Prion Proteins

Membrane glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored glycoproteins that may aggregate into rod-like structures. The prion protein (PRNP) gene is characterized by five TANDEM REPEAT SEQUENCES that encode a highly unstable protein region of five octapeptide repeats. Mutations in the repeat region and elsewhere in this gene are associated with CREUTZFELDT-JAKOB DISEASE; FATAL FAMILIAL INSOMNIA; GERSTMANN-STRAUSSLER DISEASE; Huntington disease-like 1, and KURU.