Prion fibrilsVALERIA SIM, NIAID.NIH.GOV
Prions—infectious, misfolded proteins best known for causing mad cow disease—have been the source of contention in the yeast community for years. Some believe the proteins are, at best, rare yeast diseases and, at worst, lab artifacts. Others argue that prions can confer advantageous benefits to their host, helping yeast to adapt to stressful environments.
A paper published this week in Nature adds weight to the latter hypothesis. Over a third of wild yeast strains harbor prions, researchers found, and those prions help their hosts survive when confronted with a changing environment.
“It’s been a raging debate,” said Mick Tuite, who studies yeast prions at the University of Kent in the United Kingdom and was not involved in the study. While the paper may not settle ...
