Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 11, 2026

Investigating the Spreading and Toxicity of Prion-like Proteins Using the Metazoan Model Organism C. elegans
12:57

Investigating the Spreading and Toxicity of Prion-like Proteins Using the Metazoan Model Organism C. elegans

Published on: January 8, 2015

16.6K

Prion-Like Polymerization in Immunity and Inflammation

Xin Cai1, Hui Xu1, Zhijian J Chen1,2

  • 1Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390-9148.

Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology
|November 25, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Innate immune receptors like RIG-I and NLRP3 utilize functional prions, forming MAVS and ASC polymers, to amplify host defense signaling. This prion-like mechanism is conserved across species, offering unique advantages for immune signal transduction.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • The innate immune system employs specific receptors to detect pathogens and initiate defense responses.
  • Key signaling adaptors, mitochondrial antiviral signaling (MAVS) and apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC), are activated by RIG-I and NLRP3 receptors, respectively.
  • Emerging evidence suggests MAVS and ASC assemble into functional prion-like polymers to propagate immune signals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and synthesize biochemical, genetic, and structural data on the prion-like polymerization of MAVS and ASC.
  • To explore the evolutionary conservation of prion-like polymerization as a signal transduction mechanism in innate immunity.
  • To discuss the advantages and future research avenues for functional prion-based signaling.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and synthesis of existing biochemical, genetic, and structural studies.
  • Comparative analysis of mammalian (NLRP3-ASC) and fungal (NWD2-HET-s) prion-like pathways.
  • Discussion of signaling advantages and future research directions.

Main Results:

  • MAVS and ASC proteins exhibit prion-like characteristics, forming self-templating polymers essential for immune signaling.
  • Functional prion-like polymerization is a conserved mechanism for signal transduction, observed in both mammalian innate immunity and fungal pathways.
  • These polymers facilitate robust and amplified propagation of immune and inflammatory signals.

Conclusions:

  • Prion-like polymerization of MAVS and ASC is a critical mechanism for innate immune signal transduction.
  • The conserved nature of this mechanism across different species highlights its evolutionary significance.
  • Understanding functional prions in immunity opens new avenues for therapeutic strategies and further research.

More Related Videos

Rapid Generation of Amyloid from Native Proteins In vitro05:48

Rapid Generation of Amyloid from Native Proteins In vitro

Published on: December 5, 2013

6.5K
High-throughput Screening for Protein-based Inheritance in S. cerevisiae08:12

High-throughput Screening for Protein-based Inheritance in S. cerevisiae

Published on: August 8, 2017

6.8K

Related Concept Videos

Amyloid Fibrils03:03

Amyloid Fibrils

Amyloid fibrils are aggregates of misfolded proteins.  Under most circumstances, misfolded proteins are either refolded by chaperone proteins or degraded by the proteasome. However, in the case of a mutation or a disease, these proteins can accumulate to form large clusters and often further assemble to form elongated fibers, called fibrils. 
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen.   In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining,...
12.5K
Amyloid Fibrils03:03

Amyloid Fibrils

6.9K
The Antiviral System of Bacteria and Archaea: CRISPR01:23

The Antiviral System of Bacteria and Archaea: CRISPR

CRISPR stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats is a adaptive immune system found in bacteria and archaea that protects against viral infections. This system enables prokaryotic cells to identify, remember, and neutralize foreign genetic elements, primarily bacteriophages, by storing fragments of the invader’s DNA as a genetic memory.The CRISPR immune response begins during an initial infection. Cas (CRISPR-associated) proteins play a central role in this...
873
Diversity of Antigen Receptors01:28

Diversity of Antigen Receptors

Antigen receptors are essential components of the immune system crucial in defending the body against foreign invaders. These receptors are present on the surface of B and T cells, enabling them to recognize antigens and mount an appropriate immune response.
Before encountering any antigen, lymphocytes express these receptors. On B cells, the antigen receptor is a membrane-bound antibody molecule called BCR; on T cells, it is a T cell receptor or TCR. B and T cell receptors are composed of two...
1.9K
Mechanism of Filopodia Formation01:39

Mechanism of Filopodia Formation

Filopodia are thin, actin-rich cellular protrusions that play an important role in many fundamental cellular functions. They vary in their occurrence, length, and positioning in different cell types, suggesting their diverse roles.
Their main function is to guide migrating cells during normal tissue morphogenesis or cancer metastasis by recognizing and making initial contacts with the extracellular matrix. However, they can also act as stationary cell anchors or help to establish communication...
3.3K
Translesion DNA Polymerases02:10

Translesion DNA Polymerases

Translesion (TLS) polymerases rescue stalled DNA polymerases at sites of damaged bases by replacing the replicative polymerase and installing a nucleotide across the damaged site. Doing so, TLS allows additional time for the cell to repair the damage before resuming regular DNA replication.
TLS polymerases are found in all three domains of life - archaea, bacteria, and eukaryotes. Of the different classes of TLS polymerases, members of the Y family are fitted with specialized structures that...
11.5K