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Microbial specialization by prions
Gregory A Newby1,2, Can Kayatekin2
1a Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge , MA , USA.
Abstract:
Microbial prions facilitate a variety of phenotypic switches. Recently-developed tools that can directly interrogate, in the living cell, the aggregation state of a protein have enabled a wider range of experiments for prion-mediated behaviors. With such tools, the roles of the yeast prion [SWI+] in migration and mating were studied. Although [SWI+] cells were consistently less fit than their [swi-] counterparts under traditional laboratory conditions, in these new phenotypic paradigms [SWI+] cells demonstrated a distinct advantage. [SWI+] cells dispersed over a larger area under conditions resembling rainfall and outcrossed more frequently. We postulate that many behaviors in microorganisms may be modulated by stochastic prion switching. In diverse and changing natural environments, prion switching at low frequency may promote greater fitness of the population by specializing a small number of individuals with altered responses to their environments.
Insights
Yeast prions like [SWI+] can alter cell behavior, aiding survival in changing environments. These protein aggregates enhance microbial migration and mating, offering a fitness advantage in specific conditions.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology
- Yeast Genetics
Background:
- Microbial prions are protein aggregates that can induce heritable phenotypic changes.
- Recent advancements in live-cell imaging allow direct observation of protein aggregation states.
- The yeast prion [SWI+] has been implicated in various cellular functions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of the yeast prion [SWI+] in cellular migration and mating behaviors.
- To utilize novel live-cell protein aggregation interrogation tools to study prion function.
- To assess the fitness consequences of [SWI+] in different environmental contexts.
Main Methods:
- Employing advanced live-cell imaging techniques to monitor protein aggregation.
- Conducting experiments on yeast strains with and without the [SWI+] prion.
- Assessing migratory behavior under simulated rainfall conditions.
- Quantifying mating efficiency in different environmental settings.
Main Results:
- Yeast cells possessing the [SWI+] prion exhibited enhanced dispersal in simulated rainfall.
- [SWI+] cells demonstrated increased outcrossing frequency compared to [swi-] cells.
- Under specific environmental conditions, [SWI+] cells showed a fitness advantage over [swi-] cells, contrary to standard lab findings.
Conclusions:
- Stochastic prion switching can modulate microorganism behaviors, including migration and mating.
- Prion-mediated phenotypic variation may enhance population fitness in dynamic natural environments.
- Low-frequency prion switching can lead to specialized individual responses, benefiting the population overall.
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