Constituent Society of FASEB AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY · 2019-11-27 · 13 Genomes and Proteomes 14 Organelle Biogenesis and Dynamics 16 Streptococcus

A M E R I C A N S O C I E T Y F O R B I O C H E M I S T R Y A N D M O L E C U L A R B I O L O G Y

w w w . a s b m b . o r gJAN UARY 2005JAN UARY 2005

Constituent Society of FASEB


&Celebrating the Past

Looking to the Future

SAN DIEGO 2005Call for

Late-BreakingAbstractssee page 8

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f e a t u r e s2 New Protein Structure May Aid in Design of

Therapeutics

3 From the Desk of the President

8 New Findings May Aid Atherosclerosis Treatment

10 Brian Strahl to Receive Schering-Plough Award

12 DNA Replication, Interactive Repair, andRecombinational Process

13 Genomes and Proteomes

14 Organelle Biogenesis and Dynamics

16 Streptococcus May Thwart Blood Clotting

18 New Species of Amyloid Peptide

22 Foreign Student Enrollment Declining

d e p a r t m e n t s4 News From the Hill

6 NIH News

20 Biotech Business

23 Career Opportunites

24 Calendar


w w w . a s b m b . o r g

O N T H E C O V E R :

Celebrate the J BCCentennial at theASBMB AnnualMeeting

10

JANUARY 2005, Volume 3, Issue 10

6

BRONZE AWARD WINNER 2003

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE:MOST IMPROVED MAGAZINE

COLUMNS & EDITORIALS

DESIGN & LAYOUT

ASBMBToday JANUARY 20052

cientists have determined thecrystal structure of a proteinkinase C (PKC) isozyme, in

this case the novel PKC family memberPKC theta (PKCθ). This structure shouldprove extremely useful in the rationaldesign of small molecule inhibitors ofPKCθ, which has been implicated in T-cell mediated disease processes includ-ing inflammation and autoimmunity.

The research appears as a “Paper ofthe Week” in the November 26 issue ofThe Journal of Biological Chemistry, anAmerican Society for Biochemistry andMolecular Biology journal.

PKCθ is a key signaling molecule in aclass of immune cells called T lympho-cytes, or T cells. These cells recognizeshort amino acid chains, or antigens,that are displayed on the surface ofantigen-presenting cells and initiateimmune responses when activated bythe antigens.

“PKCθ is selectively recruited to thecontact region between T cells andantigen-presenting cells where it inter-acts with several signaling molecules toinduce activation signals essential forproductive T cell activation,” explainsDr. Will Somers, of Wyeth Research.“Inhibiting PKCθ signal transductionresults in defects in T cell activationand cytokine production.”

Dr. Somers and his colleagues atWyeth determined the three-dimen-sional structure of the catalytic domainof PKCθ using x-ray crystallography.“This is the first structure of a PKC atatomic resolution,” notes Dr. Somers.“Moreover, the structure reported herewas solved in the presence of the highpotency protein kinase inhibitor, stau-rosporine, revealing the structural basisof inhibitor binding.”

Dr. Somers believes his results havethe potential to aid in identifying selec-tive inhibitors of kinase function thatcan act as therapeutics for diseases inwhich T cells are targeting native ratherthan foreign antigens. Inhibiting PKC inthese cases would disable the T cells andhalt the autoimmune reaction. Cur-rently, several PKC inhibitors are beingused in clinical trials for various types ofcancer and diabetes-related retinopathy.

“This structure provides a startingpoint for the rational drug design of highpotency inhibitors of the catalytic activ-ity of PKCθ for use as potential therapeu-tics,” says Dr. Somers. “Modulation ofPKCθ kinase activity presents an idealtherapeutic target in T cell mediated dis-ease processes, including T cell leukemiasand T cell mediated autoimmune andrespiratory diseases such as asthma.”

S

New Protein Structure May Aid in Designof Therapeut ics for Autoimmune Disease

A Journal of Biological Chemistry Paper of the Week

By N ico le Kresge , S taf f Sc ience Wr i ter

A S B M B C o u n c i l

OfficersJudith S. Bond PresidentBettie Sue Masters Past-PresidentPeggy J. Farnham SecretaryKenneth E. Neet Treasurer

Council MembersWilliam R. Brinkley CouncilorJoan W. Conaway CouncilorRobert A. Copeland CouncilorLila M. Gierasch CouncilorFrederick P. Guengerich CouncilorWilliam J. Lennarz CouncilorPeter J. Parker Councilor William S. Sly CouncilorWilliam L. Smith Councilor

Ex-Officio MembersGeorge M. CarmanChair, Meetings CommitteeCecile Rochette-EglyDennis R. VoelkerCo-chairs, 2005 Program CommitteeJ. Ellis BellChair, Education and ProfessionalDevelopment CommitteeJuliette BellChair, Minority Affairs CommitteeWilliam R. BrinkleyChair, Public Affairs Advisory CommitteeChristopher K. MathewsChair, Publications CommitteeHerbert TaborEditor, JBCRalph A. BradshawEditor, MCPEdward A. DennisEditor, JLR

ASBMB Todayis a monthly publication

of The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Editorial Advisory BoardIrwin FridovichRichard W. HansonBettie Sue MastersEvan J. SadlerRobert D. Wells

CommentsPlease direct any comments or questionsconcerning ASBMB Today to:

John D. ThompsonEditor, ASBMB Today9650 Rockville PikeBethesda, MD 20814-3996Phone: 301-634-7145; Fax: 301-634-7126E-mail: [email protected]

For information on advertising contact FASEB AdNet at 800-433-2732

ext. 7157 or 301-634-7157, or email [email protected].

T e l l U s W h a t

Y o u T h i n k

We appreciate receiving lettersthat are suitable for publicationfrom ASBMB members regardingissues of importance or comment-ing on articles appearing inASBMB Today. Letters should besent to the editor, John Thomp-son, at the address found at left.Letters must be signed and mustcontain the writer’s address andtelephone number. The editorreserves the right to edit all letters.

JANUARY 2005 ASBMBToday 3

tion and Professional DevelopmentCommittee and the Minority AffairsCommittee are working to serve the cur-rent and next generation of scientists byforming networks in undergraduate col-leges, making recommendations on cur-ricula and providing resources such asdigital libraries of structures and articlesin BAMBED, helping with career choicesfor graduate and postdoctoral trainees,and welcoming a diverse populationinto our society. The Public Affairs Advi-sory Committee is working to informpublic decision-makers and to commu-nicate the impact of governmental deci-sions on science to our members. Thisyear a group of enthusiastic undergradu-ate students helped us to communicateour message to staff of congressmen in a“Student Hill Day”. Our new Director ofPublications (Nancy Rodnan), Editors,Associate Editors, Editorial Boards mem-bers, and the Publication Committee areconstantly working to keep up the highquality of our journals and serveauthors, scientists and the public. Thereare many behind the scene activities,and we could not do without focusedcommittees (e.g., Nominating, Audit,Awards, Meetings/Program Committees)and individuals who represent us at vari-ous other organizations.

One of the issues that took centerstage in the last six months on thenational scene was that of accessibilityof scientific publications. You are awareof the issues surrounding the NIH pro-posed policy for enhanced public accessto NIH research information, and thecall for comments on the policy. Spaceconstraints do not allow me to summa-rize the issues here, but suffice it to saythat there was a wide range of strongfeelings about this proposed policy,from great support to total rejection –even among members of our Society.

The proposed pol-icy as written willnot affect our Soci-ety because author’sversions of ouraccepted manu-scripts are already available to the publicfree of charge upon acceptance. How-ever, there are matters of concern asarticulated by many not-for-profit soci-eties, including our own (see theASBMB comment on our web page).

ASBMB has been a leader in onlinepublications (since 1995), immediateaccess to our articles upon acceptance(since 1999), and free access to all ourpublications back to 1905 (since 2003).These are among the things we have tocelebrate!! This brings me to finalthoughts for this message. The 100thanniversary of the JBC and the ASBMBwill be celebrated in San Francisco inApril 2006. Mark your calendars, andplan to be with us! Several groups ofour members are working towardspulling together material on the His-tory of the Society, the JBC, instrumen-tation, and achievements ofindividuals in the discipline over thelast 100 years. There will be specialcompendium, exhibits, informal inter-actions, and entertainment as we cele-brate the progress of the past, theexcitement of present science, and thepotential for future discovery andadvances in the understanding of themolecular nature of life processes. Wewould love to see you in April 2005 inSan Diego at our annual meeting, aswell as in April 2006 in San Francisco.Be there! Celebrate with us at ourBirthday to launch the second centuryof biochemical and molecular biologyachievements.

Judith BondPresident, ASBMB

s we enter the year 2005, it istime to report to you aboutactivities of the Society and

the ‘state of the union’. During myfirst six months as President of ASBMB,I have made it a priority to meet ourstaff at the Beaumont House on theBethesda campus of FASEB, and toattend several of our Society Commit-tee Meetings to observe them at work.I have also participated in conferencesand meetings with organizations thatour Society interacts with such asFASEB, the American Chemical Societyand the Association of American Med-ical Colleges. It has been a busy time,eventful and rewarding. I can report toyou with confidence that our Societyof approximately 12,000 members and21 staff is indeed healthy! The staff andvolunteer members are committed toour mission of “promoting under-standing of the molecular nature of lifeprocesses”, and are proud to be associ-ated with a Society that has had a lead-ership role in online publications andpublic access to scientific journals, thatis reaching out to the next generationof scientists, and is about to celebrate acentury of achievements of its mem-bers and the discipline.

I am impressed with the spirit andenergy of the volunteers and staff wholead the society (See our web site –www.asbmb.org - for the names of indi-viduals on Council, Committees andstaff.) The Finance committee takesresponsibility for overseeing our $20million annual budget, and $25 millionreserves. This Committee needs to use acrystal ball to make recommendationsto the Council that will keep our Societysustainable in a time of changing eco-nomics and revenues (especially withchanges in print to online journals andsubscriptions for journals). The Educa-

From the Desk of the President:A

Dr. Judith Bond

N E W S F R O M T H E H I L L


year, given the parsimonious fundingthe agency has received.

Report Language onOpen Access

In September, NIH proposed a policyon “enhanced public access to NIH-funded research.” Congress weighed inon the proposal in language accompa-nying the NIH bill, stating: “NIH isdirected to give full and fair considera-tion to all comments before publishingits final policy. The conferees requestNIH to provide the estimated costs ofimplementing this policy each year inits annual Justification of Estimates tothe House and Senate AppropriationsCommittees. In addition, the confereesdirect NIH to continue to work withthe publishers of scientific journals tomaintain the integrity of the peerreview system.”

