AGENTS THAT CAUSE A HIGH FREQUENCY OF GENETIC CHANGE FROM [psi⁺] TO [psi^-] IN SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE

M. F. Tuite ¹, C. R. Mundy ¹, and B. S. Cox ¹

¹ Botany School, South Parks Road, Oxford, U.K.

The [psi] factor of yeast is cytoplasmically inherited. Singh, Helms and Sherman (1979) reported that high concentrations of KCl and of ethylene glycol induce the genetic change from [psi⁺] to [psi^-]. In this study, the following agents have been shown to induce the same genetic change: guanidine hydrochloride at 1 mm, dimethyl sulfoxide at 2.5% v/v and ethanol or methanol at 10% v/v. It is likely that a number of other agents also cause the change, namely 2 m glycerol, m succinate, m glutamate and m MgCl₂. Most of these agents induce the change at very high frequencies; with some, the frequency is 100%. Although the observed phenotypic change can also occur as a result of chromosomal gene mutation, no changes of this type were identified. Some of the agents also cause mutation from [rho⁺] to [rho^-] and from killer to sensitive.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L. A. Strawn, C. A. Lin, E. M.H. Tank, M. M. Osman, S. A. Simpson, and H. L. True Mutants of the Paf1 Complex Alter Phenotypic Expression of the Yeast Prion [PSI+] Mol. Biol. Cell, April 15, 2009; 20(8): 2229 - 2241. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Nemecek, T. Nakayashiki, and R. B. Wickner A prion of yeast metacaspase homolog (Mca1p) detected by a genetic screen PNAS, February 10, 2009; 106(6): 1892 - 1896. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. A. Pezza, S. X. Langseth, R. Raupp Yamamoto, S. M. Doris, S. P. Ulin, A. R. Salomon, and T. R. Serio The NatA Acetyltransferase Couples Sup35 Prion Complexes to the [PSI+] Phenotype Mol. Biol. Cell, February 1, 2009; 20(3): 1068 - 1080. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Sharma and D. C. Masison Functionally Redundant Isoforms of a Yeast Hsp70 Chaperone Subfamily Have Different Antiprion Effects Genetics, July 1, 2008; 179(3): 1301 - 1311. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. N. Bagriantsev, E. O. Gracheva, J. E. Richmond, and S. W. Liebman Variant-specific [PSI+] Infection Is Transmitted by Sup35 Polymers within [PSI+] Aggregates with Heterogeneous Protein Composition Mol. Biol. Cell, June 1, 2008; 19(6): 2433 - 2443. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Kurahashi, M. Ishiwata, S. Shibata, and Y. Nakamura A Regulatory Role of the Rnq1 Nonprion Domain for Prion Propagation and Polyglutamine Aggregates Mol. Cell. Biol., May 15, 2008; 28(10): 3313 - 3323. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Q. Fan, K.-W. Park, Z. Du, K. A. Morano, and L. Li The Role of Sse1 in the de Novo Formation and Variant Determination of the [PSI+] Prion Genetics, November 1, 2007; 177(3): 1583 - 1593. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. J. Byrne, B. S. Cox, D. J. Cole, M. S. Ridout, B. J. T. Morgan, and M. F. Tuite Cell division is essential for elimination of the yeast [PSI+] prion by guanidine hydrochloride PNAS, July 10, 2007; 104(28): 11688 - 11693. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. D. Allen, T. A. Chernova, E. P. Tennant, K. D. Wilkinson, and Y. O. Chernoff Effects of Ubiquitin System Alterations on the Formation and Loss of a Yeast Prion J. Biol. Chem., February 2, 2007; 282(5): 3004 - 3013. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K.-W. Park, J.-S. Hahn, Q. Fan, D. J. Thiele, and L. Li De Novo Appearance and "Strain" Formation of Yeast Prion [PSI+] Are Regulated by the Heat-Shock Transcription Factor Genetics, May 1, 2006; 173(1): 35 - 47. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. F. Zenthon, F. Ness, B. Cox, and M. F. Tuite The [PSI+] Prion of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Can Be Propagated by an Hsp104 Orthologue from Candida albicans Eukaryot. Cell, February 1, 2006; 5(2): 217 - 225. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. S. Shkundina, V. V. Kushnirov, M. F. Tuite, and M. D. Ter-Avanesyan The Role of the N-Terminal Oligopeptide Repeats of the Yeast Sup35 Prion Protein in Propagation and Transmission of Prion Variants Genetics, February 1, 2006; 172(2): 827 - 835. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y.-X. Wu, L. E. Greene, D. C. Masison, and E. Eisenberg Curing of yeast [PSI+] prion by guanidine inactivation of Hsp104 does not require cell division PNAS, September 6, 2005; 102(36): 12789 - 12794. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. D. Ross, H. K. Edskes, M. J. Terry, and R. B. Wickner Primary sequence independence for prion formation PNAS, September 6, 2005; 102(36): 12825 - 12830. