What physiological systems are the infectious $ ext{PrP}^{ ext{Sc}}$ proteins highly resistant to degrading?
Answer
Proteases, the enzymes designed to break down misfolded proteins.
A critical factor in prion pathology is the high resistance of $ ext{PrP}^{ ext{Sc}}$ to degradation by proteases, the enzymes responsible for waste disposal of damaged or misfolded proteins, allowing them to persist and accumulate.
#Videos
2-Minute Neuroscience: Prion Diseases - YouTube
Related Questions
What makes prions fundamentally strange compared to standard infectious agents?What structural configuration characterizes the pathogenic $ ext{PrP}^{ ext{Sc}}$ protein?What does the term 'prion' contractually stand for?How do prions propagate within the host organism via a chain reaction?What physiological systems are the infectious $ ext{PrP}^{ ext{Sc}}$ proteins highly resistant to degrading?What is the scientific term for the spongy, sieve-like appearance found in the brain matter of prion disease victims?Why must hospitals use harsh chemical treatments rather than standard autoclaving for instruments potentially exposed to prions?Which human prion disease is the most common, classified as sporadic, and accounts for about 85% of cases?What is the primary source of transmission associated with the historical prion disease Kuru?What is indicated by elevated levels of the 14-3-3 protein found in a patient's cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)?