prion

简明释义

英[ˈpriːɒn]美[ˈpriːɑːn]

n. 朊病毒，感染性蛋白质；朊粒

英英释义

单词用法

同义词

反义词

例句

1.Researchers have struggled to determine what prion proteins normally do in the brain.

学者致力于研究朊蛋白在脑组织中起什么作用。

2.It suggests that human prion protein might play a role in controlling cell programmed death.

这提示朊蛋白可能参与细胞程序化死亡的调控过程。

3.These are quite effective in reducing the prion levels of cultured nerve cells.

它能有效降低体外培养的神经细胞内的朊病毒水平。

4.But it's not yet known whether the variant protects against other prion diseases.

但是目前还不清楚这一变异是否对其他由朊病毒引起的疾病有效。

5.What route does the prion follow from the mouth to the brain?

朊蛋白通过什么途径从嘴巴进入大脑？

6.Objective Preparing specific antibody to prion protein.

目的制备针对朊蛋白的特异性抗体。

7.Researchers are studying the structure of the prion 朊病毒 to understand how it causes disease.

研究人员正在研究prion 朊病毒的结构，以了解它是如何引发疾病的。

8.The transmission of prions 朊病毒 can occur through contaminated food or medical instruments.

通过受污染的食物或医疗器械可以传播prions 朊病毒。

9.Mad cow disease is caused by a misfolded prion 朊病毒 that affects cattle.

疯牛病是由一种错误折叠的prion 朊病毒引起的，这种病毒影响牛只。

10.Scientists have developed tests to detect prions 朊病毒 in animal tissues.

科学家们开发了检测动物组织中prions 朊病毒的测试。

11.The study of prions 朊病毒 has opened new avenues in understanding neurodegenerative diseases.

对prions 朊病毒的研究为理解神经退行性疾病开辟了新途径。

作文

Prions are fascinating yet terrifying entities that challenge our understanding of biology and disease. Unlike traditional pathogens such as bacteria and viruses, which contain nucleic acids (DNA or RNA) that carry genetic information, prions are composed solely of misfolded proteins. This unique structure allows them to propagate by inducing normal proteins in the brain to also misfold, leading to a cascade of neurological damage. The term 'prion' is derived from 'proteinaceous infectious particle', highlighting their protein-only nature. One of the most well-known diseases associated with prions is Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), a rare but fatal neurodegenerative disorder. CJD can occur sporadically, be inherited, or arise from exposure to infected tissue, particularly through medical procedures involving contaminated instruments or transplanted tissues. The symptoms of CJD include rapidly progressive dementia, memory loss, personality changes, and motor dysfunction, ultimately leading to severe disability and death. Another infamous prion disease is bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as 'mad cow disease'. This disease gained notoriety in the 1980s and 1990s when it was linked to the consumption of infected beef products. The outbreak raised significant public health concerns and led to widespread changes in agricultural practices and food safety regulations. The transmission of BSE to humans can result in variant CJD (vCJD), a condition that has been reported in several countries. The mechanism by which prions cause disease is particularly intriguing. When a prion enters a healthy organism, it interacts with normal proteins, causing them to misfold and aggregate. This process not only disrupts normal cellular functions but also leads to the formation of amyloid plaques, which are characteristic of many neurodegenerative diseases. The accumulation of these plaques can trigger an inflammatory response in the brain, further contributing to neuronal death and cognitive decline. Research into prions has revealed much about protein folding and misfolding, which has implications beyond prion diseases. For instance, similar misfolding processes are implicated in other neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Understanding prions can therefore provide insights into these conditions, potentially leading to new therapeutic approaches. Despite their notoriety, prions also present an enigma in the field of infectious diseases. Their resistance to conventional methods of sterilization and their ability to persist in the environment pose significant challenges for public health. Traditional disinfectants and heat treatments often fail to eliminate prions, necessitating the development of specialized protocols for handling contaminated materials. In conclusion, prions represent a unique class of infectious agents that defy conventional biological principles. Their ability to cause devastating diseases through protein misfolding highlights the complexity of life at the molecular level. As research continues, our understanding of prions and their role in health and disease will hopefully lead to better prevention and treatment strategies for the various conditions they influence. The study of prions not only sheds light on these mysterious proteins but also opens doors to understanding broader aspects of neurodegeneration and protein chemistry. The exploration of prions is a testament to the intricate and often puzzling nature of biology, reminding us that there is still much to learn about the mechanisms of life and disease.

朊病毒是一种迷人而又令人恐惧的实体，它挑战着我们对生物学和疾病的理解。与传统病原体（如细菌和病毒）不同，后者含有携带遗传信息的核酸（DNA或RNA），而朊病毒仅由错误折叠的蛋白质组成。这种独特的结构使得它们能够通过诱导大脑中的正常蛋白质也发生错误折叠来传播，从而导致神经损伤的级联反应。术语“prion”源于“蛋白质感染颗粒”（proteinaceous infectious particle），突显了它们仅由蛋白质构成的特性。 与朊病毒相关的最著名疾病之一是克雅氏病（CJD），这是一种罕见但致命的神经退行性疾病。CJD可以自发发生、遗传，也可以因接触受感染组织而产生，特别是通过涉及被污染仪器或移植组织的医疗程序。CJD的症状包括快速进展的痴呆、记忆丧失、人格变化和运动功能障碍，最终导致严重残疾和死亡。 另一个臭名昭著的朊病毒疾病是牛海绵状脑病（BSE），通常称为“疯牛病”。这种疾病在1980年代和1990年代因其与食用受感染的牛肉产品有关而声名鹊起。疫情引发了重大公共健康担忧，并导致农业实践和食品安全法规的广泛变化。BSE向人类的传播可能导致变异型克雅氏病（vCJD），这一情况在几个国家都有报道。 朊病毒导致疾病的机制尤为引人入胜。当朊病毒进入健康生物体时，它会与正常蛋白质相互作用，导致它们错误折叠并聚集。这一过程不仅干扰正常细胞功能，还导致淀粉样斑块的形成，而淀粉样斑块是许多神经退行性疾病的特征。淀粉样斑块的积累可能在大脑中引发炎症反应，进一步导致神经元死亡和认知衰退。 对朊病毒的研究揭示了关于蛋白质折叠和错误折叠的许多知识，这对朊病毒以外的领域也有影响。例如，类似的错误折叠过程与其他神经退行性疾病（如阿尔茨海默病和帕金森病）有关。因此，理解朊病毒可能提供对这些疾病的新见解，潜在地导致新的治疗方法。 尽管朊病毒声名显赫，但它们在传染病领域也呈现出一种谜团。它们对传统消毒方法的抵抗力以及在环境中持久存在的能力给公共卫生带来了重大挑战。传统的消毒剂和热处理往往无法消除朊病毒，因此需要制定专门的协议来处理被污染的材料。 总之，朊病毒代表了一种独特的感染性因子，它们违背了传统生物学原则。它们通过蛋白质错误折叠导致破坏性疾病的能力突显了分子层面生命的复杂性。随着研究的持续，我们对朊病毒及其在健康和疾病中的作用的理解，希望能更好地预防和治疗它们所影响的各种疾病。对朊病毒的研究不仅揭示了这些神秘蛋白质的本质，而且为理解神经退行性疾病和蛋白质化学的更广泛方面打开了大门。对朊病毒的探索证明了生物学的复杂性和常常令人困惑的本质，提醒我们在生命和疾病机制方面仍有许多需要学习的东西。