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“A“A MolecularMolecular ExplorationExploration ofof thethe ”Cell” ASBMB Annual Meeting and 8th IUBMB Conference JuneJune 12-16,12-16, 20042004 Boston, Massachusetts IUBMB/ASBMB 2004 CALL FOR PAPERS MAILED ABSTRACT DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 11, 2004

asgow & Clyde Valley Tourist Board Tourist Valley Clyde & asgow Gl Greater the by supported Meeting Torgler. Cathy and Bennett Malcolm Ahringer, Julie Aalten, van Daan of courtesy images Logo Biochemical Society and Nutrition Society full members – £190 Student members of Biochemical Society and sister Societies – £65 BioScience Federation and RSC members – £250 Non-members – £350 www.BioScience2004.org POSTER ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE: POSTER ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 23 APRIL 2004 FRIDAY DEADLINE: REGISTRATION EARLY 2004 18 MAY TUESDAY Registration Fees: ● ● ● ● after fees will increase Please note: the registration 18 May 2004. For further information or to be placed on the or mailing list, visit: www.BioScience2004.org e-mail: [email protected] BioScience2004, c/o Portland Customer Services, UK Colchester CO2 8HP, Way, Commerce Tel: +44 (0) 1206 796351 Fax: +44 (0) 1206 799331 e-mail: [email protected] – Biochemical Journal life science life

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Roger Y. Tsien (Howard Hughes Medical Institute (Howard Tsien Roger Y. La Jolla, CA, USA) – Opening Lecture Stephen O'Rahilly (Cambridge, UK) Canada) Pawson (Toronto, Tony Chris Dobson (Cambridge, UK) – The EMBO Lecture UK) (Beatson Institute, Glasgow, Vousden Karen USA) New Haven, CT, (Yale, Graham Warren Lipids, Rafts and Traffic Related to Function: Structure Molecules and Cells and Inwards Signalling Outwards and Interference Genes: Regulation, Processing and Information Generation Energy: Ethics, Education and Employment Plenary Speakers: ● ● ● ● ● ● Biochemical Society Annual Symposium Lipids, Rafts and Traffic ● ● ● ● ● ● Focus topics for the meeting: NOW AVAILABLE! contains full details of the The 2nd circular Poster Scientific Programme, Preliminary Oral Communications, Research Presentations, Satellite and Colloquia, Education Workshops Meetings as well as details of the Social and general meeting information. Programme To a copy of the second circular, receive e-mail [email protected] SECOND CIRCULAR

THE SECC Glasgow, UK Glasgow, SECC of 2004! meeting www.BioScience2004.org 2004 July 18–22 www.asbmb.org

AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY JANUARY 2004, Volume 2, Issue 10 features

2 Christopher Reeve Receives Public Service Award 3 Just What Are the Effects of Low-Dose Radiation 6 NIH Meeting Focuses on Digital Biology 7 NHGRI Selects Sequencing Centers 8 Common Genetic Damages in Non-Diving Cells Lead to Creation of Mutant Proteins 2 9 ASBMB Minority Affairs Committee: Past and Present 10 Steven Almo to Receive ASBMB-AMGEN Award 4 FASEB President 12 William C. Rose Award Honors Sunney Chan Says Meeting with Cheney ‘Very 14 ASBMB Meeting Preview Encouraging’ 17 Cancer Biologists, Cardiologist Take New Look at Aggressive Tumors 18 Enzyme Key to Fungus’s Ability to Breach Immune System 20 Bone Marrow/Brain Cell Fusion May Repair Brain Damage

departments 4 News From the Hill 12 6 NIH News 18 Members in the News 22 Biotech Business 24 Calendar

BRONZE AWARD WINNER 2004 ASBMB Today is a monthly publication of The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Christopher Reeve Receives Officers Bettie Sue Masters President Judith S. Bond President-elect Public Service Award Albert E. Dahlberg Secretary Kenneth E. Neet Treasurer hristopher Reeve has received Thomas Blumenthal Councilor the 2003 Mary Woodard William R. Brinkley Councilor C Lasker Award for Public Ser- Lila M. Gierasch Councilor Frederick P. Guengerich Councilor vice in Support of Medical Research William J. Lennarz Councilor and the Health Sciences. Alexandra C. Newton Councilor “Instead of bowing to a sudden, life- Merle S. Olson Councilor Peter J. Parker Councilor altering injury, he mustered his inter- William L. Smith Councilor nal resources and exploited his Non-Voting Members connections to advance research that George M. Carman targets spinal cord repair,” stated the Chair, Meetings Committee Lasker Foundation. “Reeve has John D. Scott Alexandra C. Newton informed himself about the scientific Julio Celis as well as political aspects of his mis- Co-chairs, 2004 Program Committee sion; this approach, along with his role Marion H. O’Leary J. Ellis Bell as a public figure, have earned him Co-chairs, Education and Professional unique status with researchers, law- Development Committee makers, and private citizens alike. Christopher Reeve, victim of a catastrophic William R. Brinkley Chair, Public Affairs Advisory Committee Although he must endure the physical spinal column injury in 1995, will receive the Peter A. Rubenstein and emotional hardships of living in a 2003 Mary Woodard Lasker Foundation’s Chair, Publications Committee body that is largely immobile, he is far Award for Public Service in Support of Medical Phillip A. Ortiz Chair, Minority Affairs Committee from paralyzed.” Research and the Health Sciences, the Founda- Herbert Tabor In 1995, an equestrian accident para- tion announced in early December. Mr. Reeve Editor, JBC lyzed Reeve from the shoulders down. was active in lobbying and testifying before Ralph A. Bradshaw Editor, MCP Unable to breathe without the help of Congress on behalf of the doubling of the NIH Edward A. Dennis a machine, Reeve confronted a new budget in five years. In part because of his Editor, JLR life. Within months of his injury, efforts, the NIH budget grew from $12 billion in Editorial Advisory Board Reeve joined the Board of Directors of 1998 to nearly $25 billion in fiscal 2002. In Irwin Fridovich the American Paralysis Association 1996, Mr. Reeve and his wife Dana established Richard W. Hanson (APA), and less than a year later the Christopher Reeve Foundation; now known Bettie Sue Masters became its chair. as the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, Evan J. Sadler Robert D. Wells In 1996, Reeve and his wife Dana which in 2003 awarded almost $7.4 million in established the Christopher Reeve grants for neuroscience research and more than Foundation; in its first year of opera- $620,000 in Quality of Life awards. Comments tion, it raised $750,000 for the APA as Please direct any comments or questions concerning ASBMB Today to: well as groups dedicated to quality of injury and other central nervous sys- life issues. In 1999, this foundation tem disorders; the organization also John D. Thompson Editor, ASBMB Today merged with APA, the name was allocates a portion of its resources to 9650 Rockville Pike changed to the Christopher Reeve grants that improve the quality of life Bethesda, MD 20814-3996 Phone: 301-634-7145; Fax: 301-634-7126 Paralysis foundation (CRPF), and Reeve for people with disabilities. In 2003, E-mail: [email protected] continued to serve as chairman of the the foundation awarded almost $7.4 million in grants for neuroscience For information on advertising board. CRPF funds research that paves contact FASEB AdNet at 800-433-2732 the way toward treatments and cures research and more than $620,000 in ext. 7157 or 301-634-7157, or for paralysis caused by spinal cord Quality of Life awards. email [email protected].

