Newly identified prions in budding yeast, and their possible functions

Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2011 Jul;22(5):452-9. doi: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2011.03.003. Epub 2011 Mar 21.

Abstract

Yeast prions are atypical genetic elements that are transmitted as heritable protein conformations. [PSI+], [URE3], and [PIN+] are three well-studied prions in the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In the last three years, several additional prions have been reported in yeast, including [SWI+], [OCT+], [MCA], [GAR+], [MOT3+], [ISP+], and [NSI+]. The growing number of yeast prions suggests that protein-based inheritance might be a widespread biological phenomenon. In this review, we summarize the characteristics of each prion element, and discuss their potential functional roles in yeast biology.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Amyloid / metabolism*
  • Caspases / metabolism
  • Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / metabolism
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Epigenomics
  • Glutathione Peroxidase / metabolism
  • Peptide Termination Factors / metabolism
  • Prions / chemistry*
  • Prions / metabolism*
  • Proton-Translocating ATPases / metabolism
  • Repressor Proteins / metabolism
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / chemistry*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / metabolism*
  • Saccharomycetales / metabolism*
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism

Substances

  • Amyloid
  • CYC8 protein, S cerevisiae
  • Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • MOT3 protein, S cerevisiae
  • Peptide Termination Factors
  • Prions
  • RNQ1 protein, S cerevisiae
  • Repressor Proteins
  • SFP1 protein, S cerevisiae
  • SUP35 protein, S cerevisiae
  • SWI1 protein, S cerevisiae
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
  • Transcription Factors
  • Glutathione Peroxidase
  • URE2 protein, S cerevisiae
  • Caspases
  • MCA1 protein, S cerevisiae
  • PMA1 protein, S cerevisiae
  • Proton-Translocating ATPases