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467: Prion Pivots Productive Pathways
Podcast |
BacterioFiles
Media Type |
audio
Categories Via RSS |
Life Sciences
Science
Publication Date |
Dec 27, 2021
Episode Duration |
00:13:53

This episode: Prions in yeast can allow better adaptation to changing conditions!

Download Episode (9.5 MB, 13.9 minutes) Show notes: Microbe of the episode: Hepatovirus F

 
News item
 
Takeaways
Prions can be deadly. They're misshapen proteins that cause a cascade of misfolding of similar proteins if they get into the nervous system, resulting in neurodegeneration in mammals. But in other organisms, they are not always so scary; some fungi use prions to regulate their behavior in varying conditions.
 
In this study, a prion allows yeast to switch between a fast-growing lifestyle with shorter reproductive lifespan that can be beneficial in conditions where nutrients are often plentiful, and a slower-growing but more enduring lifestyle that helps in more scarce conditions.
 
Journal Paper: Garcia DM, Campbell EA, Jakobson CM, Tsuchiya M, Shaw EA, DiNardo AL, Kaeberlein M, Jarosz DF. 2021. A prion accelerates proliferation at the expense of lifespan. eLife 10:e60917.

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