2 ASBMBToday JANUARY 2004 Just What Are the Effects of Low-Dose Radiation? hether there is a safe dose of most delicate stage of life. Zebrafish were Dr. Dynan, principal investigator on radiation is a question that used because, as a vertebrate, they share the new $750,000, three-year grant, has W scientists at the Medical Col- many developmental and anatomical been studying how cells respond to radi- lege of Georgia are seeking to answer. features with humans, yet the embryos ation that can break one or both strands There has long been experience with develop completely outside the mother, of the double-stranded DNA, leading to the effects of high-dose radiation; what are optically transparent, and are cell death, successful cell repair or misre- is not known is the effect of long-term, amenable to genetic and molecular pair that may result in cancer. low-dose radiation such as we are sub- manipulation. Plans for MCG’s cancer The researchers are exposing zebrafish ject to every day. Key issues still unex- research building include an expanded embryos—which grow outside the plored are whether the low levels of zebrafish facility to support the search mother and have developed, function- radiation all around us–even inside us for other genes, such as those that pre- ing organs within three days–to levels of in unstable forms of common elements dispose people to colon cancer. radiation that mimic what humans rou- such as potassium and hydrogen–cause Ionizing radiation–which has shorter, tinely receive. A high-powered micro- problems and exactly what genes and more powerful wavelengths than visi- scope enables them to look inside a live proteins in the body help repair and, ble or ultraviolet light–undoubtedly is embryo and mark specific brain cells more importantly, prevent damage. strong enough to break apart chemical with a fluorescent dye to see if the num- Armed with a grant from the U.S. bonds in the body, including DNA, says bers change after irradiation. They also Department of Energy, the scientists are ASBMB member William S. Dynan, plan to document double-strand breaks using the rapidly developing zebrafish Biochemist and Chief of the Program and repairs within single cells. embryo to study the effects of low doses in Gene Regulation at the Medical Col- “We want to know what bad things of radiation–the kind many people lege of Georgia Institute of Molecular happen to an early embryo both at the encounter daily–during the earliest and Medicine and Genetics. Continued on page 7

Announcing ASBMB Support For Special Symposia in 2004 and 2005 The American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is pleased to announce the support of two meetings for 2004 and two meetings for 2005. Mark your calendars and watch ASBMB Today for more details. Transcriptional Regulation by Chromatin Fe-S Proteins: Biogenesis, Structure and and RNA Polymerase Function October 29–November 1, 2004 May 19–22, 2005 Organizer: Ali Shilatifard, Saint Louis University School of Organizer: Elizabeth A. Craig, University of Wisconsin, Medicine Madison GRANLIBAKKEN,LAKE TAHOE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN,MADISON

Redox Signaling and Biology 14th International Conference on October 21–24, 2004 Cytochromes P450: Biochemistry, Organizers: Roy J. Soberman, Harvard Medical School and , and Lawrence Marnett, Vanderbilt University May 31–June 5, 2005 KIAWAH ISLAND RESORT AND CONFERENCE CENTER,CHARLESTON, Organizers: Julian A. Peterson and Sandra E. Graham, U.T. SOUTH CAROLINA SOUTHWESTERN MED.CTR., DALLAS,TEXAS www.asbmb.org/meetings

