Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Subviral Agents01:29

Subviral Agents

Subviral agents are infectious entities that resemble viruses but lack one or more viral components, such as a capsid or essential replication machinery. These agents include viroids, prions, and satellites, each possessing distinct structural and functional characteristics that influence their mode of infection and replication.Viroids are the simplest subviral agents, consisting of circular, single-stranded RNA molecules without a protein coat. They exclusively infect plants, relying entirely...
Amyloid Fibrils03:03

Amyloid Fibrils

Amyloid fibrils are aggregates of misfolded proteins.  Under most circumstances, misfolded proteins are either refolded by chaperone proteins or degraded by the proteasome. However, in the case of a mutation or a disease, these proteins can accumulate to form large clusters and often further assemble to form elongated fibers, called fibrils. 
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen.   In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining, normally used to...
Amyloid Fibrils03:03

Amyloid Fibrils

Amyloid fibrils are aggregates of misfolded proteins.  Under most circumstances, misfolded proteins are either refolded by chaperone proteins or degraded by the proteasome. However, in the case of a mutation or a disease, these proteins can accumulate to form large clusters and often further assemble to form elongated fibers, called fibrils. 
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen.   In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining, normally used to...
Fungal Phylum Microsporidia01:28

Fungal Phylum Microsporidia

Microsporidia are a group of obligate intracellular fungi that were initially classified as protists but were later reclassified based on phylogenetic, molecular, and structural evidence linking them to the Chytridiomycota. These unicellular, non-motile organisms are highly specialized parasites that infect a wide range of animal hosts, including humans. They have evolved extensive genomic and metabolic reductions, making them highly dependent on their hosts for survival.Morphology and Genomic...
Fungal Group Zygomycota01:29

Fungal Group Zygomycota

Zygomycota, previously classified as a distinct fungal group, are primarily terrestrial, saprophytic molds that play a crucial role as decomposers. Recent phylogenetic studies have revealed that these fungi are now divided into two major clades — Mucoromycota, which includes many symbiotic species, and Zoopagomycota, which primarily consists of parasitic and pathogenic fungi. These groups exhibit distinct ecological roles and reproductive strategies while sharing key structural and...
Antifungal Agents01:15

Antifungal Agents

Amphotericin B is a broad-spectrum antifungal agent that exploits structural differences between fungal and mammalian cell membranes. Its amphipathic structure—featuring a hydrophobic polyene-lactone ring and a hydrophilic region containing mycosamine and carboxylic acid groups—enables selective binding to ergosterol, a sterol predominantly found in fungal plasma membranes. This selective interaction underlies the drug’s antifungal activity, although weak binding to cholesterol contributes to...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The prion-like characteristic of ORF3 contributes to virion release and pathogenesis of hepatitis E virus.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025
Same author

Quantification of amyloid fibril polymorphism by nano-morphometry reveals the individuality of filament assembly.

Communications chemistry·2023
Same author

Comparative Analysis of the Relative Fragmentation Stabilities of Polymorphic Alpha-Synuclein Amyloid Fibrils.

Biomolecules·2022
Same author

Structural Identification of Individual Helical Amyloid Filaments by Integration of Cryo-Electron Microscopy-Derived Maps in Comparative Morphometric Atomic Force Microscopy Image Analysis.

Journal of molecular biology·2022
Same author

Amyloid particles facilitate surface-catalyzed cross-seeding by acting as promiscuous nanoparticles.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2021
Same author

The Division of Amyloid Fibrils: Systematic Comparison of Fibril Fragmentation Stability by Linking Theory with Experiments.

iScience·2020
Same journal

Artificial intelligence-driven multi-omics analysis of gut-kidney axis in chronic kidney disease.

Progress in molecular biology and translational science·2026
Same journal

Artificial intelligence in multi-omics analysis of heart diseases.

Progress in molecular biology and translational science·2026
Same journal

AI in multi-omics analysis of type 2 diabetes.

Progress in molecular biology and translational science·2026
Same journal

AI in multi-omics analysis in AMR.

Progress in molecular biology and translational science·2026
Same journal

AI in multi-omics analysis of COVID-19 patient data.

Progress in molecular biology and translational science·2026
Same journal

AI in multi-omics analysis of liver diseases.

Progress in molecular biology and translational science·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 23, 2026

High-throughput Screening for Protein-based Inheritance in S. cerevisiae
08:12

High-throughput Screening for Protein-based Inheritance in S. cerevisiae

Published on: August 8, 2017

Fungal prions.

Gemma L Staniforth1, Mick F Tuite

  • 1Kent Fungal Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom.

Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science
|April 10, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Fungal prions, unlike their mammalian counterparts, act as epigenetic regulators, offering phenotypic plasticity and potential growth advantages. These protein-only infectious agents in yeast can influence heritable traits without causing disease.

More Related Videos

Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification of Prions
10:12

Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification of Prions

Published on: November 7, 2012

Real-time Quaking-induced Conversion Assay for Detection of CWD Prions in Fecal Material
09:50

Real-time Quaking-induced Conversion Assay for Detection of CWD Prions in Fecal Material

Published on: September 29, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 23, 2026

High-throughput Screening for Protein-based Inheritance in S. cerevisiae
08:12

High-throughput Screening for Protein-based Inheritance in S. cerevisiae

Published on: August 8, 2017

Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification of Prions
10:12

Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification of Prions

Published on: November 7, 2012

Real-time Quaking-induced Conversion Assay for Detection of CWD Prions in Fecal Material
09:50

Real-time Quaking-induced Conversion Assay for Detection of CWD Prions in Fecal Material

Published on: September 29, 2017

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Genetics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Prion proteins in mammals and fungi share conformational templating mechanisms for protein-only infectivity.
  • Mammalian prion conversion leads to disease, while fungal prions can act as epigenetic regulators.
  • Fungal prions, particularly in yeast, can provide phenotypic plasticity and a growth advantage under environmental stress.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce the biochemical and genetic properties of fungal prions.
  • To highlight the shared characteristics between fungal and mammalian prion proteins (PrP).
  • To outline the contributions of fungal prion studies to the broader field of prion biology.

Main Methods:

  • Biochemical characterization of fungal prion proteins.
  • Genetic analysis of prion inheritance and function in yeast.
  • Comparative studies between fungal and mammalian prion systems.

Main Results:

  • Fungal prions exhibit conformational templating similar to mammalian PrP.
  • Fungal prions function as epigenetic regulators, influencing heritable phenotypes.
  • [PRION(+)] state in yeast offers phenotypic plasticity and potential growth advantages.
  • Studies reveal diverse and metabolically significant cellular functions affected by yeast prions.

Conclusions:

  • Fungal prions, though rarely found, represent a functional state in yeast with significant implications for inheritance and adaptation.
  • Shared biochemical and genetic properties underscore the importance of studying fungal prions for understanding prion biology broadly.
  • Fungal prion research offers insights into epigenetic regulation and phenotypic evolution.