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. B. Salnikova, D. S. Kryndushkin, V. N. Smirnov, V. V. Kushnirov, and M. D. Ter-Avanesyan Nonsense Suppression in Yeast Cells Overproducing Sup35 (eRF3) Is Caused by Its Non-heritable Amyloids J. Biol. Chem., March 11, 2005; 280(10): 8808 - 8812. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y. Song, Y.-x. Wu, G. Jung, Y. Tutar, E. Eisenberg, L. E. Greene, and D. C. Masison Role for Hsp70 Chaperone in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Prion Seed Replication Eukaryot. Cell, February 1, 2005; 4(2): 289 - 297. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y. Inoue, H. Taguchi, A. Kishimoto, and M. Yoshida Hsp104 Binds to Yeast Sup35 Prion Fiber but Needs Other Factor(s) to Sever It J. Biol. Chem., December 10, 2004; 279(50): 52319 - 52323. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. L. Derkatch, S. M. Uptain, T. F. Outeiro, R. Krishnan, S. L. Lindquist, and S. W. Liebman Effects of Q/N-rich, polyQ, and non-polyQ amyloids on the de novo formation of the [PSI+] prion in yeast and aggregation of Sup35 in vitro PNAS, August 31, 2004; 101(35): 12934 - 12939. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. D. Ross, U. Baxa, and R. B. Wickner Scrambled Prion Domains Form Prions and Amyloid Mol. Cell. Biol., August 15, 2004; 24(16): 7206 - 7213. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y. Kimura, S. Koitabashi, A. Kakizuka, and T. Fujita The role of pre-existing aggregates in Hsp104-dependent polyglutamine aggregate formation and epigenetic change of yeast prions Genes Cells, August 1, 2004; 9(8): 685 - 696. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. B. Wickner, H. K. Edskes, B. T. Roberts, U. Baxa, M. M. Pierce, E. D. Ross, and A. Brachmann Prions: proteins as genes and infectious entities Genes & Dev., March 1, 2004; 18(5): 470 - 485. [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. Grimminger, K. Richter, A. Imhof, J. Buchner, and S. Walter The Prion Curing Agent Guanidinium Chloride Specifically Inhibits ATP Hydrolysis by Hsp104 J. Biol. Chem., February 27, 2004; 279(9): 7378 - 7383. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. S. Kryndushkin, I. M. Alexandrov, M. D. Ter-Avanesyan, and V. V. Kushnirov Yeast [PSI+] Prion Aggregates Are Formed by Small Sup35 Polymers Fragmented by Hsp104 J. Biol. Chem., December 5, 2003; 278(49): 49636 - 49643. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. E. Bradley and S. W. Liebman Destabilizing Interactions Among [PSI+] and [PIN+] Yeast Prion Variants Genetics, December 1, 2003; 165(4): 1675 - 1685. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Cox, F. Ness, and M. Tuite Analysis of the Generation and Segregation of Propagons: Entities That Propagate the [PSI+] Prion in Yeast Genetics, September 1, 2003; 165(1): 23 - 33. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Ness, P. Ferreira, B. S. Cox, and M. F. Tuite Guanidine Hydrochloride Inhibits the Generation of Prion "Seeds" but Not Prion Protein Aggregation in Yeast Mol. Cell. Biol., August 1, 2002; 22(15): 5593 - 5605. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Ito-Harashima, P. E. Hartzog, H. Sinha, and J. H. McCusker The tRNA-Tyr Gene Family of Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Agents of Phenotypic Variation and Position Effects on Mutation Frequency Genetics, August 1, 2002; 161(4): 1395 - 1410. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Jung, G. Jones, and D. C. Masison Amino acid residue 184 of yeast Hsp104 chaperone is critical for prion-curing by guanidine, prion propagation, and thermotolerance PNAS, July 23, 2002; 99(15): 9936 - 9941. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Resende, S. N. Parham, C. Tinsley, P. Ferreira, J. A. B. Duarte, and M. F. Tuite The Candida albicans Sup35p protein (CaSup35p): function, prion-like behaviour and an associated polyglutamine length polymorphism Microbiology, April 1, 2002; 148(4): 1049 - 1060. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. V. Volkov, A. Yu. Aksenova, M. J. Soom, K. V. Osipov, A. V. Svitin, C. Kurischko, I. S. Shkundina, M. D. Ter-Avanesyan, S. G. Inge-Vechtomov, and L. N. Mironova Novel Non-Mendelian Determinant Involved in the Control of Translation Accuracy in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Genetics, January 1, 2002; 160(1): 25 - 36. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. D. Wegrzyn, K. Bapat, G. P. Newnam, A. D. Zink, and Y. O. Chernoff Mechanism of Prion Loss after Hsp104 Inactivation in Yeast Mol. Cell. Biol., July 15, 2001; 21(14): 4656 - 4669. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Bertram, S. Innes, O. Minella, J. P. Richardson, and I. Stansfield Endless possibilities: translation termination and stop codon recognition Microbiology, February 1, 2001; 147(2): 255 - 269. [Full Text]