JANUARY 2004 ASBMBToday 3 NEWS FROM THE HILL

by Peter Farnham, CAE, ASBMB Pulic Affairs Officer

FASEB President Says Meeting “It’s hard to see how able to us” as were all struck by the fact that both the the meetings could an outgrowth Vice President, and OMB Director of the new Bolten, told us unsolicited that our have gone any knowledge timing couldn’t be better to talk about better.” developed this,” Dr. Wells said, “since the 2005 This was FASEB from the budget was still being formulated.” President Bob Wells’ recently-com- He noted that the four Nobel laureates pleted dou- represented a cross-section of disciplines assessment of a bling of the and perspectives in American scientific series of meetings he FASEB President Robert Wells NIH budget. research. Yale University biochemist Sid- and four Nobel “Vice President Cheney in particular ney Altman, a naturalized U.S. citizen, laureates held on was very encouraging,” Dr. Wells told represented the international of November 20 with ASBMB Today. “He told us that he him- modern scientific research. Howard self was living proof of the value of Hughes Medical Institute President Vice President Dick research,” apparently referring to the could speak authorita- Cheney and several various medical procedures he has tively about the private foundation other high-ranking undergone in recent years for his heart world. Alfred Gilman, head of the Uni- administration ailments. “We were told going in that versity of Texas Southwestern Medical we’d get 10 minutes with the Vice Center’s Department of Pharmacology, officials. Dr. Wells President. Instead, we were with him represented academic medicine and has was ASBMB President for almost 40 minutes.” strong interests in pharmaceutical in the two years The group also met separately with research and development. Atmospheric immediately Office of Management and Budget chemist Sherwood Rowland, University Director Joshua Bolten, and had a simi- of California at Irvine, was from a field preceding his term at lar, encouraging experience—a prom- outside biomedicine. The latter point— FASEB’s helm. ised 10-minute meeting that went the synergy between all fields of sci- r. Wells noted that “this was closer to an hour. In addition, the ence—was stressed as an extremely the first time that I can recall group met over breakfast with Presi- important component of the nation’s D that a group of scientists had dential Science Adviser John Mar- total effort in research. such a high level meeting.” He praised burger, and later with White House The 40-minute Cheney meeting Patrick White, FASEB’s outgoing Direc- Deputy Chief of Staff for Domestic Pol- touched on a wide variety of themes, tor of Legislative Relations, for facilitat- icy Harriet Miers. including how important long-term, ing the meetings, and former House The FASEB President made the deci- sustained federal research funding was Minority Leader Bob Michel, who is sion to seek these meetings because he to our country’s endeavors, from the now with Hogan & Hartson LLP, for was greatly concerned about the parsi- continued viability of our universities his role in bringing them about. monious administration request for and medical schools to economic “The meetings were very positive,” Dr. NIH in FY 2004—only two percent— growth. The group discussed the fund- Wells reported. “We had no specific after five years of annual increases in ing of young investigators and the dan- requests for funding or anything else. We the range of 15 percent. The amount ger of bright young people choosing simply wanted to talk about scientific the administration requests for other careers because of funding diffi- research and how important this was in research sets an important parameter culties in research. The reported difficul- terms of economic growth and the for Congress’ future actions and is fre- ties of foreign scholars and students in tremendous opportunities that are avail- quently key to future progress. “We obtaining visas came up briefly as well.

4 ASBMBToday 2004 NEWS FROM THE HILL with Cheney ‘Very Encouraging’ The group also discussed the impor- funding in the FY 2005 budget that the long-term. “Meetings like this tance of the NIH doubling, and indi- will be released early next month. So never hurt,” Dr. Wells said, stressing cated that the fluctuations in NIH far, the biomedical research commu- that they had not gone into the funding that seem to be in the cards— nity is expecting a proposed increase meetings with a series of specific rapid growth, followed by several years for NIH in the range of 2 percent. This requests, and so did not necessarily of at best inflationary increases, would is what the administration proposed expect immediate payoff, such as a seriously hurt continued progress in for FY 2004, although Congress finally major increase for NIH next year. the field. Dr. Wells said the Vice Presi- settled on an increase of 3.7 percent, Rather, Dr. Wells said that it was dent assured the group that the admin- about $1 billion. important that the administration istration believed that NIH was a very Thus, in spite of the Vice Presi- know that the scientific community appropriate place to spend federal dent’s assurances, it remains to be was “paying attention.” money, and that he would do all he seen whether the meetings will have “All of us came away from the meeting could for the NIH. any impact in the short-term, in an upbeat, positive frame of mind,” It will be interesting to watch the although there is little doubt that Dr. Wells summed up. “There is no administration’s proposals for science the meetings were highly useful in doubt that we were well received.

JANUARY 2004 ASBMBToday 5 NIH NEWS

NIH Meeting Focuses on Digital Biology By John D. Thompson, Editor Computing has become so integral to biomedical research that you just can’t do without it. hat was the assessment made Director, Intellectual Ventures, who as linked. We need a map to see where by Eric Jakobsson, Director of Chief Technical Officer at Microsoft the links should be. You can’t just link T the Center for Bioinformatics from 1986 to 2000 was responsible for every piece of data to every other and Computational Biology at the founding Microsoft Research and tech- piece. There are tons of data and data National Institute of General Medical nology groups that developed many of are being generated all the time. How Sciences, who spoke at an NIH sympo- that company’s leading products. do you find out how it will affect your sium, Digital Biology: The Emerging Dr. Myhrvold commented that research? Exponential genomics is Paradigm. Moore’s Law, which states that the rivaling computing and internet in Dr. Jakobsson, who chairs NIH’s Bio- number of transistors on a micro- importance. The more we know, the medical Information Science and Tech- processor would double approximately more we need to learn.” nology Initiative Consortium (BISTI) every 18 months, was applicable to the “Understanding how the parts work is which organized the November meet- multitude of increasingly cost-efficient, also important, but it is not enough. We ing, lamented that the variety of com- sequenced “omes,” including the need to know how they work together. puter networks and software currently entire “biome.” The GenBank itself, he This is the systems approach. The list of in use do not intercommunicate well noted, is doubling about every 18 parts is a necessary but not sufficient and therefore present an obstacle to months. In order to efficiently handle condition for understanding biological the development of an efficient the sea of data issuing from a multi- function. Understanding biological sys- nationwide operating system. tude of computational projects, he said tems from this point of view can be The Center for Bioinformatics and better connected labs with better inte- greatly aided by the use of powerful Computational Biology Chair, who last grated data are essential. mathematical and computer models.” June took that post which had been Regarding the gap, perceived or oth- Also at the symposium was NIH vacant for two years, told The Scientist erwise, between computer people and Director Elias Zerhouni, who presided at that time, “I’m envisioning this job scientists, Dr. Myhrvold said he is over a panel on “A Vision for Biomed- as putting together a nationally distrib- often asked, “Can computer people be ical Computing.” He expressed a recog- uted software engineering project. real biologists?” His answer, “You tell nition of the need to make the Now, a program for molecular dynam- me. When are you gonna treat them as investment in better tools to get better ics and another that simulates a com- real colleagues?” information. Referring to his Roadmap plex system such as a pathway in a cell Fred S. Roberts, Director of the Center for NIH, he stressed the need to develop aren’t linked. We want to seamlessly for Discrete Mathematics and Theoreti- capabilities and invest in improving the connect them.” cal Computer Science (DIMACS) at Rut- quality of data, cross-train life scientists BISTI’s first major project—an gers University, who chaired a workshop and mathematicians, develop interdisci- attempt to update networking and on Information Processing in the Biolog- plinary teams, and integrate physics integration capabilities—will be to ical Organism (A Systems Biology and biological systems. award $3 to $4 million per year for 5 Approach) prior to the BISTI sympo- Dr. Zerhouni, who recently outlined years to three or four nonprofit “com- sium, described the challenge this way: specific computing initiatives in his putational centers of excellence.” “If you know what an airplane does, NIH Roadmap, suggested that “brute That view was seconded by the sym- you can figure out how to make one, force” computation is not the right posium’s keynote speaker, Nathan but in biology there is a sea full of approach for biomedical research and Myhrvold, Cofounder and Managing islands of data which need to be Continued on page 11

