Question

How do prions violate the central dogma?

Answer 1

The central dogma of molecular biology:

1. In Central dogma, the flow of genetic information is from DNA to proteins.
2. Prions violate the central dogma by reversing the flow of genetic information from proteins to the genome.

Violation of Central dogma by prions:

1. Prions are proteins of particular amino acid sequences in specific conformations.
2. They propagate themselves in host cells by making conformational changes in other molecules of protein with the identical organic compound sequence, but with a unique confirmation that's functionally important or detrimental to the organism.
3. Once the protein has been transformed to the prion folding it changes function.
4. In turn, it can convey information into new cells and reconfigure more functional molecules of that sequence into the alternate prion form.
5. In some sorts of prions in fungi, this variation is continuous and direct; the data flow is Protein → Protein.