Protein folding diseases and neurodegeneration: lessons learned from yeast.
Budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has proven to be a valuable model organism for studying fundamental cellular processes across the eukaryotic kingdom including man. In this respect, complementation assays, in which the yeast protein is replaced by a homologous protein from another organism, have been very instructive. A newer trend is to use the yeast cell factory as a toolbox to understand cellular processes controlled by proteins for which the yeast lacks functional counterparts. An increasing number of studies have indicated that S. cerevisiae is a suitable model system to decipher molecular mechanisms involved in a variety of neurodegenerative disorders caused by aberrant protein folding. Here we review the current knowledge gained by the use of so-called humanized yeasts in the field of Huntington's, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.
Winderickx
Joris
J
Functional Biology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, Leuven-Heverlee, Belgium. joris.winderickx@bio.kuleuven.be
Delay
Charlotte
C
De Vos
Ann
A
Klinger
Harald
H
Pellens
Klaartje
K
Vanhelmont
Thomas
T
Van Leuven
Fred
F
Zabrocki
Piotr
P
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D000071058:Huntingtin Protein; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008954:Models, Biological; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000378:metabolism*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D017510:Protein Folding; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000378:metabolism*; D015003:Yeasts; D051844:alpha-Synuclein / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C086055:HTT protein, human; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D000071058:Huntingtin Protein; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010455:Peptides; D051844:alpha-Synuclein; D016875:tau Proteins; C097188:polyglutamine