Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anastasia Fomicheva, Eric D. Ross
Summary: Research has shown that stress granules and prions, while both macromolecular assemblies, differ in their physical properties and complexity. Prion aggregates are highly stable homopolymeric solids, while stress granules are complex dynamic biomolecular condensates driven by multivalent homotypic and heterotypic interactions.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tomasz Zajkowski, Michael D. Lee, Shamba S. Mondal, Amanda Carbajal, Robert Dec, Patrick D. Brennock, Radoslaw W. Piast, Jessica E. Snyder, Nicholas B. Bense, Wojciech Dzwolak, Daniel F. Jarosz, Lynn J. Rothschild
Summary: The discovery of functional prion-forming domains in archaea expands our knowledge of prions to the third domain of life, suggesting they may have existed at the time of the last universal common ancestor. This study provides evidence that multiple archaeal proteins can act as prions, driving non-Mendelian patterns of inheritance by forming amyloids. The higher tyrosine and phenylalanine content in positively tested candidates may aid in future predictions of archaeal prions.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Juan Carlos Aledo
Summary: Methionine-rich prion-like proteins exhibit modular nature with larger molecular sizes and higher spatial compaction compared to average human proteins. Computational evidence suggests that the high compactness might be due to the aggregation of methionine residues, indicating a potential redox regulation. Gene ontology and network analyses reveal that methionine-rich prion-like proteins share more gene ontology terms among themselves than with non-methionine-rich counterparts.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sean M. Cascarina, Joshua P. Kaplan, Mikaela R. Elder, Lindsey Brookbank, Eric D. Ross
Summary: The degradation sensitivity of G-rich and Q/N-rich domains is influenced by specific sequence features, with G-rich domains being more susceptible to degradation-promoting effects of hydrophobic residues. The proteostasis network may act as a selection mechanism at the molecular level, constraining the sequence space accessible to G-rich domains. However, the sensitivity or resistance of these domains is not always preserved in their native protein contexts, indicating the complexity of protein evolution in overcoming degradation susceptibility.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Virology
Jiyan Ma, Jingjing Zhang, Runchuan Yan
Summary: The generation of recombinant prions has provided valuable insights into the characteristics and effects of prions. Recombinant prions can exist in various misfolded conformations and have different outcomes when inoculated into wild-type animals. The ability to seed alone is not sufficient to determine prion activity, as authentic prions need to be both heritable and pathogenic. Research on recombinant prions is important for understanding the pathogenesis of prion diseases and the role of misfolded proteins in other neurodegenerative disorders.
Article
Biology
Haruka Narita, Tomohiro Shima, Ryo Iizuka, Sotaro Uemura
Summary: The N-terminal region of Argonaute2 can form amyloid-like aggregates, which may regulate the RNA silencing activity of DmAgo2.
Article
Virology
Sarah C. Miller, Andrea K. Wegrzynowicz, Sierra J. Cole, Rachel E. Hayward, Samantha J. Ganser, Justin K. Hines
Summary: Yeast prions are protein-based transmissible elements that can be propagated through the chaperone protein network. In this study, we found that the JDP-Hsp70 system is required for the propagation of synthetic prions and that Sis1 acts broadly on amyloids, rather than interacting specifically with individual prion-forming proteins.
Article
Microbiology
Yury A. Barbitoff, Andrew G. Matveenko, Galina A. Zhouravleva
Summary: Baker's yeast is an important model organism for studying various aspects of eukaryotic cell biology. Yeast prions, self-perpetuating protein aggregates, are used to investigate protein quality control and misfolded proteins. Hsp40 proteins have a central role in prion propagation and other cellular processes such as cell signaling and cytoskeleton also contribute to the interaction with prions in yeast cells.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mehdi Kabani
Summary: Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae hosts a variety of heritable traits, mainly resulting from the conversion of cytoplasmic proteins into prion forms. These prions propagate through the fragmentation of aggregates by molecular chaperones, forming self-templating seeds. The exact nature of these propagons and their transmission from mother to daughter cells is not fully understood.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rosalia Bruno, Geraldina Riccardi, Floriana Iacobone, Flavia Chiarotti, Laura Pirisinu, Ilaria Vanni, Stefano Marcon, Claudia D'Agostino, Matteo Giovannelli, Piero Parchi, Umberto Agrimi, Romolo Nonno, Michele Angelo Di Bari
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between prion strains and astrocyte phenotype in six human- and animal-vole-adapted strains. The results showed that astrocyte morphology and astrocyte-associated PrPSc deposition varied depending on the strain, indicating strain-specific phenotypes of reactive astrocytes. Additionally, astrocyte-associated PrPSc deposition was observed in four out of six strains and correlated with astrocyte size.
Review
Virology
Moonil Son, Reed B. Wickner
Summary: Prions are infectious proteins with different levels of severity depending on the variants. Yeast has multiple anti-prion systems that provide innate immunity through multi-layered operations targeting each step of prion development.
