朊病毒(PrPSc)是由动物体内正常朊蛋白PrPc构象改变形成的,PrPSc与PrPC在氨基酸序列上完全一致,PrPC中α-螺旋丰富而PrPSc富含β-折叠。目前,科学家还未研究清楚PrP的生理机能。人们普遍认为:人和动物感染朊病毒病时除PrP外还存在一些重要的辅助因子影响着PrPC变构、PrPSc传播、PrPSc引起神经细胞凋亡等病变过程,因此,研究朊蛋白的各种辅助因子将有助于阐明这方面的问题,这些辅助因子包括各种金属离子,如Ca^2+、Fe^2+ 、Cu^2+ 、Zn^2+、 Mn^2+。作者概述金属离子对朊蛋白结构和功能的影响,以及它们在朊病毒病的发病过程中可能起的作用。
PrPSc is the misfording of the normal cellular form of the prion protein(PrPC),They are coincidence between Amino Acid sequence,PrPSc has a high β-sheet content,while PrPc is abundant on α-helical structure.Scientists have not study the function clearly.During the process of people and animal infect with or get PrP,Most scientists think some important cofactors influence pathological change such as the structure change of PrPc,spread of PrPSc,and PrPSc leads to the dead of nerve cell,so researching of this cofactors will help us to explain this questions,this cofactors consisit of many metal ions,such as Ca^2+,Fe^2+,Cu^2+,Mn^2+.We discribe the influence of metal ion on PrP struction and function,and they may be effect on the pathogenesy of TSEs.