As a toxin dies a prion comes to life: A tentative natural history of the [Het-s] prion

摘要: A variety of signaling pathways, in particular with roles cell fate and host defense, operate by a prion-like mechanism consisting the formation open-ended oligomeric complexes termed signalosomes. This emerges as novel paradigm signal transduction. Among proteins forming such are Nod-like receptors (NLR), involved innate immunity. It now appears that [Het-s] fungal prion derives from cell-fate defining system controlled NLR. What was once considered an isolated oddity turns out to be related conserved widespread mechanism. Herein, we recall relation transduction pathway NWD2 receptor, leading activation HET-S pore-forming death execution protein. We explicit evolutionary scenario which is result exaptation process or how loss-of-function mutation pore-fo...