Epigenetics in the Extreme: Prions and the Inheritance of Environmentally Acquired Traits

作者：Randal Halfmann, Susan Lee Lindquist · 发表于：Science · 年份：2010 · DOI：10.1126/science.1191081 · 被引用次数：221 · 研究领域：Prion Diseases and Protein Misfolding、Epigenetics and DNA Methylation、RNA Research and Splicing

Prions are an unusual form of epigenetics: Their stable inheritance and complex phenotypes come about through protein folding rather than nucleic acid-associated changes. With intimate ties to protein homeostasis and a remarkable sensitivity to stress, prions are a robust mechanism that links environmental extremes with the acquisition and inheritance of new traits.