What is the Nature of the Infectious Agent That Causes

Question

What is the nature of the infectious agent that causes the human disease kuru?
A) A positive-strand RNA virus.
B) A small RNA molecule similar to a viroid.
C) Kuru is only seen as an inherited genetic disease.
D) A single species of protein called a prion.
E) A small DNA molecule that does not code for a protein.

Accepted Answer

The infectious agent that causes kuru is a prion - a single species of protein that can fold abnormally and cause other proteins of the same type to also fold abnormally. This is what leads to the development of kuru and other prion-related diseases.