				A. Chacinska, M. Boguta, J. Krzewska, and S. Rospert Prion-Dependent Switching between Respiratory Competence and Deficiency in the Yeast nam9-1 Mutant Mol. Cell. Biol., October 1, 2000; 20(19): 7220 - 7229. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				G. Jung, G. Jones, R. D. Wegrzyn, and D. C. Masison A Role for Cytosolic Hsp70 in Yeast [PSI+] Prion Propagation and [PSI+] as a Cellular Stress Genetics, October 1, 2000; 156(2): 559 - 570. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				H. E. Sparrer, A. Santoso, F. C. Szoka Jr., and J. S. Weissman Evidence for the Prion Hypothesis: Induction of the Yeast [PSI+] Factor by in Vitro- Converted Sup35 Protein Science, July 28, 2000; 289(5479): 595 - 599. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				L. Li and S. Lindquist Creating a Protein-Based Element of Inheritance Science, January 28, 2000; 287(5453): 661 - 664. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				S. S. Eaglestone, L. W. Ruddock, B. S. Cox, and M. F. Tuite Guanidine hydrochloride blocks a critical step in the propagation of the prion-like determinant [PSI+] of Saccharomyces cerevisiae PNAS, January 4, 2000; 97(1): 240 - 244. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. B. Wickner, K. L. Taylor, H. K. Edskes, M.-L. Maddelein, H. Moriyama, and B. T. Roberts Prions in Saccharomyces and Podospora spp.: Protein-Based Inheritance Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev., December 1, 1999; 63(4): 844 - 861. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y. O. Chernoff, G. P. Newnam, J. Kumar, K. Allen, and A. D. Zink Evidence for a Protein Mutator in Yeast: Role of the Hsp70-Related Chaperone Ssb in Formation, Stability, and Toxicity of the [PSI] Prion Mol. Cell. Biol., December 1, 1999; 19(12): 8103 - 8112. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. P. Newnam, R. D. Wegrzyn, S. L. Lindquist, and Y. O. Chernoff Antagonistic Interactions between Yeast Chaperones Hsp104 and Hsp70 in Prion Curing Mol. Cell. Biol., February 1, 1999; 19(2): 1325 - 1333. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. B. Wickner, H. K. Edskes, M.-L. Maddelein, K. L. Taylor, and H. Moriyama Prions of Yeast and Fungi. PROTEINS AS GENETIC MATERIAL J. Biol. Chem., January 8, 1999; 274(2): 555 - 558. [Full Text] [PDF]

				Z. Tallóczy, S. Menon, L. Neigeborn, and M. J. Leibowitz The [KIL-d] Cytoplasmic Genetic Element of Yeast Results in Epigenetic Regulation of Viral M Double-Stranded RNA Gene Expression Genetics, September 1, 1998; 150(1): 21 - 30. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				V. Coustou, C. Deleu, S. Saupe, and J. Begueret The protein product of the het-s heterokaryon incompatibility gene of the fungus Podospora anserina behaves as a prion analog PNAS, September 2, 1997; 94(18): 9773 - 9778. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R.B. Wickner, D.C. Masison, H.K. Edskes, and M.-L. Maddelein Prions of Yeast, [PSI] and [URE3], as Models for Neurodegenerative Diseases Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol, January 1, 1996; 61(0): 541 - 550. [Abstract] [PDF]

				D. C. Masison and R. B. Wickner Prion-Inducing Domain of Yeast Ure2p and Protease Resistance of Ure2p in Prion-Containing Cells Science, October 6, 1995; 270(5233): 93 - 95. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. Lindquist, M.M. Patino, Y.O. Chernoff, A.S. Kowal, M.A. Singer, S.W. Liebman, K.-H. Lee, and T. Blake The Role of Hsp104 in Stress Tolerance and [PSI+] Propagation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol, January 1, 1995; 60(0): 451 - 460. [Abstract] [PDF]