Human Genes Related to Prion Disease
Mutations in the PRNP gene cause prion disease.
Only a small percentage of prion disease cases run in families. Most cases are sporadic, which means they occur in people without any known risk factors or gene mutations. Rarely, prion diseases can be transmitted by accidental exposure to prion-contaminated tissues during a medical procedure. This type of prion disease is called iatrogenic.
One type of prion disease in humans, variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), is acquired by eating beef products obtained from cattle with prion disease. In cows, this form of the disease is known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or, more commonly, “mad cow” disease. Another example of an acquired human prion disease is kuru, which was identified in the South Fore tribe in Papua New Guinea. The disorder was transmitted when tribe members ate the tissue of affected people during cannibalistic funeral rituals.
Familial forms of prion disease are caused by inherited mutations in the PRNP gene. This gene provides instructions for making a protein called prion protein (PrP). Normally, this protein is likely involved in transporting copper into cells. It may also play a role in protecting brain cells and helping them communicate. In familial cases of prion disease, mutations in the PRNP gene cause cells to produce an abnormal form of the prion protein known as PrPSc. In iatrogenic and acquired cases, an affected person develops prion disease from exposure to this abnormal protein.
In a process that is not fully understood, PrPSc has the ability to convert the normal prion protein, PrPC, into more PrPSc. This abnormal protein builds up in the brain, forming clumps that damage or destroy nerve cells. The loss of these cells creates microscopic sponge-like holes in the brain, which leads to the signs and symptoms of prion disease.
