Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 6, 2026
08:12
High-throughput Screening for Protein-based Inheritance in S. cerevisiae
Published on: August 8, 2017
5.9K
Ploidy controls [URE3] prion propagation in yeast
Myriam Crapeau1, Laurent Maillet, Christophe Cullin
1IBMM CP300, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Gosselies, Belgique.
FEMS Yeast Research
|November 12, 2013
Summary
Yeast ploidy affects prion stability. Centromeric sequences and Hsp104p concentration are key factors influencing prion inheritance, offering new insights into prion biology and protein misfolding.
Area of Science:
- Yeast genetics
- Prion biology
- Molecular biology
Background:
- Previous studies identified HSP104 as crucial for prion propagation in haploid yeast.
- Research on yeast prions has largely been limited to haploid genetic contexts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of ploidy in the stability of the yeast prion [URE3].
- To identify genetic factors influencing [URE3] stability in diploid and tetraploid yeast strains.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a diploid yeast strain and a multi-copy library screen to identify genes affecting [URE3] stability.
- Analyzed [URE3] transmission in tetraploid yeast cells to assess the impact of increased ploidy.
- Investigated the role of Hsp104p concentration and its disaggregate activity in prion stabilization.
Main Results:
- Discovered that centromeric sequences decrease the mitotic stability of the [URE3] prion in diploid yeast.
- [URE3] exhibits instability in tetraploid yeast strains.
- Hsp104p concentration is critical for stabilizing [URE3] in tetraploid cells, independent of its disaggregate activity.
Conclusions:
- Yeast ploidy influences prion stability, potentially explaining variations in prion presence in wild strains.
- Links ploidy control to protein misfolding, revealing [URE3] as a gain-of-function phenotype.
- Suggests Hsp104p stabilization can occur through mechanisms beyond its disaggregation function.
