This week’s lecture solidified what happens when the normal prion (PrP^C) transforms into the abnormal prion (PrP^Sc). In the tertiary structure of the normal prion, there is an high proportion of alpha helices relative to the proportions of beta sheets and non-repetitive loops of amino acids. When the prion undergoes its transformation, the proportion of beta sheets increases, while the proportions of the alpha helices and non-repetitive loops of amino acids decreases.
The second graphic is my first creation, and the first graphic is my second creation. In “PrP^C to PrP^Sc: Alpha > Beta to More Beta,” beta sheets are represented by the red dots, and the alpha helices the blue. The widening of the red dot sequence signals the transformation of the protein structure. If you divide the picture at that point, you can see that the top portion has more blue dots (alpha helices) relative to red dots (beta sheets), and vice versa. In “MOO: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy – (New) Variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob Disease,” the black and white dots represent the colors commonly associated with the cow, an animal known for transmitting the altered prion to humans. In this graphic, the proportion of black dots to white dots is not as clear, representing both the not totally clear proportion situation in the other picture. Additionally, the proportion is left unclear because there are unknowns about the protein – much to be researched.