AI Article Synopsis
- The [URE3] prion in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an infectious form of the Ure2p protein, which is a valuable model for studying amyloid formation and stability.
- When cells with the [URE3] prion are grown in good nitrogen conditions, they can absorb ureidosuccinate, a key compound for uracil production, unlike cells without the prion.
- The text outlines new selection methods utilizing the DAL5 promoter and various reporter genes to improve assays for detecting [URE3], providing higher accuracy and options for analyzing prion variants and directly transforming prion filaments, while also discussing the pros and cons of each method.
Article Abstract
The Saccharomyces cerevisiae prion [URE3] is the infectious amyloid form of the Ure2p protein. [URE3] provides a useful model system for studying amyloid formation and stability in vivo. When grown in the presence of a good nitrogen source, [URE3] cells are able to take up ureidosuccinate, an intermediate in uracil biosynthesis, while cells lacking the [URE3] prion can not. This ability to take up ureidosuccinate has been commonly used to assay for the presence of [URE3]. However, this assay has a number of practical limitations, affecting the range of experiments that can be performed with [URE3]. Here, we describe recently developed alternative selection methods for the presence or absence of [URE3]. They make use of the Ure2p-regulated DAL5 promoter in conjunction with ADE2, URA3, kanMX, and CAN1 reporter genes, and allow for higher stringency in selection both for and against [URE3], nonselective assay of prion variants, and direct transformation of prion filaments. We discuss advantages and limitations of each of these assays.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ymeth.2006.04.008 | DOI Listing |
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