In article <01-17-1995.44561 at harfang>, guy at harfang.login.qc.ca (Guy Tremblay) says:
>>Hi!
>> I read an article in the January '95 issue of Scientific American
>about PRIONS (proteinaceous infectious particle) disease. These new kinds
>of diseases are caused by conformational isomers of proteins present in
>the brain. These proteins, besides being pathogenic, are able to induce
>other proteins to adopt the same destructive conformation.
> I must say I was quite impressed by the discovery. I have a simple
>question: Is it possible that conformational isomers could be information
>storing systems for the brain? Is it possible that these isomers would
>have been unnoticed by researchers? There exists no "conformational
>isomers detectors"... yet. Is it possible that proteins could be the brain
>RAM ( or ROM...) or am I totally out of it?
>
Yes, of course such a thing might be possible. But it would require a
mechanism by which different isomers are formed or modulated in the
process of developing long-term memory. I think that it is unlikely that
such a mechanism has escaped detection so far.
Still, I think it might be an exiting new area of research. In order to do it
properly, one has to develop the tools of protein chemistry in these lipid-
water interfaces. - Not an easy task!
Heino
