Prion diseases or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are a group of neurodegenerative diseases where the misfolding of the prion protein (PrP) is a crucial event. Based on studies in TSE-affected humans and the generation of transgenic mouse models overexpressing different mutated versions of the PrP, we conclude that both wild-type and mutated PrPs exhibit differential propensity to misfold in vivo. Here, we describe a new method in vitro to assess and quantify the PrP misfolding phenomenon in order to better understand the molecular mechanisms involved in this process.
Keywords: In vitro prion propagation; PMCA; Protein misfolding; Spontaneous recombinant prion; recPMCA.