NSF Cut 2% While NIH received a disappointing

increase, at least there was some move-ment above zero. Unfortunately, NSFreceived an actual cut of about 2% inthe omnibus bill—over $100 millionbelow last year’s funding level.

The cuts at NSF are across-the-board—although Research and RelatedActivities, the core research program atNSF, was relatively unscathed, goingdown a mere $30 million to $4.22 bil-lion. Education and Human Resourceswas the big loser, suffering almost $100million in cuts to about $840 million.Also, the Math and Science Partnershipsprogram to fund cooperative researchand education efforts between universi-ties and high schools was zeroed out.

Rep. Vern Ehlers (R-MI), a seniormember of the House Science Com-mittee, released a statement saying hewas “concerned and astonished” at theoutcome of congressional deliberationson NSF. He said he voted in favor ofthe bill “under protest.”

Ehlers continued, “While I under-stand the need to make hard choicesin the face of fiscal constraint, I do notsee the wisdom in putting sciencefunding far behind other priorities. Wehave cut NSF despite the fact that thisomnibus bill increases spending for the2005 fiscal year, so clearly we couldfind room to grow basic research whilemaintaining fiscal constraint. But notonly are we not keeping pace withinflationary growth, we are actuallycutting the portion basic researchreceives in the overall budget.”

Where the Money WentCommenting on the slashing of the

NSF budget, Robert Pear pointed outin the New York Times on November30, “While cutting the budget of the[NSF], Congress found money for theRock and Roll Hall of Fame, theAlabama Sports Hall of Fame in Birm-ingham, the Country Music Hall ofFame in Nashville, bathhouses in HotSprings, Arkansas, and hundreds ofsimilar projects.”

David Stonner, head of congressionalrelations for NSF, told ASBMB Todaythat congressional staff have assuredhim that the cuts do not indicate con-gressional displeasure with NSF.“Rather, we’re a victim of budgetary cir-cumstances. They have to fund veter-

uring its lame duck sessionCongress passed an omnibusspending bill totaling over

$388 billion. The bill, approved over-whelmingly in both House and Senateon November 20, rolled into one pack-age the nine appropriations bills thatstill had not passed when Congressadjourned in early October. PresidentBush was expected to sign the bill.

The bill includes funding for NIH,NSF, and other science agencies. Theoverall amount of funding in the billfreezes total spending for domesticprograms compared to last year (intotal—some agencies got increaseswhile others were cut or remainedstatic). In addition, a 0.83% across-the-board cut is also mandated.

N IH ’s Bottom L ine : <2%Congress provided NIH with an

appropriation of $28.6 billion, $800million over FY 2004. Once the 0.83%across-the-board cut is factored in, thefinal figure is $28.4 billion, just $563million (about 2%) over FY 2004.However, numerous taps must be sub-tracted from that $28.4 billion, includ-ing a $100 million transfer of funds tohelp combat Global HIV/AIDS, and a0.24% tap for “program evaluation.”In sum, the actual amount of moneyavailable to NIH for research, educa-tion, training, and its many other pro-grams is far below the 4% increase theSenate called for last summer, and doesnot even keep up with the 3.5% pro-jected level of biomedical researchinflation this year. It is difficult to seehow NIH will be able to fund verymany (if any) new grants this coming

Appropriat ions RoundupD

by Peter Farnham , CAE , ASBMB Pub l i c A f fa i rs O f ficer

Continued bottom of next column


science stands at a pivotal, but uncer-tain threshold.” He described the cur-rent debate as between two groups:those who believe life begins with con-ception and that to use hESC is tanta-mount to destruction of human life,and those who believe “that it is less anethical risk to use these cells for theadvancement of medical science thanto sanction their ultimate demise in afreezer” in an IVF clinic. Brinkley noted,“If there is hope for effective leadershipin stem cell research, we must find away around this impasse, as we havedone previously in other controversialareas of science and medicine.”

Recent surveys indicate that much ofthe public has begun to appreciate thepotential of stem cell research for medi-cine As reported by Mary Woolley, Pres-ident of Research!America, reportedthat over 80% of the responders in arecent poll indicated that stem cellresearch should be allowed, and over60% supported therapeutic cloning.

Still, opposition to hESC continuesto be strong, and a major subject ofdiscussion was how to move to somesort of consensus. The idea was raisedof a meeting similar to the Asilomarconference in the early 1970s whichaddressed the possible dangers associ-ated with recombinant DNA research,then a new and very unknown field.

However, some prominent scientistsbelieve an Asilomar conference wouldnot be appropriate. They noted thatAsilomar dealt with scientific issues,while the debate involving hESCinvolves social and ethical issues thatdo not lend themselves to scientificstudy or consensus.

Nevertheless, Brinkley noted, “IfAmerica is to establish leadership in

this arena, we must strive to create amore effective dialog with those whooppose, and in some cases, misunder-stand the biology and medical impli-cations of this remarkable newtechnology. Proof of principle hasalready been shown in animal mod-els, and by those in other nationswhere stem cell research has little orno legal impediment, such as SouthKorea and Britain. The American sci-entific community, in partnershipwith dedicated disease advocates,bioethicists, physicians, patients, par-ents and policy makers, must jointogether to lead the discourse proac-tively. We must identify and cultivatechampions within both parties inboth state and Federal governmentswho will help us achieve a morefavorable policy climate.”

Brinkley called on scientists and aca-demicians to stop complaining andunderestimating the American publicand “to begin to do what we do best—educate and advocate.”

“The conference was a wonderfulgathering of world class leaders in sci-ence, ethics, media, and public pol-icy,” said Judy Haley, Vice President ofTexans for the Advancement of Med-ical Research (TAMR). “Stem cellresearch is complicated, so educationalsessions like this are keys to separatingmyths from facts. We hope the entirefield of stem cell research moves for-ward in Texas so resulting treatmentsand cures are available here in Texasfor those suffering from incurable dis-eases and conditions.”

Rice University planned to webcast theconference, which was to be available forpublic viewing in mid-December atwww.ruf.rice.edu/~neal/stemcell.

blue-ribbon gathering ofinternational scientists, advo-cates, patients, politicians,

and ethicists gathered in late Novem-ber at Rice University to consider thelatest science, and thinking on ethics,associated with human embryonicstem cell (hESC) research.

The conference brought togetherbusiness and community leaders, poli-cymakers, ethicists, science journalists,and scientists to explore new ways toengage the general public in a dialogueon such issues as: Should the UnitedStates be involved in hESC research?What are the medical, political, andeconomic consequences of lettingother nations take over the leadershiprole? How would the U.S. regulatehESC research if it were allowed?

The conference, Stem Cells: SavingLives or Crossing Lines, held at RiceUniversity’s Baker Institute for PublicPolicy was sponsored by the Universityof Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Cen-ter, University of Texas Health ScienceCenter at Houston, and Baylor Collegeof Medicine.

Baylor’s William Brinkley (Chairmanof ASBMB’s Public Affairs AdvisoryCommittee), commented that today,“Human embryonic stem cell researchand its remarkable potential for medical

Stem Cell Conference Focuses on Engaging Public

A

ans’ health, housing, and a host ofother critical programs in the VA/HUDbill in addition to us. But having saidthat, the hard cold reality is that we’refacing a budget cut this year and thesituation in Congress doesn’t look anybrighter next year. It’s going to forcethe science community at large to dosome hard, serious thinking about pri-orities we can afford.”

N E W S F R O M T H E H I L L

with PA andprevent thebinding com-plex fromforming.

The tworeceptors aresimilar in howthey mediateentry into thecells, but differ in important ways: TheCMG2 receptor is present in most tis-sues, whereas the TEM8 receptor ismostly found on the cells that formthe blood vessels of tumors and isupregulated during the creation of newblood vessels. This probably explainswhy anthrax toxin at sub-lethal doseshas strong anti-tumor activity.


N I H N E W S

team of researchers led by Dr.Robert C. Liddington* of TheBurnham Institute has deter-

mined the crystal structure of the bind-ing complex between anthrax toxinand one of its host receptors. Inhala-tion anthrax, unless diagnosed at avery early stage, is fatal: there is noexisting antidote once the toxin isblood borne. The study, published on-line in the July 4, 2004 issue of Nature,offers new leads for the discovery ofanthrax antitoxins that could be usedin conjunction with antibiotics to treatlate-stage anthrax. In a surprising twist,the new information will also help inthe design of anthrax toxin as an anti-tumor agent for treatment of cancer.

Anthrax toxin is comprised of threeproteins: protective antigen (PA), lethalfactor (LF), and edema factor (EF). Togain entry into host cells, PA must rec-ognize a receptor on the surface of thetarget cell. Once PA has bound to thecell, it then enables EF and LF to bindand form a pore through which PAforces EF and LF into the cell in asyringe-like action.

Dr. Liddington’s laboratory,together with Stephen Leppla at theNational Institute of Allergy andInfectious Diseases, studied the inter-action of PA with the two knownreceptors for anthrax: TEM8 andCMG2. PA binds tightly to bothreceptors and can use either to trans-fer toxicity into the cell. The scientistswere able to determine the crystalstructure of the PA-CMG2 bindingcomplex, making it possible to designsmall molecules that will interact

A3-D Structure of Anthrax Toxin Complex Solved

Dr. Robert C. Liddington

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Dr. Leppla is now developinganthrax toxin as an anti-tumor agent.Although the PA-TEM8 complex is yetto be solved, Liddington expects theinteractions to be similar to that of thePA-CMG2 complex. “We can exploitthe differences to design PA moleculesthat bind better to TEM8 than toCMG2,” says Liddington, “whichwould minimize the side effects oftoxin binding to normal tissues.”

Liddington was recently awarded a$15 M grant from the National Insti-tute of Allergy and Infectious Diseasesthat supports a multidisciplinary effortfocused on developing candidate anti-toxins for anthrax and other potentialagents of biological warfare.

*ASBMB member


HIV/AIDS and TB that are relevant totheir country’s needs.

“This program will play an impor-tant role in meeting the training needsin countries struggling to gain controlof the scourge of AIDS,” said SharonHrynkow, Ph.D., FIC Acting Director,speaking on behalf of all the programsponsors. “These first four sites willprovide critically needed training inthe design and conduct of AIDS andTB research to scale-up promisinginterventions as they are brought intohealth care systems.”

