Presenter(s): Zachary Basham
Faculty Mentor(s): David Garcia
Poster 3
Session: Sciences
Prions are misfolded proteins that have developed a negative connotation due to their involvement in many degenerative diseases. However, some prions have been found in yeast that result in benefits for the cell. This experiment focused on a specific prion that gives rise to larger cells with increased replication rate. We hypothesized that the prion must be interacting with a pathway that regulates the maturation of the cell. To determine the cause of this phenotype, we grew cells in the presence of rapamycin, an inhibitor of the TOR (Target of Rapamycin) complex which regulates the growth of cells by modifying proteins. By recording the absorbance of cell cultures with and without the prion, we were able to determine the growth rate and support the claim that the misfolded protein is influencing TOR because they showed resistance to the drug. The next step is to determine what is being affected in the complex to provide this result. Understanding how prions work on a molecular level may reveal new cell functions not possible by genetics alone.