NR AUGF
AU Talarek,N.; Maillet,L.; Cullin,C.; Aigle,M.
TI The [URE3] prion is not conserved among Saccharomyces species
QU Genetics 2005 Sep; 171(1): 23-34
IA http://www.genetics.org/cgi/content/full/171/1/23
PT journal article
AB The [URE3] prion of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a self-propagating inactive form of the nitrogen catabolism regulator Ure2p. To determine whether the [URE3] prion is conserved in S. cerevisiae-related yeast species, we have developed genetic tools allowing the detection of [URE3] in Saccharomyces paradoxus and Saccharomyces uvarum. We found that [URE3] is conserved in S. uvarum. In contrast, [URE3] was not detected in S. paradoxus. The inability of S. paradoxus Ure2p to switch to a prion isoform results from the primary sequence of the protein and not from the lack of cellular cofactors as heterologous Ure2p can propagate [URE3] in this species. Our data therefore demonstrate that [URE3] is conserved only in a subset of Saccharomyces species. Implications of our finding on the physiological and evolutionary meaning of the yeast [URE3] prion are discussed.
MH Amino Acid Sequence; Conserved Sequence/*genetics; Evolution, Molecular; Genetic Complementation Test; Molecular Sequence Data; Phylogeny; Prions/*genetics/metabolism; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Saccharomyces/*genetics/growth & development/metabolism; Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genetics/growth & development/metabolism; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins/*genetics/metabolism; Sequence Alignment; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Species Specificity
AD IBGC-CNRS/Universite Victor Segalen Bordeaux2, UMR 5095, 33077 Bordeaux, France. nicolas_talarek@dfci.harvard.edu
SP englisch
PO USA