The four projects and awardees are:Dr. Zunyon Wu of the Chinese Cen-

ter for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) in Beijing, China, will collabo-rate with Dr. Roger Detels of the Uni-versity of California, Los Angeles, toimplement a research training pro-gram that addresses the HIV/AIDS epi-demic in China. The project will set upan independent HIV/AIDS trainingcenter at the Chinese CDC. The centerwill assist other academic and researchinstitutions in China in training healthprofessionals and researchers to fightthe HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Dr. Jean Pape of the Groupe Haitiend’Etude du Sarcome de Kaposi et desInfections Opportunistes (GHESKIO)will collaborate with Dr. Warren John-son of Cornell University to build uponHIV prevention and care services inHaiti. The project involves training acadre of research leaders while increas-ing research capacity of the National

HIV Care and Prevention Network.This network, made up of public andprivate health care organizations inHaiti, will provide a standardized pack-age of HIV care and prevention servicesto 300,000 people annually.

Dr. Andrei P. Kozlov of The Biomed-ical Center in St. Petersburg, Russia will

work with Dr. Robert Heimer of YaleUniversity. The team will develop acenter of excellence, called the TB-AIDSClinical Training and Research Unit, inSt. Petersburg, Russia. This center willhelp train a new generation of medicalscientists to respond to the emergingepidemics of TB and AIDS in Russia.

Dr. Peter Mugyenyi of the Joint Clin-ical Research Centre in Kampala,Uganda will work with Dr. ChristopherWhalen of Case Western Reserve Uni-versity. The project will broadennational capacity to meet the publichealth and scientific challenges of theevolving HIV and TB epidemic inUganda. Infrastructure will be devel-oped in Uganda to translate basic andclinical research findings into publichealth policy and interventions and toevaluate their effectiveness.

he Fogarty International Cen-ter (FIC), part of NIH, hasannounced the funding of

institutions in China, Haiti, Russia andUganda, along with partner institu-tions in the U.S., in the first four com-prehensive awards of the InternationalClinical, Operational, and Health Ser-vices Research Training Award Programfor AIDS and Tuberculosis (ICOHRTA-AIDS/TB).

FIC, with co-sponsorship from nineNIH institutes and centers, the UnitedStates Agency for International Devel-opment (USAID) and the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention(CDC), will commit approximately$12 million over the first five years ofthe program.

“AIDS is a priority for all of NIH andthe Department of Health and HumanServices. Fogarty’s success in forginginternational collaborations betweenforeign and U.S. institutions to helptrain researchers in developing coun-tries is a key part of our fight againstthis terrible disease,” noted Elias A. Zer-houni, M.D., NIH Director.

This innovative program supportscollaborative and multidisciplinaryresearch training in developing coun-tries where AIDS and tuberculosis aretaking an enormous toll on individu-als, families and communities. It pro-vides opportunities for healthprofessionals to train at the masters,Ph.D., and post-doctoral levels whileworking on research projects related to

Fogarty Internat ional Center Announces ResearchTraining Grants to Tackle A I DS and Tuberculosis

T

N I H N E W S

“This p rogram wi l l p lay

a n i m p o r t a n t ro l e … i n

c o u n t r i e s s t r u g g l i n g t o

g a i n c o n t ro l o f t h e

s c o u r g e o f A I D S ”—Sharon Hr ynkow, Ph .D .


called Signal Transducer and Activator ofTranscription 3, or Stat3, which in turnactivates expression of the anti-inflam-matory cytokine IL-10. The scientists alsofound that IRAK1 can translocate intothe nucleus and regulate the nucleartranscription of proteins. “Our findingsets IRAK1 apart from other IRAKs andelucidates a novel pathway in innateimmunity regulation,” says Dr. Li.

Because atherosclerosis patients usu-ally have elevated serum IL-10 levels,the scientists also looked at IRAK1 lev-els in blood from atherosclerosispatients. They found that IRAK1 ismodified and localized to the nucleusin these patients, indicating a possiblelink between IRAK1 regulation and thepathogenesis of atherosclerosis.

“Inflammation and infection havebeen increasingly shown to play a sig-nificant role in the pathogenesisand/or resolution of atherosclerosis,”explains Dr. Li. “Anti- inflammatorycytokines such as IL-10 may serve as aself protective mechanism to preventexcessive inflammation and contributeto plaque stability. Indeed, patients

with higher IL-10 serum levels have abetter chance of recovery. Therefore,elevated IRAK1 modification and IL-10levels observed in atherosclerosispatients may be a compensatory andself-protective mechanism.”

Manipulating innate immunity mayeventually be a therapeutic strategy fortreating atherosclerosis. “Our study, aswell as others, indicates that innateimmunity alteration plays a criticalrole in either the pathogenesis or reso-lution of atherosclerosis. IRAK1 mayprovide a viable target for developingtherapeutic interventions for athero-sclerosis. Compounds or strategiesdirected at preventing or enhancingIRAK1 modification and nuclear entrymay hold great promise in treatingatherosclerosis,” concludes Dr. Li.

Besides atherosclerosis, alterations ininnate immunity can cause diabetes,cancer, and numerous other inflamma-tory disorders. Further understandingof the innate immunity process maylead to development of therapies forthese diseases as well.

*ASBMB Member

cientists are one step closer todeciphering the molecular sig-naling process controlling

innate immunity with the discoverythat a molecule called IRAK1 regulatesthe expression of the anti-inflammatorycytokine IL-10. Because atherosclerosispatients often have elevated IL-10 levels,IRAK1 may be a viable target for devel-oping therapeutics for atherosclerosis.

The research appears as the “Paper ofthe Week” in the December 3 issue ofThe Journal of Biological Chemistry, anAmerican Society for Biochemistry andMolecular Biology journal.

Innate immunity is the body’s firstresponse to infection, and it plays amajor role in regulating infection,inflammation, cell growth, and apopto-sis. During an innate immune reaction,macrophages, dendritic cells, andepithelial cells use a set of transmem-brane receptors called Toll-like receptors(TLRs) to initiate signaling cascades.

“TLRs can sense diverse environ-mental cues and send signals down-stream to a family of interleukin-1receptor associated kinases (IRAKs).These IRAKs then activate and/or regu-late specific cytokine gene expression,”explains Dr. Liwu Li* of the Wake For-est University School of Medicine.

However, the specificity of the TLR sig-naling process is not clearly understood.“In the past,” says Dr. Li, “it was thoughtthat all IRAKs may play a somewhatredundant role in regulating the nucleartranscription factor κ and the expressionof pro-inflammatory cytokines such asIL-1beta and TNFalpha.” However, micethat lack IRAK1 can still activate κ, sug-gesting that IRAK1 may be involved inother activities.

Dr. Li and his colleagues discoveredthat IRAK1 actually activates a molecule

S

New Findings in Innate ImmunityN ico le Kresge , S taf f Sc ience Wr i ter

ASBMB ANNUAL MEETING 2005Call for Late-Breaking Abstracts

Deadline for Submission: Wednesday, February 9, 2005

Abstracts must be submitted electronically with payment of $90 and received on or before Wednesday, February 9, 2005.

Late-breaking abstracts will be accepted for special poster sessions to be scheduled on Tuesday, April 5, 2005.

Save Money! Register online by February 4 and make your housing reservations by February 21, 2005.

The Journal of Biological Chemistry(JBC) announces two special series in honor of its Centennial.

Hear the personal experiences of prominentscientists and Nobel laureates in theReflections series. Learn about Christian deDuve’s love affair with insulin and Paul Berg’sfavorite experiments or find out why DonaldD. Brown pays homage to the Xenopus laevis oocyte and egg.

See some of the seminal articles published in JBC over the past 100 years in the Classicsseries. Read about Esmond E. Snell’s discoveryof avidin or how James B. Sumner proved thatenzymes are proteins.

These features can be found on the JBCwebsite (www.jbc.org) under the Reflectionsand Classic Articles headings as well as in thejournal itself.

All of this culminates in the JBC Centennial Celebration at the ASBMB Annual Meeting in San Francisco, April 1-5, 2006.

Celebrating the past &looking to the future


and has since become a widely cited“must read” for those concerned withchromatin structure/function. In thisreview, they proposed that histoneproteins, which package DNA intonucleosome structures, are subject to avariety of distinct biochemical modifi-cations that form an important epige-netic language, with subtle variationsin modification producing importantdifferences in gene expression, DNAreplication, etc. They further proposedthat these modifications might regu-late the activity of chromatin by alter-ing the structure of the chromatinpolymer itself and/or by recruiting pro-teins that uniquely recognize their sin-gle or combinatorial modifications.

As a postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Strahlcollaborated with a mass spectrometryexpert to provide conclusive evidencefor arginine methylation in histoneproteins, a previously controversialevent, and showed that this particularmodification is conserved from yeastto mammals, further emphasizing itssignificance. He also provided evidencelinking methylation of a specific argi-nine residue to regulation of gene tran-scription by showing that a nucleartranscription coactivator is the major,if not sole, mediator of this histonemethylation reaction in human cells.These studies helped provide criticalevidence for the importance of histonemethylation in the regulation of genetranscription. In less than three years,Dr. Brian authored or coauthored tenhigh-impact research articles from theAllis lab, all published in top-tier jour-nals such as Science, Nature, PNAS, andCurrent Biology.

Since comingto UNC, notedDr. Allis, Dr.Strahl has con-tinued his cut-ting-edge invest-igations of thehis tone codehypothesis usingyeast as a model system in order tocombine biochemical and geneticapproaches. His current efforts areaimed at identifying cooperating pro-teins, pursuing roles for novel histonemethyltransferases, and definingmechanisms by which histone methy-lation events regulate gene transcrip-tion. He is also examining the role ofother histone modifications such asphosphorylation and ubiquitination.These studies promise importantmechanistic insights into human biol-ogy and disease, since the proteinmachinery responsible for histonemodifications is well conserved andmethyltransferases have been stronglyimplicated in human diseases, includ-ing cancer.

Dr. Strahl started his own independ-ent lab at UNC Chapel Hill not longago, and shortly thereafter on his firsttry landed an NIH grant to cover hisSet2/Lys36 H3 methylation work on hisfirst try. Then, barely six months aftersetting up his group published a land-mark paper on their work; an often-cited paper in Genes and Development.“Brian and I joked that his first paperpublished with me was published sixmonths to the day after set foot in mylab,” Dr. Allis recalled. “Now he hasdone it again in his own lab!”

he ASBMB-Schering-PloughResearch Institute Award willbe presented to Dr. Brian

Strahl at the ASBMB Annual Meeting,April 2-6 in San Diego. The Award rec-ognizes outstanding research contribu-tions to biochemistry and molecularbiology. The recipient must have nomore than ten years post-doctoralexperience, and the nominees andnominators need not be ASBMB mem-bers. The Award consists of a plaque,stipend, and transportation andexpenses to present a lecture at theAnnual Meeting. Additional expenseswill be awarded for travel to attend ameeting of the recipient’s choice.Recent recipients of this Award werePehr A. B. Harbury in 2004, CatherineDrennan in 2003, John D. York in2002, Stephen P. Bell in 2001, andXiadong Wang, in 2000.