6 ASBMBToday JANUARY 2004 NIH NEWS

NHGRI Selects Sequencing Centers For Next Generation Large-Scale Sequencing Projects he National Human Genome licly available resource of high quality munity. Each working group is expected Research Institute (NHGRI) has assembled genome sequences that to develop a plan for sequencing organ- T selected centers to carry out a researchers can use to address human isms that advances knowledge in one of new generation of large-scale sequenc- biology and human health. three scientific areas: understanding the ing projects designed to maximize the Currently, NHGRI-supported sequenc- human genome, understanding the promise of the Human Genome Project. ing centers are close to completing work- genomes of major biomedical model sys- Over the next three years, the five ing drafts of the genomes of additional tems’ and evolutionary biology of centers in NHGRI’s Large-Scale organisms that improve the understand- genomes. Sequencing Research Network will use ing of genomes that have already been high-throughput, robotic technologies sequenced and provide insights into the to sequence a strategic set of animal evolution of humans. The genome genomes totaling as much as 54 billion sequences of the chimpanzee, the Low-Dose base pairs, or the equivalent of 18 chicken, the sea urchin, the honeybee human genomes. For fiscal year 2004, and a set of four fungi are nearly in draft … NHGRI has earmarked $163 million form. The sequence of the domestic dog, Radiation for the sequencing centers, which were which is a major model for studying Continued from page 3 selected through a competitive, peer- genetic diseases and developing pharma- DNA level and how that affects devel- reviewed process. Funding levels for FY ceuticals, is also approaching deep draft opment,” says Dr. David J. Kozlowski, 2005 and 2006 are planned to be $163 coverage. Last summer, the centers developmental geneticist and Director million and $133 million respectively. started initial sequence production for of MCG’s Transgenic Zebrafish Core The NHGRI-supported, large-scale creating a reference version of the Laboratory. “Say for example, a whole sequencing centers and their approxi- genome of the rhesus macaque, which is bunch of cells gets these double-strand mate FY 2004 funding levels are: Agen- widely used in studies of human breaks and they die. What happens to court Bioscience Corp., Beverly, immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. the embryo? Does it fix itself or is there Masschusetts, $10 million; Baylor Col- Other organisms on NHGRI’s high- irreparable damage? And, if we have a lege of Medicine, Houston, $35 mil- priority list are: the cow; the South gene we think protects the embryo lion; The Eli & Edythe L. Broad American gray, short-tailed opossum (a from radiation, if we reduce the func- Institute, Massachusetts Institute of marsupial); the red flour beetle; the tion of that gene, does that make the Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Mass., acorn worm; the flatworm Schmidtea embryo more sensitive to even lower $59 million; The Institute for Genomic mediterranea; 10 more species of fruit doses of radiation?” Research, J. Craig Venter Science Foun- fly; four more species of fungi; and two “There may be some way you can dation Joint Technology Center, ciliated microorganisms, Oxytricha tri- genetically alter the environment in the Rockville, Md., $10 million; and Wash- fallax and Tetrahymena thermophila. cell that makes the cell repair damage bet- ington University School of Medicine, NHGRI recently instituted a new ter,” according to Dr. John T. Barrett, Saint Louis, $49 million. process for choosing target organisms for MCG radiation oncologist who is helping These centers will make up the comparative sequencing. Rather than with experiment design. “From a thera- NHGRI Large-Scale Sequencing placing the entire responsibility for advo- peutic standpoint, there also may be a Research Network, encompassing rep- cating the sequencing of various organ- way in cancer cells that you can increase resentatives of academia, private indus- isms upon individual researchers, the damage or disable the repair mecha- try and the non-profit sector. Their NHGRI established three working groups nism for these double-strand breaks so primary mission is to produce a pub- of experts from across the research com- that you get better cell kill.”