Article
Biology
Cristina Batlle, Isabel Calvo, Valentin Iglesias, Cian J. Lynch, Marcos Gil-Garcia, Manuel Serrano, Salvador Ventura
Summary: Recent evidence suggests that coiled-coil (CC) regions overlapping with polyQ tracts play a critical role in amyloid formation and functional switch in human proteins. The human MED15 Mediator complex subunit forms homodimers in solution mediated by CC interactions, with MED15CC aggregating into amyloid fibrils.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Virology
Chih-Yen King
Summary: This passage discusses the replication mechanism of prions and the emergence of variants and strains. It is suggested that the heat shock protein Hsp104 can restrict strain variation, leading to the possibility that some transmutable variants may have been mistaken as faithful-propagating. By altering the strength of Hsp104 in yeast, it is found that most variants are faithful-propagating, with only a few capable of changing to limited structural types.
Article
Immunology
Jonathan D. F. Wadsworth, Susan Joiner, Jacqueline M. Linehan, Kezia Jack, Huda Al-Doujaily, Helena Costa, Thea Ingold, Maged Taema, Fuquan Zhang, Malin K. Sandberg, Sebastian Brandner, Linh Tran, Turid Vikoren, Jorn Vage, Knut Madslien, Bjornar Ytrehus, Sylvie L. Benestad, Emmanuel A. Asante, John Collinge
Summary: This study investigated the zoonotic potential of CWD-infected Norwegian reindeer and moose by inoculating their brain tissue into transgenic mice overexpressing human prion protein. The results showed no evidence of prion transmission, indicating a low zoonotic potential for these isolates.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Junsheng Yang, Huilin Xu, Chaoyue Zhang, Xiaotong Yang, Weijie Cai, Xiaoli Chen
Summary: TFEB co-aggregates with mHTT, mediated by a prion-like domain (PrLD), which may limit therapeutic strategies targeting TFEB. TFE3, a transcription factor with overlapping functions to TFEB, lacks PrLD and does not co-aggregate with mHTT, suggesting it as an alternative drug target for HD.
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Jenifer E. Shattuck, Sean M. Cascarina, Kacy R. Paul, Eric D. Ross
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Sean M. Cascarina, Eric D. Ross
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Amy E. Boncella, Jenifer E. Shattuck, Sean M. Cascarina, Kacy R. Paul, Matthew H. Baer, Anastasia Fomicheva, Andrew K. Lamb, Eric D. Ross
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2020)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Sean M. Cascarina, Mikaela R. Elder, Eric D. Ross
PLOS COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sean M. Cascarina, Eric D. Ross
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Cecile Mathieu, Rohit Pappu, J. Paul Taylor
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anastasia Fomicheva, Eric D. Ross
Summary: Research has shown that stress granules and prions, while both macromolecular assemblies, differ in their physical properties and complexity. Prion aggregates are highly stable homopolymeric solids, while stress granules are complex dynamic biomolecular condensates driven by multivalent homotypic and heterotypic interactions.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Brian D. Freibaum, James Messing, Peiguo Yang, Hong Joo Kim, J. Paul Taylor
Summary: Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) is a key mechanism in intracellular organization, especially in the assembly of various RNP granules. While simple in vitro systems have revealed important biophysical principles governing LLPS during granule assembly, visualizing RNP granules in cells presents challenges in studying their biophysical features and manipulating molecule concentrations. The introduction of a system that allows for high-fidelity reconstitution of stress granules and nucleoli components in mammalian cellular lysate bridges the gap between in vitro systems and live cells, providing opportunities for studying membraneless organelles and developing therapeutics targeting specific condensates.
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sean M. Cascarina, Joshua P. Kaplan, Mikaela R. Elder, Lindsey Brookbank, Eric D. Ross
Summary: The degradation sensitivity of G-rich and Q/N-rich domains is influenced by specific sequence features, with G-rich domains being more susceptible to degradation-promoting effects of hydrophobic residues. The proteostasis network may act as a selection mechanism at the molecular level, constraining the sequence space accessible to G-rich domains. However, the sensitivity or resistance of these domains is not always preserved in their native protein contexts, indicating the complexity of protein evolution in overcoming degradation susceptibility.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Brian A. Maxwell, Youngdae Gwon, Ashutosh Mishra, Junmin Peng, Haruko Nakamura, Ke Zhang, Hong Joo Kim, J. Paul Taylor
Summary: Stress-induced ubiquitination is crucial for cellular recovery after heat stress, facilitating the degradation of damaged proteins and promoting the resumption of cellular activities.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Youngdae Gwon, Brian A. Maxwell, Regina-Maria Kolaitis, Peipei Zhang, Hong Joo Kim, J. Paul Taylor
Summary: Stress granules are dynamic condensates composed of RNA and protein that disassemble in a context-dependent manner, with ubiquitination of G3BP1 being required for disassembly in the setting of heat shock.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sean M. Cascarina, Eric D. Ross
Summary: This article investigates the role of SR-related proteins in the human body. By using an unbiased composition criteria, over 100 putative SR-related proteins were identified, and it was found that they are closely associated with functions such as RNA splicing and nuclear speckles. The newly discovered proteins have slightly different amino acid compositions but similar levels of post-translational modification, indicating their regulation and functional importance in vivo.