Is indeed the prion protein a Harlequin servant of "many" masters?

Tens of putative interacting partners of the cellular prion protein (PrP C ) have been identified, yet the physiologic role of PrP C remains unclear. For the first time, however, a recent paper has demonstrated that the absence of PrP C produces a lethal phenotype. Starting from this evidence, here we discuss the validity of past and more recent literature supporting that, as part of protein platforms at the cell surface, PrP C may bridge extracellular matrix molecules and membrane proteins to intracellular signaling pathways.