Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 19, 2025

08:12
High-throughput Screening for Protein-based Inheritance in S. cerevisiae
Published on: August 8, 2017
6.3K
Physiology of Cellular Prion Proteins in Reproduction
Željko M Svedružić1, Chongsuk Ryou2, Donchan Choi3
1Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia.
Development & Reproduction
|July 26, 2024
Summary
Cellular prion protein (PrPC) plays roles in various cells, including reproductive organs. This review summarizes its known functions, particularly in reproduction, despite knockout models showing no obvious reproductive phenotypes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cell Biology
- Reproductive Biology
Background:
- Cellular prion protein (PrPC), encoded by the Prnp gene, can misfold into pathogenic scrapie PrP (PrPSC) causing neurodegenerative diseases.
- PrPC is implicated in various cellular interactions and functions, including as a scaffold in the mitochondrial inner membrane.
- PrPC is expressed in reproductive organs, yet knockout models lack clear developmental or reproductive phenotypes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the known cellular and tissue-specific roles of PrPC.
- To emphasize the functions of PrPC related to reproduction.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on PrPC function.
- Analysis of PrPC expression and roles in various cell types and tissues.
- Focus on reproductive system implications.
Main Results:
- PrPC exhibits diverse cellular roles and interactions.
- Expression of PrPC is noted in reproductive tissues.
- Knockout studies have not revealed significant reproductive phenotypes.
Conclusions:
- PrPC has established cellular functions, with expression in reproductive organs.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the precise roles of PrPC in reproduction at the cellular level.
Related Concept Videos
Amyloid Fibrils
9.5K
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,...
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen. In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining,...
9.5K
Regulation of Nuclear Protein Sorting
2.4K
Nuclear protein sorting regulates nucleus composition and gene expression, crucial for determining the fate of a eukaryotic cell. Hence, the entry and exit of molecules across the nuclear envelope is a tightly controlled process. Nuclear protein sorting can be inhibited by one of the following ways: 1) masking cargo signal sequences, 2) modifying the nuclear receptor's affinity for cargo, 3) controlling the nuclear pore size, 4) retaining the cargo during its transit to the cytosol or the...
2.4K
Meiosis I
40.3K
Meiosis is the division of a diploid cell into haploid cells forming sperm and eggs in animals through differentiation. Meiosis I is the first stage of meiosis, where the genetic recombination of homologous chromosomes and the reduction of the ploidy level by half occurs.
Prophase I is the most extended and complex step of meiosis I characterized by synapsis, chromosome pairing, and recombination of the homologous chromosomes. This process is facilitated by a proteinaceous structure called the...
Prophase I is the most extended and complex step of meiosis I characterized by synapsis, chromosome pairing, and recombination of the homologous chromosomes. This process is facilitated by a proteinaceous structure called the...
40.3K
Yeast Signaling
14.6K
Yeasts are single-celled organisms, but unlike bacteria, they are eukaryotes (cells with a nucleus). Cell signaling in yeast is similar to signaling in other eukaryotic cells. A ligand, such as a protein or a small molecule released from a yeast cell, attaches to a receptor on the cell surface. The binding stimulates second-messenger kinases to activate or inactivate transcription factors that further regulate gene expression. Many of the yeast intracellular signaling cascades have similar...
14.6K
Proteins: From Genes to Degradation
12.1K
Within a biological system, the DNA encodes the RNA, and the nucleotide sequence in the RNA further defines the amino acid sequence in the protein. This is referred to as “The Central Dogma of Molecular Biology” - a term coined by Francis Crick. Central dogma is a firm principle in biology that defines the flow of genetic information within any life form. The two fundamental steps in central dogma are - transcription and translation.
Transcription is the synthesis of RNA...
Transcription is the synthesis of RNA...
12.1K
pH Regulation in Cells
6.0K
pH plays a critical role in maintaining normal cellular activities. It helps maintain the structure and function of various proteins, dictates the charge on cellular membranes, and is crucial for metabolic reactions inside the cell. Moreover, cells use the energy from the proton motive force to generate ATP.
Cytosolic pH
Under physiological conditions, the cytosolic pH is slightly more acidic than the extracellular pH. However, cells must prevent further acidification of their cytosol to...
Cytosolic pH
Under physiological conditions, the cytosolic pH is slightly more acidic than the extracellular pH. However, cells must prevent further acidification of their cytosol to...
6.0K