JANUARY 2004 ASBMBToday 7 Common Genetic Damages in Non-Dividing Cells Lead to Creation of Mutant Proteins ‘Transcriptional Mutagenesis” may contribute to neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and aging wo types of DNA damage that During transcription, cells make an The Emory scientists present direct frequently befall most cells RNA copy of the combinations of base evidence that mutated proteins can be T on an everyday basis can lead sequences that make up the genes on manufactured through this transcrip- to the creation of damaged proteins the DNA molecule. This RNA copy tion pathway. They analyzed cells that that may contribute to neurodegenera- serves as a blueprint for manufacturing were completely normal with respect to tion, aging and cancer, according to particular proteins. One type of spon- their DNA repair mechanisms as well as research by scientists at Emory Univer- taneous genetic damage occurs in non- cells with various components of their sity School of Medicine, published in dividing cells when cytosine (C), one DNA repair machinery eliminated. For the October 24 issue of the journal of the four amino-acid bases (A, T, G, some of the damages, when the repair Molecular Cell. and C) spontaneously changes to machinery was intact, TM was very low, The investigators used E. coli cells as a uracil (U). This common substitution indicating that the purpose of DNA model system to study specific kinds of causes genetic miscoding that can lead repair systems in non-dividing cells is to genetic damages that occur in all non- to TM and the manufacture of mutant eliminate TM, Dr. Doetsch explained. dividing cells undergoing transcrip- proteins during transcription. “Not only does this research show tion––the everyday activity in which A second type of genetic damage is that genetic damages are capable of cells produce the proteins necessary to caused by 8-oxoguanine, another base causing TM, it also identifies specific carry out bodily processes. The vast substitution that frequently results components of the cellular machinery majority of scientists studying genetic from the formation of oxygen radicals whose job it is to repair damage from mutations have focused instead on the during normal cellular metabolism. uracil and 8-oxoguanine to prevent cell replication process, in which dam- “These base substitution errors have TM from occurring,” said Dr. Doetsch. aged and unrepaired DNA within mul- very important implications for the “The extent to which TM might occur tiplying cells can be copied before cells biological consequences of genetic for different kinds of genetic damages divide and passed along to a new gen- damage in non-dividing cells,” Dr. will depend on the cells’ ability to eration of cells. Most of the cells within Doetsch pointed out. “In some cases repair damage before the transcrip- organisms are no longer replicating, this miscoding could cause a cell to tional errors occur. This research also however, and instead spend their time manufacture a mutant protein that may allow us to devise explanations manufacturing proteins. controls cell division, which could take for physiological changes that occur in ASBMB member Paul W. Doetsch, the cell from a non-growth state to a non-dividing cells exposed to damag- of Biochemistry and Radia- growth state and contribute to malig- ing environmental agents. tion Oncology at Emory University nant transformation in the case “A number of studies, culminating School of Medicine, lead author of mammalian cells. Transcriptional in this one, show that DNA damages Damien Bregeon, an Emory postdoc- mutagenesis in neurons could lead to leading to TM are an important event toral , and their colleagues dis- neurodegenerative diseases.” that may account for the deleterious covered that in E. coli cells, two of the Scientists already have learned that effects of unrepaired genetic damage. most frequently occurring sponta- some genetic damages may block the Although our study was in E. coli, very neous DNA damages that cells in all transcription process, which is a signal similar systems operate to repair organisms are exposed to on a daily for DNA repair molecules to move in genetic damage in human cells, thus basis cause transcriptional mutagenesis and correct the mistake. When the this is a very important model for (TM). TM occurs when cells with dam- DNA repair machinery is defective, helping understand the mechanisms aged DNA produce bad messages dur- however, the non-dividing cells are in non-dividing cells that can cause ing transcription that lead to the capable of continuing transcription the manufacture of mutant proteins as creation of mutant proteins. despite the erroneous coding messages. a result of genetic damage to cells.”

8 ASBMBToday JANUARY 2004 The ASBMB Minority Affairs Committee: Past and Present By Dr. Thomas D. Landefeld rofessional scientific societies a period of time, the activities of the cans in Science (SACNAS) Conference have long represented the best committee were transferred to the Out- and the Annual Biomedical Research P collection of scientists in a reach Task Force, which was a sub- Conference for Minority Students (ABR- given discipline. In fact, for many group of the ASBMB Human Resources CMS) as well as a discounted member- years, being accepted into one of these Committee. The Outreach group took ship fee for the students. societies was somewhat similar to on the task of identifying “minority The MAC now consists of five mem- receiving a promotion or tenure in an affairs” needs within ASBMB and, as a bers, chaired by Phillip A. Ortiz, Area academic setting as the criteria were result, there was once again a presence Coordinator of Math, Science and quite stringent. Although this is not of a minority-focused session at the Technology at Empire State College. generally the case now, the societies are annual meeting. These sessions The other members are Juliette Bell, still comprised of what many consider included scientific symposia as well as Professor of Natural Sciences at Fayet- the “best of the best” in their discipline. other important activities such as a teville State University; Thomas D. At the same time, the membership “minority scientists” reception. How- Landefeld, Associate Dean and Profes- of these professional groups has ever, there was still the need for a sor of Biology at California State Uni- included very few ethnic minorities. specifically-designated minority affairs versity, Dominguez Hills; K.V. With the changing face of society, this committee, not only to do even more Venkatachalam, Associate Professor of lack of diversity in scientific societies in this area, but also to demonstrate Biochemistry at Nova Southeastern is a major concern. The ASBMB, ASBMB’s true commitment to diver- University; and the newest member, known as the ASBC at the time, estab- sity. ASBMB recognized this need and Faith Zamamiri-Davis, Postdoctoral lished the Committee for Equal re-established the MAC in 2000. Research Associate at St. Jude’s Chil- Opportunities for Minority Groups Since that time, the MAC has spon- dren’s Hospital. (CEOMG) in the 1970s, designed sored a panel session at each of the “As a graduate student, I benefited specifically to increase the cultural ASBMB Annual meetings, the last two from the travel awards and poster ses- diversity of scientists working in the of which have been part of the Experi- sions sponsored by the MAC and am areas of biochemistry and molecular mental Biology Meeting. The presenta- excited to be able to contribute my biology, which in turn represent a tions by the panelists have been very perspectives and experience to the large segment of researchers in the well received by a diverse audience and committee now,” says Dr. Zamamiri- biomedical sciences arena. The mis- have been posted on the ASBMB Web- Davis. “As the first postdoctoral repre- sion of the CEOMG was to increase site. A session on “Obesity and Minority sentative on the committee, I hope to the participation, visibility and status Populations” is planned for the 2004 provide representation for minority of minorities in the Society. These ASBMB meeting in Boston. In addition, postdocs and collaborate with other goals continue to inspire the current MAC has been involved with the members of our committee in develop- ASBMB Minority Affairs Committee minority affairs committees of other EB ing new strategies to diversify ASBMB (MAC). Historically, ASBMB has had a Societies in scheduling a joint session at membership and target emerging strong group of committee members the 2002 EB Meeting and again for the young scientists.” with a commitment to make a differ- 2004 EB Meeting. Another important The re-establishment of MAC has ence in the support of minority scien- focus of MAC has been in the recruit- resulted in concerted efforts to increase tists, not only within ASBMB but also ment of minority scientists, particularly the participation, visibility and status of in the entire scientific community. as students, to ASBMB. This effort has underrepresented minorities in ASBMB, The MAC Committee, in its various been facilitated by an ASBMB booth at and in doing so, contribute to efforts to names, has been through some struc- the annual Society for the Advance- address the overall under representa- tural changes since its inception. After ment of Chicanos and Native Ameri- tion of minorities in all sciences.