Strahl, who is currently AssistantProfessor, Department of Biochemistryand Biophysics, University of NorthCarolina School of Medicine, com-pleted his doctoral studies in molecularendocrinology at North Carolina StateUniversity in 1998, and subsequentlymoved to the laboratory of Dr. DavidAllis at the University of Virginia. Dr.Allis is an internationally recognizedexpert on dynamic chromatin struc-ture and its relationship to gene tran-scription and other fundamental DNAprocesses, and in a relatively shorttime, Dr. Strahl emerged as a youngleader in this area, which is currently asubject of intense investigation. WithDr. Allis, he co-wrote, “The Languageof Covalent Histone Modifications,”which was published in Nature in 2000

T

Dr. Brian Strahl

Brian Strahl to Receive AS BM B-Schering-Plough Award

M e e t i n g O r g a n i z e r sDennis R. Voelker, National Jewish Medical Research Center

Cecile Rochette-Egly, IGBMC, Strasbourg

and the 2005 ASBMB Program Planning Committee

2 0 0 5 A S B M B A n n u a l M e e t i n gH e l d i n c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h E B 2 0 0 5

M e e t i n g T h e m e sDynamics of Protein—Protein Interactions (Bumping in the Night)Chair: Ben Margolis, HHMI, Univ. of Michigan

DNA Replication and Interactive Repair and Recombinational ProcessesChair: Charles S. McHenry, Univ. of Colorado Health SciencesCenter

Coordinate Regulation of TranscriptionChair: Cecile Rochette-Egly, IGBMC, Strasbourg

Interactions and Functions ofGlycoconjugatesChair: Mark A. Lehrman, Univ. of Texas SouthwesternMedical Center

Integration and Organization of SignalingPathwaysChair: Alex Toker, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Minority Affairs Committee SymposiaChair: Phillip A. Ortiz, Empire State College

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of LipidsChair: Charles O. Rock, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Organelle Biogenesis and DynamicsCo-Chairs: Carla Koehler, UCLA and Danny Schnell, Univ. ofMassachusetts, Amherst

Proteolysis and DiseaseChair: Charles Craik, Univ. of California, San Francisco

Catalysis: Structure, Function, and EvolutionChair: John A. Gerlt, Univ. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Metabolic Regulatory CircuitsChair: M. Daniel Lane, Johns Hopkins Univ. School of Medicine

Genomes and ProteomesChair: Andrew J. Link, Vanderbilt Univ.

Education in the Biomolecular Sciences: The Next GenerationCo-Chairs: Judith G. Voet, Swarthmore College and Marion O’Leary,California State Univ. at Sacramento

w w w . a s b m b . o r g / m e e t i n g s

April 2-6, 2005San Diego, CA

Amer ican Society fo rB iochemistr y and Molecular B Io logy


merases. He will discuss a novel kineticpartitioning mechanism used toassemble the replicase. Dr. LindaBloom (Univ. Florida) will describemechanistic studies directed towardunderstanding the temporal correla-tion of clamp loader-clamp binding,DNA binding, ATP hydrolysis andclamp release. Dr. Peter Burgers (Wash-ington Univ.) will present researchfocusing on the use of two poly-merases to deal with the strand asym-metry issue in eukaryotes. Thesestudies have led to the discovery of anidling-extension mechanism used bythe lagging strand delta polymerase tofacilitate Okazaki fragment maturationtogether with the FEN1 nuclease.

Rep l icat ion ForkDynamicsChair: Robert Bambara, University ofRochester Medical Center

This session will build on the firstsession to describe additional processesinvolved in replication fork transac-tions. Dr. Steve Benkovic (Penn StateUniv.) will discuss the mechanism ofpolymerase assembly on primers, withan emphasis on the importance of sup-pressing polymerase activity until thereplisome is assembled. He will alsopresent research directed towardunderstanding timing and regulationissues required for coupled synthesisby continuous leading and discontinu-ous lagging strand polymerases. Dr.Xiaojiang Chen (Univ. Southern Cali-fornia) will discuss models for helicaseaction, based on X-ray crystal struc-tures of MCM complexes and the SV40

T antigen. Dr.Bambara willdescribe researchin which FEN1,involved inOkazaki frag-ment processing,serves a secondrole in repairwhen damage isencountered at the fork. In contrast toits normal replicative role, this repairprocess is stimulated by an alternative‘911’ clamp that is activated inresponse to DNA damage.

I n i t iat ion andRestart of DNARep l icat ionChair: Mike Cox, University of Wisconsin

The RecA protein plays a critical rolein recombinational DNA repair. Dr.Cox will present research on regulationof the RecA recombinase activity by ahost of important regulatory proteins:RecFOR, RecX, DinI and RdgC. Dr.Justin Courcelle (Mississippi StateUniv.) will present research on the roleof RecJ protein in partially degradingdamage-stalled replication forks, allow-ing repair enzymes to gain access tothe blocking lesion. Dr. Johannes Wal-ter (Harvard Medical School) will pres-ent recent research that has revealedan ongoing role of two proteinsrequired for origin assembly, Cdc45and MCM7, in vertebrate replicationfork progression. The role of the MCMcomplex in extensive unwinding of

he process of chromosomalreplication is characterized byan elaborately orchestrated

process driven by the sequential inter-actions of numerous components ofprotein machines. Replication istightly regulated, at the level of the ini-tiation at chromosomal origins, andalso by checkpoints, enabling a varietyof repair processes before replication isreinitiated. The symposium will beginwith presentations of innovativeresearch directed toward understand-ing normal replication processes. Thefocus will shift in the last two sessionsto repair and recombinational reac-tions that are required to repair dam-age-arrested replication forks andbroken chromosomes. The symposiumwill be of interest both to the DNAreplication community, and to thoseinterested in the broad (interdiscipli-nary) topics of cell cycle regulation,multi-protein assembly mechanisms,and protein machines. Each sessionwill be expanded by selection of threeadditional speakers from submittedabstracts. There will also be excitinginteractive poster sessions devoted tothe topics of this symposium theme.

DNA Rep l icasesChair: Charles McHenry

Cellular replicases comprise a slidingclamp processivity factor, a multisub-unit clamp loader ATPase and areplicative polymerase. Dr. McHenrywill describe evidence for a bacterialreplicase being a functionally asym-metric dimer with distinguishableleading and lagging strand poly-

T

DNA Replicat ion, Interact ive Repair, andRecombinat ional ProcessesOrgan izer : Char les McHenry, Professor of B iochem istry & Mo lecu lar Genet ics , Un ivers i ty of

Co lorado Hea l th Sc iences Center, Denver, CO

Dr. Charles McHenry

Continued on page 15


Protein Microarrays: From Func-tional Proteomics to Protein ProfilingGavin MacBeath, Harvard University

Towards Comprehensive Proteomicsof Complexes, Organelles, and CellsJohn Yates, The Scripps Research Institute

Dec ipher ing Genomesand Proteomes Chair, Eric Green, NIH

Interpreting genomics and proteomicsinformation is a major challenge. Thissession looks at efforts to decipher andunderstand genomic and proteomicinformation. Dr. Mike Cherry will discussthe global efforts to annotate genomes.Dr. Gilbert Omenn will report on theworld-wide effort to comprehensivelyidentify the components in humanplasma. Dr. Eric Green will discuss usingcomparative sequencing to identify func-tional elements in genomic sequences.

Annotating GenomesMike Cherry, Stanford University

The Human Plasma Proteome:Results From the HUPO Plasma Pro-teome ProjectGilbert S. Omenn, Univ. of Michigan

Decoding the Human Genome byComparative Sequencing, Eric Green, NIH

Gene and Prote inNetworks Chair, Andrew Link, Vanderbilt Univ.

Biology is driven by the complex net-work of interactions at the genomic andproteomic level. This session discussesapproaches to identify and map geneand protein interactions that controlmost biological processes. Dr. Trey Idekerwill discuss efforts to model and visualizecomplex biological networks. Dr.Andrew Link will report on applying pro-teomics screens to identify novel compo-

nents in post-transcriptionalregulation. Dr.Rich Young willdiscuss efforts to map transcriptional net-works regulating biological processes.

Network Alignment and OtherApproaches for Cross-Species Comparisonof Protein Networks, Trey Ideker, UCSD

Proteomic Screens for ConstructingTranslational Control NetworksAndrew Link, Vanderbilt University

Transcriptional Regulation ofEukaryotic GenomesRichard A. Young, The Whitehead Inst.

Genes , Prote ins andMed ic ine Chair, Denis F. Hochstrasser, HopitauxUniversitaires de Geneve

Genomics and proteomics are havinga profound influence on the practice ofmedicine. This session highlights howthe practice of medicine, predicting dis-eases, and medical diagnosis are chang-ing using genomic and proteomicapproaches. Dr. Mark Boguski will dis-cuss the application of genomics toadvance our knowledge in neurobiol-ogy. Dr. David Cox will report on identi-fying single nucleotide polymorphismsrelated to human diseases. Dr. DenisHochstrasser will discuss the use of pro-teomics in medical applications.

Neurogenomics: At the Intersectionof Neurobiology and Genome SciencesMark Boguski, Fred Hutchinson CancerResearch Center

Human Genetic Variation and Com-plex Human DiseaseDavid Cox, Perlegen Sciences

Clinical Proteomic and MS ImagingDenis F. Hochstrasser, Hopitaux Uni-versitaires de Geneve

he success of the humangenome project has generateda plethora of biological infor-

mation and new approaches to dissectthe biology of individual cells and wholeorganisms. In the past 10 years, pro-teomics or large-scale analysis of proteinshas influenced nearly ever field in biol-ogy. Advances in technologies continueto drive these highly dynamic fields.Genomic and proteomics approaches areunderway to map the network of biolog-ical interactions that regulate biologicalprocesses. Deciphering genomes andproteomes and understanding how vari-ation influences traits or predisposesindividuals to disease is an ongoingendeavor. This symposium will highlightnew technologies and showcase exam-ples of how genomes and proteomes arebeing analyzed and used for basic sci-ences and medical applications.

