title: Prion proteins as genetic material in fungi.
abstract: Prions are infectious proteins. Several prions have been identified in fungi where they behave as non-Mendelian cytoplasmic genetic elements. Most of these prions propagate as self-perpetuating amyloid aggregates thus providing an example of structural heredity. In yeast, prion propagation requires the Hsp104 disaggregase presumably to sheer amyloid assemblies and generate more fiber ends. Recent work in yeast shows that amyloid structure polymorphism underlies the prion strain phenomenon and influences species barriers. Structural models for the amyloid form of several fungal prion proteins are now available. All propose a cross beta-organization with parallel beta-sheets. Whether or not some of the fungal prions might be beneficial to their host is still a debated issue.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire des Champignons, Institut de Biochimie et de Génétique Cellulaires, UMR 5095 CNRS/Université de Bordeaux 2, 1 Rue Camille St Saëns, Bordeaux Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Benkemoun
authors.forename: Sven J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Saupe
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D005111:Extrachromosomal Inheritance / Q000235:genetics*; D005658:Fungi / Q000235:genetics*; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011328:Prions / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D011328:Prions; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; C070972:HsP104 protein, S cerevisiae