Heterogeneous glycosylation is likely to impart selectivity of ligand binding, as suggested both by differential binding to antibodies (Li et al., 2001; Kuczius et al., 2007a) and metal ions (Moudjou et al., 2007), as well as by the differing outcomes of peripheral inoculation of TSE upon experimental prion disease in mice expressing distinct glycosylated forms of PrPC (Cancellotti et al., 2010). The gene discussed is PRNP; the disease is prion disease.