Viroids and Prions

Images taken without permission from http://www.newsandevents.utoronto.ca/images5/prions.jpg

Viroids
Circular RNA molecules Infect plants Dont code for proteins disrupt regulatory systems in plants Causes growth problems in plants Hepatitis D viroid causes Hepatitis D in humans (in combination with virus)

Putative secondary structure of the PSTV (potato spindle tuber viroid).

Viroids: Novel agent of disease in plants

Single circular ssRNA molecule with no protein component

70% base-paired
Disease from RNA interfering with essential host cell mechanisms

www.nature.com

emu.arsusda.gov/ typesof/images/viroid.jpg

Unique pathogens
Do not need to replicate themselves to infect and cause problems Other infectious particles other than viruses

Viroids
These are newly discovered infectious agents that are single pieces of RNA that lack a capsid Several have been identified as plant pathogens while only one so far has been identified as a human pathogen (hepatitis delta).

http://www.biologie.uni-hamburg.de/bzf/mppg/agviroid.htm Fig. 2: Symptoms of viroid diseases: A: potato spindle tuber on tomato, B: avocado sun blotch, C: chrysanthemum stunt, D chrysanthemum chlorotic mottle

http://www.virtualology.com/ virtualmuseumofnaturalhistory/ halloftaxonomy/viruses/viroids.org/

Prions
Infectious proteins Misfolded version of a naturally occurring protein in animals Causes the similar proteins to also misfold

Agents of disease characterized by slow progressive neurological degeneration

Aberrant form of normal cellular proteins that induce changes in the shape of the normal homologs

Prions

Prion Reproduction
Prions cause other similar proteins to also misfold lose function