Figure 5. Global relationships between Sup35NM monomer, initial nucleus, amyloid conformation and prion strain phenotype.

Nonnative interactions (green lines) outside of the Sc4 amyloid core drive oligomer formation. This interaction brings Sup35NM monomers in close proximity while leaving the amyloid core regions free to interact, which eventually leads to highly infectious Sc4 strain conformations which have more limited amyloid cores. The nucleus in the fibrillation at 37°C could be larger than monomer³⁶ but is still much smaller than the oligomer formed at 4°C.