Prions, protein homeostasis, and phenotypic diversity
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Lindquist6.pdf
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main article
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296.66 KB
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Author(s)
Lindquist, Susan
Halfmann, Randal Arthur
Alberti, Simon
Date Issued
January 2010
Journal
Trends in Cell Biology
Publisher
Elsevier
Citation
Halfmann R, Alberti S, Lindquist S, Prions, protein homeostasis,
and phenotypic diversity, Trends in Cell Biology, doi:10.1016/j.tcb.2009.12.003
Version
Author's final manuscript
Abstract
Prions are fascinating but often misunderstood protein aggregation phenomena. The traditional association of the mammalian prion protein with disease has overshadowed a potentially more interesting attribute of prions: their ability to create protein-based molecular memories. In fungi, prions alter the relationship between genotype and phenotype in a heritable way that diversifies clonal populations. Recent findings in yeast indicate that prions might be much more common than previously realized. Moreover, prion-driven phenotypic diversity increases under stress, and can be amplified by the dynamic maturation of prion-initiating states. In this article, we suggest that these qualities allow prions to act as ‘bet-hedging’ devices that facilitate the adaptation of yeasts to stressful environments, and might speed the evolution of new traits.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biology
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Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
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DOI of Published Version
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tcb.2009.12.003