BreakthroughTechno log iesChair, John Yates, The Scripps ResearchInstitute

This session will highlight excitingnew genomic and proteomic technolo-gies that are likely to profoundlychange how biological problems areaddressed. Dr. Rob Mitra will discussusing polony technology or PCRcolonies for high speed sequencing ofDNA. Dr. Gavin Macbeth will report onthe development of protein microar-rays for interrogating interactions. Dr.John Yates will report on comprehen-sive approaches to profile complex pro-tein samples to simultaneously identifyproteins and modifications.

Single Molecule Amplification andSequencing of Nucleic AcidsRob Mitra, Washington University, St. Louis

Genomes and ProteomesBy Organ izer : Andrew J . L ink , Department of M icrob io logy and Immuno logy,

Vanderb i l t Un ivers i ty Schoo l of Med ic ine , Nashv i l l e , TN

TDr. Andrew J. Link


particularly apt for the four themes ofthe annual meeting, molecules, cells,health and disease.

Prote in Target ing andTrans locat ion I and I I

In recent years, the basic view of pro-tein targeting and translocation sys-tems has expanded tremendously.These two sessions will focus on themechanisms by which proteins are tar-geted to specific organelles and subse-quently sorted to their proper

organellar sub-compartment.Not only do thesesystems transportproteins acrossmembranes, theyalso decode thesignals that arenecessary to trig-ger the integra-

tion of membrane proteins into lipidbilayers. It now is apparent thattranslocation systems are complexmolecular machines composed offunctional units that interact in dis-tinct combinations to mediate proteintargeting to specific compartments.This flexibility allows the systems tomanage the sorting of membrane vs.soluble proteins, to mediate targetingto different suborganellar compart-ments, and to respond to stress anddevelopmental cues. These two ses-sions will include examples of theseprocesses from a variety of organellesusing bacterial, fungal, plant andmammalian model systems.

Session I will focus on the assemblyand function of the targeting andtranslocation components that medi-ate protein import from the cytoplasm

into mitochondria (Carla Koehler),chloroplasts (Danny Schnell) and per-oxisomes (Suresh Subramani). SessionII focuses on the complex mechanismsby which integral membrane proteinsare recognized by protein translocationsystems and threaded into lipid bilay-ers (Art Johnson and Arnold Driessen).The session also will include a presen-tation on intracellular signaling thatuses a signaling between the endoplas-mic reticulum and nucleus as a modelto understand how organelles commu-nicate with the nucleus to tailor geneexpression to the demands of organellebiogenesis or stress (Peter Walter).

Prote in Assembly,Maturat ion andQua l i ty Contro l

This session will focus on the closeconnection between the transport andmodification of proteins in two of thebest-studied systems, the endoplasmicreticulum (ER) and mitochondria.Examples from the ER by Dan Hebertand Randy Hampton will focus on themechanisms by which the transloca-tion, modification (e.g. glycosylation)and folding of proteins are integrated.Furthermore, they will highlight exam-ples of how the ER deals with proteinsthat misfold by ejecting from themfrom the organelle through a reversal ofthe translocaton process and feeding theproteins to the cytoplasmic proteasome.Finally, Thomas Langer will provideinsights into the role of membrane-asso-ciated proteases in regulating membraneand organelle biogenesis in mitochon-dria. This session is of direct relevance tothe study of human disease as eachspeaker draws on specific systems thatare models for known human diseases.

ukaryotic cells are subdivi-ded into membrane-boundorganelles that separate and

organize vast arrays of metabolic andsignaling processes, providing the frame-work for cellular growth and differentia-tion. The molecular mechanismsunderlying organelle biogenesis andmaintenance have long been areas ofintense interest among biochemists andcell biologists. A major portion of thissymposium will be devoted to the latestresults from studies of the many intra-cellular traffickingpathways that tar-get the enzymes,membrane trans-porters and struc-tural proteins totheir site of func-tion within theproper organelle.In addition, wewill examine the mechanisms thatorganelles utilize to recognize and dis-pose of damaged or misfolded proteinsin order to maintain the quality controlof their protein constituents. The secondmajor theme focuses on the dynamicchanges of organelles in response to cel-lular changes that accompany growth,development and stress responses. Thesestudies will not only highlight theunderlying mechanisms by whichorganelles undergo morphological andfunctional change, but they also includeinvestigations of the signaling networksoperating between organelles that arenecessary for a coordinated cellularresponse. Disruptions in many of thefundamental mechanisms of organellebiogenesis and dynamics that will bediscussed during the symposium lead tospecific diseases, making the sessions

E

Organelle Biogenesis and DynamicsOrgan izers : Car la Koeh ler, Un ivers i ty of Ca l i forn ia at Los Ange les ,

and Danny Schne l l , Un ivers i ty of Massachusetts , Amherst

Dr. Carla Koehler Dr. Danny Schnell


Organe l le DynamicsThe final session of the symposium will focus on the bur-

geoning field of organelle dynamics. These studies representseveral outstanding examples of how organelle assembly,division and fusion occur and are regulated in response tocues from cellular growth and development. In contrast tothe static views of organelles presented on our textbooks,these speakers will illustrate the dynamic nature oforganelles. The presentations include the studies of the elab-orate networks of fusing and dividing mitochondria in yeast(Jodi Nunnari), the process by which chloroplasts undergodivision to increase plant photosynthetic capacity andensure organelle inheritance (Kathy Osteryoung), and theregulation and assembly of the nuclear pore complexes thatregulate transport and communication across the nuclearenvelope (Susan Wente). This session is underscored by thefact that these investigators have been instrumental in trans-forming their fields by making key contributions to under-standing the underlying molecular mechanisms that drivethese complex processes.

DNA, generating a signal for checkpoint activation, whenthe delta replicase is blocked, will be discussed.

Rep l icat ion-Recombinat ion-Repa ir Interact ive SystemsChair: Myron Goodman, Univ. Southern California

Dr. Goodman will discuss research on the role of E. coliDNA polymerase V in translesion synthesis in a process thatrequires monomeric RecA, distinguishing its function fromthat as a filament in other RecA-dependent reactions. Dr.Steve Kowalczykowski (Univ. California, Davis) will discusshis research focused on the biochemistry of recombinationalDNA repair. Dr. Jim Haber (Brandeis Univ.) will discuss therepair of double-strand breaks in eukaryotes, using yeast as amodel system. He will focus on gene conversion, a processin which a patch of new DNA is created by copying a donortemplate to repair the break. He will also discuss the specialcircumstances, such as repair of an eroding telomere, whereonly one end of DNA is homologous to the template.

Visiting Scientist Responsibilities• Visit minority institutions for periods of one or more

days to present lectures and seminars of general and

practical interests.

• Provide advice on research, curriculum, and graduate

opportunities.

• Discuss career trends and opportunities in the

biomedical/behavioral sciences.

• Assist in the preparation and development of grant

proposals.

Peer Mentor Responsibilities• Attend selected scientific meetings to mentor and

serve as a guide for undergraduate students attending

the meetings. Activities to include but not limited to:

giving advice, visiting poster and oral presentations,

guided tours through the exhibit halls that will help

enhance the experience of the attending student.

• Give presentations on topics such as:

° Graduate school and/or postdoctoral

experiences.

° Selecting the correct mentors and advisors.

° Staying motivated and committed to pursuing a

career in life sciences.

• Network with students to foster collaborative

communications.

Visits may be initiated by the Visiting Scientist, Peer Mentor or

Host Institution. Follow-up visits by the scientists and peer

mentors are encouraged. Visiting Scientist/Peer Mentor travel

expenses and funds for necessary supplies, slides, reproduction,

etc. are provided by the FASEB MARC Program.

The visiting scientist or peer mentor must be an active member

of one of FASEB’s Constituent Societies.

Visit: http://www.faseb.org/faseb/societies.html

(For Society List)

Visit: http://ns2.faseb.org/vsp/vsmain.asp

(For Complete Roster of Members)

Visit: http://ns2.faseb.org/vsp/vspapp.asp

(For an on-line application)

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT…

Cheryl Wright, Program Coordinator

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 301-634-7109

FASEB MARC Visiting Scientist

and

Peer Mentor Referral

Network Program

Continued from page 12

DNA Replicat ion cont inued …


played in thebacterium’s over-all pathogenicity.

To develop a“humanized”m o u s e t h a twould be vulner-able to bacterialstreptokinase, Dr.Sun attached thegene for human plasminogen to a reg-ulatory DNA sequence that normallyactivates the gene for albumin. Becausealbumin is produced in large amounts,the transgenic mice made significantamounts of human plasminogen.

To show that the human plasmino-gen was functional in the mice, Suncrossed the transgenic mice with a strainof plasminogen null mice. This crossessentially restored plasminogen func-tion in the resulting mice. In test-tubeexperiments, Sun demonstrated thathuman plasminogen from the trans-genic mice was able to dissolve bloodclots when activated by streptokinase.

“The critical experiment, though,was when Hongmin infected the skin

of these transgenic mice with thegroup A streptococcus bacteria,”noted Dr. Ginsburg. “She found thatthe bacteria were much, much moretoxic to these mice than the normalmice. This fit with the idea that strep-tokinase was an important compo-nent of the pathogenicity of strep.”

In further experiments, the researchersfound that when they removed thestreptokinase gene from group A strepto-cocci bacteria, there was little differencein their infectivity between normal andthe transgenic mice.

These studies have led Dr. Ginsburgand his colleagues to theorize thatstreptokinase “hijacks” the humanclot-forming system for the bacteria’sown infective ends. “The theory is thatthe bacteria cause a local infection andbegin to grow. Many of the bacterialproducts, as well as our immune cells,trigger the human clotting system,which evolved in part as a defenseagainst such infection,” explained Dr.Ginsburg. “This system produces clotsin the blood vessels around the infec-tion, closing the highways that the

treptococcal bacteria mayinfect humans by using a bac-terial enzyme to “hijack” the

blood-clotting system, according tonew research by Howard Hughes Med-ical Institute scientists.

In studies published in the August27, 2004, issue of the journal Science,the researchers established that theenzyme streptokinase is responsible forthe bacteria’s ability to infect humanswhile exhibiting little activity againstother mammals.

The scientists genetically alteredstrains of mice to make the animals sus-ceptible to infection by streptococcus.They say their strategy outlines a newpath for developing animal models forhuman-specific microbes. The researchis also likely to open the way to newunderstanding of the factors that enablebacteria to evolve host specificity.

Howard Hughes Medical Instituteinvestigator David Ginsburg* led theresearch team, which included leadauthor Hongmin Sun and colleagues atthe University of Michigan and LundUniversity in Sweden.

