The hypothesis of the catalytic action of nucleic acid on the conversion of prion protein.

The main hypothesis for prion diseases proposes that the cellular protein (PrP(c)) can be altered into a misfolded, beta-sheet-rich isoform (PrP(Sc)). We describe here that host nucleic acid may catalyze the conversion between PrP(c) and PrP(Sc) isoforms, by reducing the protein mobility and by making the protein-protein interactions more likely. We summarize the findings, focusing in the biological relevance of the catalytic action of nucleic acid.