphasizing the structural, functional, and evolutionary aspects of prions, along with their potential applications in protein engineering. Understanding the structure-function relationships of both healthy and disease-associated prion proteins enables a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of prion-induced neurotoxicity. Furthermore, we describe how insights into prion evolution have begun to shed light on their ancient origins and evolutionary resilience, offering deeper insights into the potential roles of prions in primordial chemical processes.
Keywords: Cellular prion protein; Prion engineering; Prion evolution; Prion structure; Prions; Protein misfolding; Scrapie prion protein; Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy.
© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.