Contribution of yeast models to virus research

Abstract

Time and again, yeast has proven to be a vital model system to understand various crucial basic biology questions. Studies related to viruses are no exception to this. This simple eukaryotic organism is an invaluable model for studying fundamental cellular processes altered in the host cell due to viral infection or expression of viral proteins. Mechanisms of infection of several RNA and relatively few DNA viruses have been studied in yeast to date. Yeast is used for studying several aspects related to the replication of a virus, such as localization of viral proteins, interaction with host proteins, cellular effects on the host, etc. The development of novel techniques based on high-throughput analysis of libraries, availability of toolboxes for genetic manipulation, and a compact genome makes yeast a good choice for such studies. In this review, we provide an overview of the studies that have used yeast as a model system and have advanced our understanding of several important viruses. Key points• Yeast, a simple eukaryote, is an important model organism for studies related to viruses.• Several aspects of both DNA and RNA viruses of plants and animals are investigated using the yeast model.• Apart from the insights obtained on virus biology, yeast is also extensively used for antiviral development.

Single cell sorting of young yeast based on label‐free fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy

“…S. cerevisiae is commercially significant in the food and beverage industries, and is an attractive microorganism used in virus research. In the study of infectious diseases, yeast has been used as a tool for antiviral drug development and as a vaccine vehicle [2][3][4]. Additionally, yeast is reused in the process of industrial fermentation [5].…”

Yeast-Based Screening of Anti-Viral Molecules

“…In the past, yeast has been successfully used to study viruses from both basic as well as applied perspectives. For example, yeast has been used to study viral replication, structure–function analysis of viral enzymes, screening of anti-viral molecules, and development of anti-viral vaccines [ 86 , 87 ].…”

The Role of Emergent Processing Technologies in Beer Production

“…Yeast is a eukaryotic, single-celled organism that belongs to the fungi kingdom [25]. Currently, beer is classified in one of the following categories: ale, lager and lambic.…”