JANUARY 2004 ASBMBToday 9 Steven Almo to Receive 2004 r. Steven Almo, of the Depart- on problems of significance to human Dr. Almo is now using these struc- ment of Biochemistry, Albert health is best exemplified by his recent tures to produce biochemically defined D Einstein College of Medicine, work on the co-stimulatory molecules receptor and ligand mutants that will has been selected to receive the 2004 that modulate the T cell response of the ultimately be expressed in the appropri- ASBMB-AMGEN Award. This award is adaptive immune response. His group ate knockout/transgenic mouse model made to a new investigator, with no solved the structures of the molecules to provide the first in vivo struc- more than 15 years experience since responsible for attenuating the T cell ture-function correlations for the receipt of a doctorate, for significant response, including CTLA-4 and B7, as co-stimulatory molecules. This general achievements in the application of bio- well as the receptor-ligand complex atoms-to-animal strategy represents one and molecular biology to formed by these molecules. The CTLA- of the most powerful future uses of the understanding of disease. Nomina- 4/B7 complex represents the first structural information and his approach tions must be originated by Society atomic view of a co-stimulatory recep- is expected to serve as the paradigm for members but the nominees need not tor-ligand complex, and has provided future studies. be ASBMB members. The Award con- novel insights into the atomic and His group has also recently solved sists of a silver and crystal commemo- molecular mechanisms that modulate the structure and characterized the lig- rative sculpture, stipend, and T cell reactivity. Based on significant and binding properties of PD-I, the transportation and expenses to present sequence similarity to other T-cell pro- major co-stimulatory molecule respon- a lecture at the ASBMB Annual Meet- teins, this structure provides an excel- sible for controlling peripheral toler- ing. Recent recipients have been Wes- lent model for the stimulatory ance. These studies indicate that PD-I ley Sundquist in 2003, Joan and CD28/B7 and ICOS/B7H receptor-lig- operates through mechanisms that are Ronald Conaway in 2002, Tyler Jacks and complexes. In particular, this struc- distinct from the other co-stimulatory in 2001, Masashi Yanagisawa in 2000, ture highlighted potential mechanisms molecules. As these receptor-ligand and in 1999 Patrick J. Casey. responsible for the localization/com- pairs directly regulate T cell responsive- “Dr. Almo has achieved a position of partmentalization of these receptor-lig- ness (both up and down), these mole- world-leadership in structural biology and pairs and the organization of cules provide the opportunity for by developing a unique program in the discrete complexes of signaling mole- clinical intervention to modulate the cytoskeleton and functional analysis of cules at the T cell/APC interface. immune response for a broad range of contractile and allergenic proteins,” wrote Vern Schramm, Professor and Ruth Merns Chair in Biochemistry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. “His vision for the future is to lead an initiative for the determination of structures of cellular protein complexes. Since his appoint- ment at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1992, his research pro- gram has been a leader in the fields of the structural biology of the cytoskele- ton and the structural basis for the immune response. He has been a pri- mary investigator in the New York pro- gram in Structural Genomics.” Dr. Almo is a structural biochemist whose scientific effort and research phi- losophy represent the paradigm for the future of structural analysis. His focus ASBMB-AMGEN Award winner Steven Almo.

