(September 13, 2012 at 3:38 pm)Stue Denim Wrote:(September 13, 2012 at 2:44 pm)Chuck Wrote: Prions will laugh at cooking. In fact, prions' invulnerability is the basis of its harmfulness - cell in your body has no way to destroy or get rid of it. It is also the reason for its transmissibility - it will survive just about any form of food preparation, cleaning or sterilization.
Look up "Kuru disease" for the link between transmissible prion diseases and cannibalism.
Huh, my understanding was that they are mishaped proteins, and that proteins are very vulnerable to being denatured by things like heat.
Different proteins and folds have different degree of stability and resistence to denaturation by chemicals agents or physical means. The misfolding of prions responsible for prion diseases are uniformly the extremely stable and resistant. Strong acids, bleaches, caustic soda, protease enzymes, UV and temperatures substantially above boiling point of water would not deactive prions.