Dr. Ginsburg said that HongminSun’s achievement of constructing atransgenic mouse susceptible to strepto-coccus infection represents a major stepnot only in understanding infection bythat bacterium, but in opening the wayto similar studies of other bacteria.

In infecting its human host, thegroup A streptococcus secretes its ownstreptokinase, which activates thehuman enzyme plasminogen. In turn,plasminogen dissolves blood clots bydegrading the protein, fibrin. A majorquestion was what role streptokinase

SStreptococcus Infects Humans

AS BM B Members Elected to Inst i tute of MedicineFour ASBMB members were among

65 New Members and 5 Foreign Asso-ciates recently elected to theInstituteof Medicine. The ASBMB memberselected were:

Robert J. Desnick, Professor andChair, Department of Human Genet-ics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine,New York City.

Rowena G. Matthews, RobertGreenberg Distinguished Professor of

Biological Chemistry, University ofMichigan, Ann Arbor.

Charles J. Sherr, Investigator,Howard Hughes Medical Institute; andmember, Department of Genetics andTumor Cell Biology, St. Jude Children’sResearch Hospital, Memphis.

Arthur Weiss, Investigator, HowardHughes Medical Institute, and Professorand Chief, Division of Rheumatology,University of California, San Francisco.

Dr. David Ginsburg


worked, yet was resistant to a bacterialstreptokinase, it would give us anadvantage,” said Dr. Ginsburg. “Butthen the bacteria could mutate theirstreptokinase to keep up. So, you cansee how one bacterial species and onehost get locked in this evolutionarydance and would evolve apart fromother host-bacterial pairs—ending upwith a multitude of variants of strepto-cocci, one for each host.”

Such findings also hint that subtlevariations in plasminogen genesamong humans could partially

explain differences in susceptibilityto certain infection in different peo-ple. Thus, Dr. Ginsburg’s laboratoryis currently exploring the geneticvariations in the blood-clotting sys-tem that might affect risk factors forinfection. “Although this is specula-tion at this point, it might ultimatelybe possible to tailor treatment ofinfections to the pattern of geneticvariability in clotting genes or otherpathogenicity factors,” concluded Dr.Ginsburg.

*ASBMB Member

bacteria would use to spread. However,the bacterial streptokinase bypassesthis system causing the blood clot todissolve so the bacteria can spread.”

Sure enough, when the researchersbypassed the clotting defense by inject-ing the streptococcus directly into thebloodstream of both normal and trans-genic mice, both showed similar sus-ceptibility to infection.

The scientists’ findings highlight theevolutionary arms race between bacte-ria and humans. “Clearly, if we couldmutate our plasminogen so it still

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Although amyloid precursor proteinis found in many cells, its normal bio-logical function is not well understood.“It has been suggested that amyloidprecursor protein may function as areceptor or growth factor precursor,”notes Dr. Xuemin Xu of The Univer-sity of Tennessee. “Recent studies alsosuggest that the intracellular C-termi-nal domain of the amyloid precursorprotein may function as a transcrip-tion factor.”

While the exact pathogenic role ofamyloid β-peptide in Alzheimer’s dis-ease has not yet been definitely estab-lished, accumulating evidencesupports the hypothesis that amyloidβ-peptide production and depositionin the brain could be a causative eventin Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Xu explainsthat the literature indicates amyloid β-peptide itself could be toxic tosynapses and the accumulation ofamyloid β-peptide could initiate aseries of events contributing to celldeath, including activation of celldeath programs, oxidation of lipidsand disruption of cell membranes, aninflammatory response, and possibly

neurofibrillary tangle formation,which is a close correlate of neuronloss. Therefore, the problem of produc-tion, accumulation, and clearance ofamyloid β-peptide in the brainemerges as one of the possible rationalapproaches for the treatment ofAlzheimer’s disease.

Generally, amyloid β-peptides arearound 39-43 amino acid long. Studieshave shown that the longer amyloid β-peptides are more amyloidogenic andmore pathogenic than the shorterones. Now, Dr. Xu and his colleagueshave discovered a new species of amy-loid β-peptide that is 46 amino acids

cientists have identified anew, longer species of amy-loid β-peptide that has the

potential to be a new target for thetreatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

The research appears as the “Paper ofthe Week” in the December 3 issue ofThe Journal of Biological Chemistry, anAmerican Society for Biochemistry andMolecular Biology journal.

One of the characteristic features ofAlzheimer’s disease is the deposition ofamyloid β-peptides in the brain. Theseamyloid β-peptides are derived from alarge amyloid precursor proteinthrough a series of cleavage events.Under normal conditions, cleavagefirst by α-secretase and then by γ-secre-tase results in a soluble ectodomain, ashort peptide called p3, and an intra-cellular C-terminal domain, none ofwhich are amyloidogenic. Alterna-tively, amyloid precursor protein canbe processed by the enzymes β-secre-tase and γ-secretase to produce a solu-ble ectodomain along with thefull-length amyloidogenic amyloid β-peptide and the intracellular C-termi-nal domain.

S

A New Species of Amyloid Pept ideN ico le Kresge , S taf f Sc ience Wr i ter

William Merrick, Professor, Depart-ment of Biochemistry, Case WesternReserve University, was recentlyelected to a three-year term on theCouncil of Academic Societies Admin-istrative Board. The AD Board serves asthe Board of Directors/Council and isan important part of the governanceprocess. Dr. Merrick has been veryactive in the CAS over the years andcurrently serves on both the ProgramCommittee and the CAS Task Force onDual Degree Students and Programs.

Also at that meeting, Diana Beat-tie, Chair, Department of Biochem-istry and Molecular Pharmacology,West Viriginia University School ofMedicine, was presented with aplaque commemorating her elec-tion as an AAMC DistinguishedService Member. She was elected tothis honorary position by theAAMC Executive Council in recog-nition of her extraordinary contri-butions to the AAMC over theyears.

AAMC Honors AS BM B Members

AS BM B WelcomesNew Ph.D.s

ASBMB extends its congratula-tions to these individuals whorecently received their Ph.D.degrees. In recognition of theirachievement, ASBMB is presentingthem with a free one-year member-ship in the Society. The new Ph.D.sare listed below with the institutionfrom which they received theirdegree.

Ayca Akal-StraderUniversity of Tennessee,Knoxville

Xian LuoLoma Linda University

Cagdas D. SonUniversity of Tennessee,Knoxville

Charles E. Thomas*University of Michigan

* Candidates with an asterisk were previous Associ-ate members who met the requirements for a freeone-year membership.


long, called Aβ46. This Aβ46 peptide isproduced by γ-secretase at a novelcleavage site, the ζ-site. This site alsohappens to be the site of a mutationfound in early-onset familialAlzheimer’s disease called the APP717or London mutation.

“Another well characterizedAlzheimer’s disease-linked amyloid pre-cursor protein mutation, the Swedishmutation, also occurs at a major cleav-age site, the β-cleavage site at the N-ter-minus of amyloid β-peptide,” adds Dr.Xu. “Studies have shown that Swedishmutation at the β-cleavage site makesthe amyloid precursor protein moresusceptible to β-secretase activity. Thefinding that ζ-cleavage site is the

APP717 mutation site suggests that theAPP717 mutation may cause enhancedproduction of the longer amyloid β-peptide, Aβ46, by influencing the ζ-cleavage. Therefore, this finding mayopen a new avenue for studying themechanism by which APP717 muta-tions cause enhanced production of thelonger amyloid β-peptide.”

Dr. Xu and his colleagues also dis-covered that γ-secretase cleavage at thenew ζ-site is specifically inhibited bycompounds known as transition stateanalogs, but is less affected by com-pounds known as non-transition stateinhibitors. Specifically, some of theseinhibitors, which were previouslyknown to inhibit the formation of

secreted amyloid β-peptides, werefound to cause an intracellular accu-mulation of an even longer amyloid β-peptide species, Aβ46. “These novelfindings provide information impor-tant for the strategy of prevention andtreatment of Alzheimer’s disease,aimed at the design of γ-secretaseinhibitors,” concludes Dr. Xu. “Sinceamyloid β-peptide is produced by thesequential actions of β- and γ-secre-tases, inhibition of these secretases toreduce the production of amyloid β-peptide is believed to be one of themore promising avenues of treatmentof the disease. To date, more than onedozen γ-secretase inhibitors have beendeveloped or identified.”

B I O T E C H B U S I N E S S N E W S


What has galvanized opposition tothe Scripps center and halted work forthe time being is not the project itself,but the spot chosen for it: a formerorange grove known as Mecca Farms.The site is 18 miles west of the city ofWest Palm Beach, adjacent to publiclyowned conservation areas and near thescenic Loxahatchee River. BuildingScripps Florida on this 1,920-acre siteruns counter to mandated rural, low-density land use, environmentalistssay. They also claim that it could trig-ger a boom that would further extendSouth Florida’s sprawl.

For some environmentalists, thevision of building Scripps Florida and

related roads, businesses, housing,schools, clinics, and shopping andrecreational areas in the inland coun-tryside constitutes the greatest floutingto date of the 1985 law that laid downthe rules regulating development andland use in Florida. “They are basicallyputting a development the size of WestPalm Beach out there,” Janet Bowman,Legal Director for 1000 Friends ofFlorida, a group that advocates con-trolled growth told the Los AngelesTimes. “Basically, they are ignoringyears of growth management policy. Ifthis is not sprawl, then I don’t knowwhat is.”

That group, the Florida Wildlife Fed-eration, and others have filed two suitsin state circuit court in West PalmBeach to try to bar Scripps’ use of theMecca Farms site, claiming that thedevelopment would violate thecounty’s own comprehensive plan.

At the moment, the biotech center’sdesignated home is accessible only bydirt road, and lacks water, sewer serviceand other conveniences. Under thedeal hammered out with Scripps underthe governor’s guidance, thoseimprovements are supposed to be pro-vided at taxpayers’ expense, as are the320,000 square feet of buildingsScripps plans for its offices and labora-tories. The county’s contribution to theproject would be about $600 million;Florida’s Legislature has approved $310million in state funds.

Keith McKeown, Vice President forCommunications and Public Relationsat Scripps at La Jolla, declined to com-ment on the legal challenges filed overMecca Farms, but said his employerremained “guardedly optimistic” theproject would be allowed to proceed.

Plans for a biotech center in Floridaall but halted by opposition to the useof a rural site.

