If a Prion can misfold other proteins, why can’t you make an enzyme or another prion that undoes the fold?

Question

I remember hearing that prions like mad cow disease are misfolded proteins that manipulate other proteins they come into contact with. If that’s the case why can’t you use another prion to unfold it and restore it to normal?

In: Biology

Answer 1

Here’s my attempt at a “like i’m 5” answer- note that these analogues are not perfect, and we’re talking about some fairly complicated processes, but i’ll try:

Ever seen plastic shrivel up when a hot flame gets near it?

Ultimately the plastic *could* be re-shaped by careful heating, cooling, etc, but not without running the risk of tearing it or otherwise further disforming it. That’s the initially folded protein in this situation.

Now pretend plastic is like an impressionable little dog that just likes to imitate the people around it- simply because it’s easier to learn this way than to try and make up something completely on your own, and a separate bit begins scrunching up to mirror the shape of the guiding mis-folded plastic because that’s what it thinks it is supposed to do.

edit: formatting