Propagation of yeast prions

Prion proteins have been implicated in various human neurodegenerative disorders and form amyloid deposits in the diseased brain. Uniquely, prion proteins seem to be able to propagate this altered conformational state, generating more of the prion form of the protein and acting as infectious agents. The discovery in yeast of prion proteins that can be inherited stably through generations of cell division provides us with an experimental model that is allowing the mysteries of how prions are propagated to be unravelled.