A little more than a year ago, Gover-nor Jeb Bush, the President’s brother,announced what he termed a coup asbig for Florida as Walt Disney Co.’sarrival in Orlando: Scripps ResearchInstitute of La Jolla would build amajor biomedical research facility onthe edge of the Everglades in PalmBeach County. Since that announce-ment, though, a storm of objectionsfrom environmentalists and advocatesof regulated development has broughtplans for Scripps Florida to a halt, atleast for the foreseeable future.

Scripps’ Plans for Florida Faci l i ty Mired in Feud Over Land Use

According to Wood Mackenzie, aprovider of consulting services andresearch products to the energy andlife sciences industries, the growth ofthe U.S. pharmaceutical market islikely to return a compound annualgrowth rate of 9.7% over the period2003-2008, dropping below 10% forthe first time in recent history.

“Medicare reform, a number of keypatent expirations, and relativelyslim R&D pipelines are likely to com-bine to impact the sales growth ofthe world’s leading companies in theUS market,” said Simon Smyth, sen-ior analyst at Wood Mackenzie LifeSciences. “However, the continuedstrong performance of key biotech-nology companies such as Amgenand Genentech and fast-growingpharmaceutical companies such as Eli Lilly and Hoffmann-La Roche should ensure that U.S.

growth continues to outpace that ofthe global market.”

According to the recent WoodMackenzie report, Big Pharma stillfaces big problems, including poorpipeline productivity. Wood Macken-zie calculated what it calls a freshnessindex for the top 10 pharmaceuticalfirms. The index is determined by thepercentage of total sales representedby products launched in the previousfive years.

For six of the top 10, the freshnessindex was roughly 10% or less andthe top three (GlaxoSmithKline,AstraZeneca, and Novartis) scoredunder 25%. For biotechs as a whole,the report says, “As biotechs increas-ingly retain ownership of their devel-opmental compounds and createmore targeted blockbuster drugs,they will grow faster than pharma-ceutical companies.”

U.S. Pharmaceut ical Marke t Growth to Slow

by John D . Thompson , Ed i tor


Agilent Technologies Inc. and Exon-Hit Therapeutics, have announced aresearch collaboration to combine Agi-lent’s microarray platform and Exon-Hit’s alternative RNA splicingtechnologies and expertise. This collab-oration explores the development of amicroarray-based solution that willenable scientists to properly monitorthe expression of splice variants.

Splice variants are variable sequencesof RNA produced from the same genein DNA, resulting in the creation ofdifferent proteins potentially affectingcellular regulation. Scientists develop-ing therapeutics are increasingly inter-ested in this emerging field as theexpression of splice variants can pro-vide novel targets, may indicate diseasestates, and can be altered by exposureto drugs and toxins.

Agilent and ExonHit are workingtogether to optimize microarraydesign, reagent protocols and dataanalysis methods for splice variantstudies. While developing alternativeRNA splicing, ExonHit realized that theproper characterization of splice vari-ant expression required dedicated pro-filing platforms. The company hasreceived notice of the allowance of itspatent, which broadly claims nucleicacid arrays that enable the detection ofalternative RNA splicing events viaeither intron or exon and splice junc-tion-specific probes.

Initial results from an experimentalsplicing array of G-protein coupled

receptors, designed by ExonHit andproduced by Agilent pursuant to thecollaboration, were presented atSplicing 2004, an annual symposiumon alternative RNA splicing. Thearray detected multiple isoforms ofseveral genes, and showed goodreproducibility and specificity. Thecompanies are expected to work withearly test sites to generate additionalexperimental results.

Dharmacon and GEHealthcare to DistributeRNAi in Japan

Dharmacon and GE Healthcarehave announced an exclusive dis-tribution agreement in Japan forDharmacon’s RNAi research prod-ucts. Under the terms of the agree-ment, GE Healthcare will be thesole distributor of Dharmacon’sRNAi products in Japan.

“As an innovator in the field ofRNAi committed to expanding ourglobal presence, it is fitting thatDharmacon is joining with GEHealthcare to distribute our prod-ucts to the Japanese market,” saidLeland Foster, president and chiefexecutive officer of the Biochemi-cals group of Fisher Scientific Inter-national Inc., which includesDharmacon. “GE Healthcare is apreeminent supplier of life sciencesresearch products in Japan, and weare very pleased that their expertiseand strong on-the-ground presencewill be mobilized to support thegrowth of our RNAi product line inone of the world’s most importantresearch markets.”

“GE Healthcare has built itsrespected position in the demand-ing Japanese research market byproviding world class products andpremiere customer support,” saidKeiko Hattori, president of Japanfor the Life Sciences division of GEHealthcare. “By adding Dharma-con’s leading siRNA technology toour product portfolio, we willaddress the growing demands ofour Japanese customers for state-of-the-art gene silencing technology.”

Agilent and ExonHit Working toOpt imize Microarray Technologyfor Splice Variant Analysis

Georg ia MedicalCollege Profi t Hits$34 Mil l ion

The Atlanta Journal Constitutionreported in late November that,“Just five years ago, the MedicalCollege of Georgia was on the edgeof financial collapse....State officialstook a drastic step, severing tiesbetween the medical center andschool, allowing the center tooperate as a private enterprise.Within two years, the medical cen-ter was in the black. Last year,MCG Health Inc., recorded a $34million profit. Meanwhile, themedical college is gaining nationalprominence, having recruitedsome of the nation’s top cardiolo-gists, neurologists and oncologistsfrom prestigious institutions. “

B I O T E C H B U S I N E S S N E W S


For the third year, India sent themost students to the United States, justunder 80,000. That was a 7% increasefrom the year before. China sent thenext highest number, 61,000, but thatwas down 5% from the preceding year.South Korea was third, with 52,000students, up 2%, and Japan was fourth,with 40,000 students, an 11% decreasefrom the year before.

Another survey of 350 institutions,conducted jointly by the AmericanCouncil on Education (ACE), the Asso-ciation of American Universities(AAU), the Council of GraduateSchools (CGS), NAFSA: Association ofInternational Educators, and theNational Association of State Universi-ties and Land-Grant Colleges(NASULGC), found similar declines inforeign student enrollment.

Of 250 institutions responding,nearly half (47%) indicated a declinein applications, 38% said applicationrates had not changed, and 14% indi-

cated an increase in application numbers. Of 130 doctoral/researchinstitutions that responded, 59%reported a decline, 28% no change inapplication numbers, and 11%reported an increase.

All of the 19 that are ranked amongthe 25 research institutions that enrollthe most international students haddeclines in international graduateapplications. Nine of these reporteddecreases of 30% or more.

Of 216 institutions respondingabout applications from Chinese grad-uate students, 48% reported a declinein applications. Declines in applica-tions were more dramatic among the25 research institutions that enroll themost international students. All 17institutions that responded to thisquestion indicated declines, with 13reporting more drastic declines inapplications from Chinese studentsthan from their international graduateapplicants.

he latest edition of OpenDoors’ annual report on aca-demic mobility reported a

2.4% decrease in enrollments by stu-dents from outside the U.S. in aca-demic year 2003-04. That was the firstdrop since the 1971-72 academic yearand follows upon a year of almost nogrowth in foreign enrollment.

The November 19 Chronicle ofHigher Education, quoted Peggy Blu-menthal, Vice President of the report’spublisher, the Institute of InternationalEducation (IIE), as describing theslump in foreign enrollment as a“wake-up call.” The report, OpenDoors Two Thousand Four, discussesreasons for the decrease in foreign stu-dents in the United States. Theseinclude difficulty in getting a visa,higher costs, competition from schoolsin other English-speaking nations, andthe perception of some that foreignstudents are no longer welcome in theUnited States.

Columnist Thomas Friedman, wrotein the December 4 Washington Post: “Ifwe don’t do something soon and dra-matic to reverse this ‘erosion,’ ShirleyAnn Jackson, President of RennselaerPolytechnic and also President of theAmerican Association for the Advance-ment of Science, told me, we are notgoing to have the scientific foundationto sustain our high standard of livingin 15 or 20 years.”

The IIE said this was the first drop inthe number of foreign students in morethan 30 years. A total of 572,509 for-eign students attended American col-leges and universities in the 2003-04academic year, down from 586,323 in2002-03, and 5% fewer undergraduatesfrom other countries than the yearbefore. However, the number of foreigngraduate students increased by 2.5%.

T

Foreign Student Enrollment in U.S. Decl iningBy John D . Thompson , Ed i tor

Renew Your 2005 Membership OnlineASBMB 2005 dues renewal notices have beenmailed to all members. You can now makepayment online at the ASBMB website:www.asbmb.org, by clicking on “renew yourdues now” under the “What’s New” line.

Your membership includes a free subscription to our monthly magazine, ASBMB Today, plus free subscriptions to JBC Online andMCP Online. You also receive special member rates for Biochemistry andMolecular Biology Education, The Journal of Lipid Research and Trends inBiochemical Sciences, as well as the print versions of JBC and MCP.

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LABORATORY RESEARCHER

Researches effects of targeted devel-opmental drugs in the treatment ofbreast cancer using in vitro/in vivomodels. B.S.in Biomed. Sci.,Biochem.,or Interdisc. Natural Sci., and 3 yrs exp.in human cancer-related research,including independently performingwesterns,and confocal and electronmicroscopy. 40hr/wk. $35K/yr. Sendresume: Moffitt Cancer Ctr, attn:C.R.Schmitt.12902 Magnolia Dr., SRB2,Tampa,Fl 33612

RESEARCH ASSISTANT/ASSOCIATE

Univ of Virginia Health System

The Thoracic Oncology research labat the University ofVirginia–Department of Surgery is look-ing for a Research Assistant orAssociate. The focus of the lab is ontranscription and chromatin modifica-tions in lung cancer with an emphasison basic mechanistic aspects of lungcancer as well as the translationalresearch avenues, including drug devel-opment.

To qualify as an Assistant, applicantmust have a master’s degree or equiva-lent and as a Research Associate a doc-toral degree or equivalent. Successfulcandidate will be expected to performstandard molecular biology assays,apoptosis and cell survival assays andwill work with lung cancer mice mod-els. In addition, the candidate will beinvolved in grant preparation, researchdesign, reviews of the literature, and inteaching postdoctoral fellows. Positionis open until filled.

Please send CV to:Sharon Jordan, Department of SurgeryPO Box 800709, UVA Health SystemCharlottesville, VA 22908-0709

The University of Virginia is an EqualOpportunity/Affirmation Action Employer.

C a r e e r O p p o r t u n i t i e s

Applications may also be submittedelectronically to [email protected].

