New yeast prion helps cells survive
Monday, April 23, 2012 - 11:31
in Biology & Nature
One of the greatest mysterious in cellular biology has been given a new twist. Researchers now show that prions, proteins that transmit heritable information without DNA or RNA, can contribute to drug resistance and cellular adaptation. Their discovery of a yeast prion with these properties demonstrates the active role of the prion conversion in cellular fitness adaptation, providing new insights into the potentially broader function of prions in living organisms.