10 ASBMBToday JANUARY 2004 ASBMB-AMGEN Award human diseases, including auto-immu- mechanistic features of cytoskeletal Dr. Almo is a national leader in nity, graft versus host disease, graft regulation. To pursue the structural NIH-sponsored structural initiatives. rejection, as well as the development characterization of complexes not He is a founding member of the New of peptide-based vaccines for the treat- amenable to traditional approaches, he York Structural Genomics Research ment of cancer. Importantly, clinical has been closely involved in the devel- Consortium, one of the nine NIH- trials are currently being pursued in all opment of a novel protein footprinting funded National Centers charged of these areas, highlighting the major technology that is amenable to multi- with the development of a high clinical relevance of these molecules. component assemblies of any size and throughput structure discovery The second major area of work in Dr. any complexity. pipeline to provide a useable model Almo’s lab is the structural and bio- While the majority of Dr. Almo’s in for all individual protein structures. In chemical analysis of the molecules that vivo studies have been performed in addition, he has taken a leadership regulate the actin cytoskeleton and yeast, he has recently begun to gener- role in organizing the National Effort contractile and motile cellular ate knockout mouse models to exam- on Structural Proteomics, which processes. He is a recognized leader in ine the complex behavior of promises to establish the infrastruc- this field and has successfully solved cytoskeletal regulatory proteins in a ture for the large-scale structural char- the high resolution structure of a wide mammalian system. In particular, he is acterization, at the EM and X-ray range of actin regulatory proteins close to completing an inducible levels, of the multi-component pro- including those involved in actin poly- knockout model of mts1, a protein that tein assemblies that are the ultimate merization, actin filament severing regulates myosin filament assembly, effectors of normal and pathological and the proteins responsible for the and which is a major determinant of cellular function. This initiative will bundling and crosslinking of individ- metastatic potential. This model system provide an unprecedented structural ual filaments into higher order struc- will provide a unique opportunity to database that delivers unique insight tures. Consistent with his atoms to examine the direct effects of mis-regu- into biological function and mecha- animals theme, Dr. Almo has already lation of the acto-myosin cytoskeleton nism, and will serve to drive the next used these structures to design in vivo on the motile and invasive properties generation of biological and biomed- experiments that have revealed novel involved in tumor metastasis. ical discovery.

NIH Meeting … Continued from page 6 Lawrence Tabak, Director of the lance network based on quick oral that there must be a strong emphasis National Institute of Dental and diagnostics. on mathematical models. One critical Craniofacial Research, noted that At concurrent sessions on “Net- component of future computing infra- biomedical computing enters the worked Science” and “Scientific Data structure, he said, will be improved mouth in the form of biometric and Integration,” participants expressed access to the proper algorithms and an tissue engineering approaches to some concern about how the NIH investment in tools that deliver better restore function and form. He sug- will accomplish the data networking data points. gested that computational methods and integration challenges ahead. Stephen J. Katz, Director, National might help make saliva—which “The community needs to represent Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskele- holds clues to everything from anti- what they see in a rigorous way that’s tal and Skin Diseases, said, “This is an body and hormonal levels to signs of relevant and useable,” meeting area where our institute needs help. elicit drug use—a more convenient Cochair Richard Morris, of the Bones need to be better assessed for diagnostic tool. “In saliva veritas,” he National Institute of Allergy and quality, not just density. There is a need declared, “saliva tests can help pre- Infectious Diseases, told The Scientist, to create a resource that will use com- dict the tendency for both oral and “and when they collect data, the net- putational biology to better understand systemic diseases.” He said that he work must be much more reliable fractures and how to treat them.” envisions a massive health surveil- than it currently is.”

JANUARY 2004 ASBMBToday 11 William C. Rose Award Honors Sunney Chan’s Commitment to Young Scientists he 2004 William C. Rose noted Dr. Rees. “These studies Award will be presented to have served as the training T Sunney I. Chan, Professor, ground for 82 Ph.D. students, 51 Department of Biochemistry, Califor- postdoctoral , and nia Institute of Technology, at the uncounted numbers of under- ASBMB Annual Meeting, June 12-16, graduates, who now populate in Boston. The Award recognizes out- the ranks of scientists in univer- standing contributions to biochemical sities and industries around the and molecular biological research, and world and who represent a a demonstrated commitment to the remarkably diverse range of training of younger scientists as epito- research interests.” mized by the late Dr. Rose. It consists Dr. Chan’s most recent of a plaque, a stipend, and transporta- research interests have been tion to the ASBMB Annual Meeting to broadly based in the area of present a lecture. physical biochemistry, with par- Dr. Chan, who for the past six years ticular emphasis on bioenergetics has been building the Institute of and the structure and function of Chemistry in the Academia Sinica on membrane proteins, magnetic Taiwan, first as Director and then as resonance spectroscopy, and bio- Vice President of the academy, will be inorganic chemistry. Over the William C. Rose Award recipient Sunney Chan. honored for a career that includes a past several years he has devel- remarkable combination of research, oped a very promising approach to membrane proteins, and carried out a mentoring, and community service. study using photochem- beautiful series of biochemical and His career reflects a remarkable com- ical methods to rapidly initiate folding spectroscopic studies that probed the bination of research, mentoring and to study early folding events. metal center structure and proton- community service that fulfills the The breadth of his interests may be pumping mechanism of cytochrome c objectives of the Rose Award to recog- appreciated when you consider that oxidase, with more recent efforts nize “outstanding contributions to bio- after receiving his undergraduate focused on the structure and mecha- chemical and molecular biological degree in chemical engineering; he nism of the copper-containing, research and a demonstrated commit- moved into physical chemistry for his membrane bound methane monooxy- ment to the training of younger scien- graduate work on microwave spec- genase in methanotropic bacteria that tists,” wrote Douglas C. Rees, Professor, troscopy, and then to post doctoral in catalyzes methane oxidation to Division of Chemistry and Chemical physics doing molecular beam NMR methanol. Engineering at Caltech, in nominating studies. From this “hard-core” chemi- “When I began working with Profes- Dr. Chan for the Award. cal physics background, he then sor Chan as a graduate student,” wrote “Dr. Chan’s research is stunning in moved into biophysical chemistry, Gary Brudvig, Professor, Department of its breadth and significance, with his where he used NMR methods to pro- Chemistry, Yale University, “his inter- most recent work emphasizing the vide the first observation of base-stack- ests were moving into the area of struc- novel application of spectroscopic and ing of nucleic acids in aqueous ture and function of membrane biophysical methods to the characteri- solution and to analyze the structure proteins. My work involved studies on zation of complex membrane proteins and dynamics of lipid bilayers. the enzyme cytochrome c oxidase. such as cytochrome c oxidase and the From this interest in membranes, Dr. When I arrived in 1976, this protein particulate methane monooxygenase,” Chan then began to shift his focus to was poorly characterized chemically

