The Mysteries Of Prions..Now Found In Plants

Why these misfolded clumps of proteins are found in plants will lead to many more questions about degenerative illnesses in mammals.

Prions, the misfolded proteins that are known for causing degenerative illnesses in animals and humans, may have been spotted for the first time in plants.

Researchers led by Susan Lindquist, a biologist at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts, report that they have found a section of protein in thale cress (Arabidopsis) that behaves like a prion when it is inserted into yeast.  LINK