The concept of a prion as an infectious self-propagating protein isoform was initially
proposed to explain certain mammalian diseases. It is now clear that yeast also has …

Key challenges faced by all cells include how to spatiotemporally organize complex
biochemistry and how to respond to environmental fluctuations. The budding yeast …

INTRODUCTION The formation of dynamic, membraneless compartments using intracellular
phase transitions such as phase separation and gelation provides an efficient way for cells …

John Dupré explores recent revolutionary developments in biology and considers their
relevance for our understanding of human nature and human society. Epigenetics and …

Prions are proteins that convert between structurally and functionally distinct states, one or
more of which is transmissible. In yeast, this ability allows them to act as non-Mendelian …

The self-templating conformations of yeast prion proteins act as epigenetic elements of
inheritance. Yeast prions might provide a mechanism for generating heritable phenotypic …

A remarkable feature of prion biology is the strain phenomenon wherein prion particles
apparently composed of the same protein lead to phenotypically distinct transmissible …

A major enigma in evolutionary biology is that new forms or functions often require the
concerted effects of several independent genetic changes. It is unclear how such changes …

Single cells in genetically homogeneous microbial cultures exhibit marked phenotypic
individuality, a biological phenomenon that is considered to bolster the fitness of …

Abstract Changes in protein conformation drive most biological processes, but none have
seized the imagination of scientists and the public alike as have the self-replicating …