Prions serve as an important driver in evolutionary adaptation
the verdict
SUPPORTED
the evidence backs this
confidence 82/100
Recent evidence demonstrates that prion-based protein self-assembly and conformational switching can act as epigenetic mechanisms that tune mutagenesis and drive rapid adaptive responses in various organisms under environmental stress.
Evidence for · 2
Evolving concepts of the protein universe.
2025 · cited by 10
This paper notes that numerous diverse proteins harbor segments capable of forming functional amyloid fibrils and possessing prion-like properties that enable the conformation-based transfer of heritable information.
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More for · 1
Prion-based protein self-assembly tunes mutagenesis to enable rapid adaptation.
2026 · cited by 0
This study demonstrates that frequent prion-based switching of DNA repair and recombination proteins alters mutagenesis, providing adaptive benefits and enabling rapid adaptation in short-term evolution under strong selective pressure.