Generation and propagation of yeast prion [URE3] are elevated under electromagnetic field.
Lian HY, Lin KW, Yang C, Cai P. · 2017
View Original AbstractEMF exposure promotes protein misfolding linked to neurodegenerative diseases, with effects increasing over time and exposure intensity.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed yeast cells to radiofrequency radiation (2.0 GHz) and extremely low frequency fields (50 Hz) to study effects on protein misfolding. They found that both types of electromagnetic fields increased the formation and spread of prions (misfolded proteins linked to neurodegenerative diseases) in a dose-dependent manner. This suggests EMF exposure may contribute to protein misfolding disorders through oxidative stress mechanisms.
Why This Matters
This study breaks new ground by demonstrating that electromagnetic fields can directly promote protein misfolding, a process central to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. The researchers used yeast as a model organism because prion formation follows similar mechanisms across species. What makes this particularly concerning is that the 2.0 GHz frequency is close to what cell phones use, while 50 Hz matches the electrical grid frequency in many countries. The dose-dependent response they observed with ELF fields suggests that higher exposures create more protein damage. The finding that oxidative stress increased during short-term exposure provides a biological mechanism for how EMF might contribute to neurodegeneration over time.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. The study examined exposure from: 2.0 GHz and 50 Hz
Study Details
In this study, we studied the effect of 2.0 GHz radio frequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) and 50 Hz extremely low frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) exposure on prion generation and propagation using two budding yeast strains, NT64C and SB34, as model organisms.
Under exposure to RF-EMF or ELF-EMF, the de novo generation and propagation of yeast prions [URE3] w...
This work demonstrated for the first time that EMF exposure could elevate the de novo generation and propagation of yeast prions and supports the hypothesis that ROS may play a role in the effects of EMF on protein misfolding. The effects of EMF on protein folding and ROS levels may mediate the broad effects of EMF on cell function.
Show BibTeX
@article{hy_2017_generation_and_propagation_of_2362,
author = {Lian HY and Lin KW and Yang C and Cai P.},
title = {Generation and propagation of yeast prion [URE3] are elevated under electromagnetic field.},
year = {2017},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29214607/},
}