WEST VIRGINIA SCHOOL OFOSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

Biochemistry Position Available

Assistant/Associate Professor

The Division of Functional Biology ofthe West Virginia School of OsteopathicMedicine invites applications for atenure-track position. The successfulapplicant must have a Ph.D. inBiochemistry/Molecular Biology expert-ise (or willingness to develop expertise)in Nutrition preferred. Experience withdevelopment of Web-based teachingmaterial is a plus.

The successful applicant will teamteach first and second year medical stu-dents in the traditional curriculum’s bio-chemistry course, will serve as a facilita-tor in the problem-based curriculum,and will perform other academic admin-istrative duties (for example, course/sys-tem coordinator) as assigned. Mode ofprofessional development is flexible;some research opportunities are avail-able.

Salary and rank commensurate withexperience and includes excellent fringebenefit package.

For a unique opportunity to reallymake a difference, qualified applicantsmay apply by submitting a currentresume, including statements of teach-ing experience and research interests,and three letters of professional refer-ences to: Chairperson, BiochemistrySearch Committee, C/O PersonnelOffice, Box S, WVSOM, 400 North LeeStreet, Lewisburg, WV 24901.Applications accepted until position isfilled.

The West Virginia School of OsteopathicMedicine is an Affirmative Action/EqualOpportunity Employer and encouragesapplications from all protected classes.

BIOCHEMIST

The Department of Biology of theUniversity of New Brunswick seeksapplicants for a tenure track position inBiochemistry. The successful candidatewill be expected to develop a strongresearch program examining biochemi-cal processes in any biological system.

Since this position is central to theBiology-Chemistry degree program, thecandidate will be expected to teach acore biochemistry course and to developother courses in support of this pro-gram. A PhD is required and post-doc-toral experience is strongly preferred.

Information about the BiologyDepartment can be obtained atwww.unb.ca/fredericton/science/biology.All qualified applicants are encouragedto apply, however, Canadian and perma-nent residents will be given priority. TheUniversity is committed to the principleof employment equity.

The closing date is 1 February 2005,or whenever a suitable candidate isfound. To apply, send a letter describ-ing your research and teaching interests,a curriculum vitae with the names andaddresses of three referees, three repre-sentative publications, and a statementof teaching philosophy to:

S. Heard, Chair, Dept. of Biology,University of New Brunswick, MailBag Service #45111, Fredericton, N.B.Canada, E3B 6E1.

Place your CareerAds in ASBMB Today

Recruitment advertising is availablein ASBMB Today for $12 per line, 10line minimum. Copy is due by thefirst of the month prior to the issuemonth. For recruitment advertisinginformation call Veronica at FASEBAdNet, 800-433-2732 ext. 7791 or301-634-7791, email: [email protected]

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M A Y 2 0 0 5

EuroMedLab 2005—16th IFCC-FESCC European Congressof Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine

May 8–12 • EuroMedLab, Glasgow, UKContact: Jordanhill Campus Southbrae Drive Glasgow 2, UK Email [email protected] URL http://www.glasgow2005.org

From Gene to Genome: Heredity and Society

May 26–28 • Palais de Congrès, La Grande Motte, FranceThe half-century long success story of genetics and genomicshas had and will continue to have a profound impact onsociety. It is time to recall how the science of genetics hasevolved, and modified several fields of society such as medi-cine, law, ethics, behaviour. Taking advantage of the 40thanniversary of the Nobel prize awarded to a team from thePasteur Institute, the French Society for Genetics has invitedprominent geneticists, historians and philosophers to addressthese issues. Contact: Christophe SchwobPh: +33 4 95 09 38 00; Fx : +33 4 95 09 38 01Email : [email protected]: www.genetogenome.org

J U N E 2 0 0 5

7th Annual Plant Sciences Institute Symposium;Meristems 2005

June 2–5 • Iowa State University, Ames, IowaAbstracts due April 1, 2005; Registration Deadline May 2, 2005Student Travel Grants: Applications due April 1, 2005Contact: Plant Sciences Institute Symposia, Symposium Office,3208 Molecular Biology Building, Iowa State University, Ames,Iowa 50011-3260; Ph: 515-294-7978; Fax: 515-294-2244Email: [email protected]: www.bb.iastate.edu/~gfst/phomepg.html

Glycoproteomics—Protein Modifications for VersatileFunctions

June 28–30 • Dubrovnik,CroatiaFor information: Email: [email protected]; Ph: 385 1 4818 757Website: http://bmb.pharma.hr/glyco2005/

J U LY 2 0 0 5

30th FEBS Congress — 9th IUBMB Conference, 2005 The Protein World; Proteins and Peptides: Structure, Function and Organization; Science is Fun: A Conference for Your Creativity

July 2–5 • Budapest, HungaryContact: Ms. Franciska Morlin, Chemol Travel Congress Dept.H-1366 Budapest, P.O.Box 28, HungaryPh:+36-1-266-7032, Fx: +36-1-266-7033Email: [email protected]; www.febs-iubmb-2005.com

M A R C H 2 0 0 5

FEBS Advanced Lecture Course

March 12–17 • Wildbad Kreuth, GermanyOrigin and Evolution of Mitochondria and ChloroplastsDeadline for application and abstract submission: January 31,2005; Contact: Prof. J. Soll, Botanik, LMU, MünchenMenzinger Straße 6780638, München, GermanyPh: +49 89 17861 244; Fax: +49 89 17861 185Email:[email protected]

CSBMCB Sponsored Meeting on Cellular Dynamics

March 16–20 • Banff Centre, Banff, Alberta, CanadaThis Canadian Society of Biochemistry, Molecular and CellularBiology sponsored meeting will feature cutting-edge sessionson Nuclear structure, Organelle Inheritance, ImagingTechnologies, Protein Folding, mRNA Localization, Organellesof the Secretory Pathway and Systems Approaches to CellBiology. Keynote Speaker will be Günter Blobel.Meeting organizer: Email: [email protected]: www.csbmcb.ca/2004Meeting/index.html

Horizons in Molecular Biology Decoding Nature:Hierarchy of Interactions

March 17–19 • Max-Planck Institute for BiophysicalChemistry in Göttingen, Germany Email [email protected]: www.horizons.uni-goettingen.de

A P R I L 2 0 0 5

American Society for Biochemistry and MolecularBiology Annual Meeting in Conjunction with EB2005

April 2–6 • San DiegoNobel Laureates Michael S. Brown and Joseph L. Goldstein willopen the ASBMB Annual Meeting with the HerbertTabor/Journal of Biological Chemistry Lecture.Contact: ASBMB 2005, 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD20814-3008; Ph: 301-634-7145; Email: [email protected]: www.asbmb.org/meetings

The 46th ENC Experimental Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

April 10–15 • Rhode Island Convention Center, Providence,Rhode Island Contact: ENC, 2019 Galisteo Street, Building ISanta Fe, New Mexico 87505 (USA); Ph: 505-989-4573Fx:(505-989-1073; E-mail: [email protected]: www.enc-conference.org

7th International Symposium on Biocatalysis andBiotransformations

July 3–8 • Delft, NetherlandsContact: Biotrans 2005 Secretariat, Department ofBiotechnology, Julianalaan 67 2628 BC, Delft, The Netherlands Email [email protected] Website: www.biotrans2005.bt.tudelft.nl/

BioScience2005 - From Genes to Systems

July 17–21 • Glasgow, UK Focus topics for the meeting: Cell architecture: from structure to func-tion; The nucleus: chromatin, recombination and repair; Cellular infor-mation processing; Proteins in disease; Stem cells and development.Plenary speakers include: Robert J. Lefkowitz, Wolfgang Baumeister, P.Leslie Dutton, Walter Kolch, and David Stuart. Poster abstract deadline:April 15, 2005, Early registration deadline: May 23, 2005For more information: BioScience2005, Biochemical Society,c/o Commerce Way, Colchester, Essex CO2 8HPPh: +44 (0)1206 796351; Fx : +44 (0)1206 798650Email: [email protected]; www.BioScience2005.org

A U G U S T 2 0 0 5

Ninth International Congress on Amino Acids andProteins

August 8–12 • Vienna, AustriaFor Information: Prof.Dr.Gert Lubec, FRSC (UK)Medical University of Vienna, Dept. of Pediatrics, Div. of BasicScience, Währinger Gürtel 18, A 1090 Vienna, AustriaEmail: [email protected]: 0043.1.40400 3215; Fax: 0043.1.40400 3194Website: http://fens.mdc-berlin.de/calendar/?id=485&action=read

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 5

Second World Congress on Synthetic Receptors

September 7–9 • Salzburg Congress Centre, Salzburg, Austria Topics: New approaches in supramolecular chemistry, Theoryand practice of self-assembly, Design of synthetic receptorsusing combinatorial approaches Molecular imprinting, Nanosystems, Engineered proteins, nucleicacids and saccharides as receptor and catalytic systems,Engineered biomolecules capable of manifesting an additionalfunction, e.g. signal, transduction (molecular wire) or mechanicalaction (e.g. molecular arms), and Innovation and exploitation. Call for Papers Abstract Deadlines: 25 March 2005 (oral andposter papers)For information: Conference Secretariat, Elsevier, TheBoulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, OxfordOX5 1GB, UKTel: +44 (0) 1865 843691; Fax: +44 (0) 1865 843958Email: [email protected]: www.syntheticreceptors.elsevier.com

Department Heads Take Note:

AS BM B Offers Free Membership to

New Ph.D.s ASBMB is now offering a free one-year

Associate membership to all students whohave, within the past year, earned a Ph.D.

degree in the molecular life sciences or related areas.

ASBMB implemented this program as away to recognize the significant

accomplishment of earning the Ph.D., and toprovide new Ph.D.s with something tangible

and of economic value. Membership inASBMB brings with it a free subscription to

the online versions of the Journal of BiologicalChemistry and Molecular and Cellular

Proteomics, as well as subscriptions to TheScientist and the Society’s magazine, ASBMBToday, discounts on other publications, and a

host of other benefits.

The Society is asking department chairs to provide ASBMB with the names and

addresses of each new Ph.D. recipient fromtheir institutions. Upon receipt of this

information, we will write the new Ph.D.s tocongratulate them on their accomplishmentand offer the free one-year membership inASBMB. Names and addresses of the new

Ph.D.s should be sent to:

Membership at ASBMBAmerican Society for Biochemistry

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This is an ongoing project; please advise uswhenever a student in your department earns thePh.D., so that we can make this free membershipoffer to him or her.

Documents

Constituent Society of FASEB AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY · 2019-11-27 · 13 Genomes and Proteomes 14 Organelle Biogenesis and Dynamics 16 Streptococcus