12 ASBMBToday JANUARY 2004 ASBMB TRAVEL AWARDS AVAILABLE!

and the system was generally believed to be too much of a “black box” to be studied by a physical chemist. However, Dr. Chan proceeded to outline the important chemical ASBMB Graduate Minority Travel Awards aspects of this problem. The ASBMB has been awarded a grant through the Minority Access to Those initial chemical insights have guided the work of Research Careers (MARC) program, administered by the National Dr. Chan’s group on cytochrome c oxidase and related sys- Institute of General Medical Sciences, NIH, to support a portion of the expenses of minority graduate students to attend the ASBMB/IUBMB tems over the past 20 years. His ideas and his group’s 2004 Meeting in Boston. A special scientific session will be held experiment results set a high standard in this field. By Monday evening, June 14, 2004 in which all recipients of this award combining elegant isotopic manipulation with first-rate must present a poster. Several awardees may also be chosen to make magnetic resonance spectroscopy, Dr. Chan obtained short oral presentations in this session. Applicants must be members structural information on the four metal centers that of a minority group currently under-represented in science (i.e., African mediate electron transfers, proton pumping and O reduc- American, Hispanic American, Native American, or Pacific Islander). An 2 applicant must submit an abstract to be presented at the meeting. tion in cytochrome c oxidase. The recent publication of Successful applicants will be reimbursed up to $1,000 for their the x-ray crystal structure of cytochrome c oxidase con- expenses. Only U.S. citizens or permanent residents qualify for the firmed much of the spectroscopic studies, including the award. Students already funded by the MARC Program are not eligible. bis-cysteine and bis-histidine ligation of CUA, the histidine axial ligation of heme a3 and the distance between heme ASBMB Graduate or Postdoctoral Travel Awards Fellowships are available to assist graduate or postdoctoral fellows a3 and Cu . B attending the ASBMB/IUBMB 2004 Meeting in Boston. Applicants “Dr. Chan’s contributions to training future scientists go must submit an abstract to be presented at the meeting. A special beyond his research lab,” noted Lynmarie Thompson, scientific session will be held Monday evening, June 14, 2004 in Associate Professor of Chemistry and Molecular and Cel- which all recipients of this award must present a poster. Several lular Biology at the University of Massachusetts. “He awardees may also be chosen to make short oral presentations in this enriched the life of Caltech undergraduates in many ways. session. U.S. residency is not required for this award. Successful applicants will be reimbursed up to $750 for their expenses and the Sunney was also my course advisor, and he always had advanced registration fee. time to provide guidance when I asked for it, giving me a list of laboratories to explore before choosing one for ASBMB Undergraduate Travel Awards undergraduate research, a list of graduate schools to apply Funds are available to assist undergraduate students participating in the to, etc. But he went beyond providing excellent advice Undergraduate Poster Competition on Monday evening, June 14, 2004 during the ASBMB/IUBMB 2004 Meeting in Boston. The undergraduate and was very generous with his time for his students, student must be the first author of the poster. U.S. residency is not which made us feel that our lives and careers were impor- required for this award. Spring 2004 college graduates are eligible. tant to him. I remember one occasion when he invited all Applicants may receive up to $300 to defray their expenses. of his advisees into his home and he cooked a full Chi- Registration for undergraduates is free and available on-site. nese dinner for us.” “During the time that I was at Caltech,” recalled Dr. ASBMB Undergraduate Faculty Travel Awards The ASBMB will award 20 travel fellowships of $500 each. The Thompson, “Sunney also served as the MOSH, the Mas- fellowships, awarded competitively, are for faculty at undergraduate ter of Student Houses. This is an incredibly time-con- institutions who are primarily involved in undergraduate teaching at suming job providing support and encouragement for institutions which have limited travel resources. In order to receive Caltech undergraduates who, as you can imagine, can be funding, all recipients are required to return a brief survey after very intense individuals! Sunney again gave generously attending the ASBMB/IUBMB 2004. U.S. residency is not required for this award. to this role, fulfilling needs ranging from the very seri- ous job of counseling students through extreme personal Applications available on-line at difficulties, to the lighter job of participating in Caltech www.faseb.org/meetings/asbmbø4 social functions.” Applications are due January 23, 2004. JANUARY 2004 ASBMBToday 13 REGULATION OF GENE EXPRESSION AND CHROMOSOME TRANSACTIONS MEETING

Organized by Joan W. Conaway, Stowers Institute for Medical Research

PLENARY LECTURE: How checkpoints respond to replication perturbations Teresa S. Wang, Stanford Univ. Sch. of Med.

DNA Replication Chromatin Dynamics Replication initiation and cell-cycle control in Histone modifying complexes that regulate mammalian cells. transcription Chair, Anindya Dutta, Univ. of Virginia Chair, Jerry Workman, Stowers Inst. for Med. Res. DNA replication and genome stability: Lessons from Functional analysis of complexes that modulate budding yeast chromatin structure and regulate transcriptional John F.X. Diffley, Cancer Res.UK London Res. Inst. memory Robert E. Kingston, Massachusetts Gen. Hosp., Selection, activation andregulation of eukaryotic Harvard Med. Sch. origins of replication Additional Speakers will be Stephen P. Bell, MIT From nucleosome to heterochromatin, their chosen from the abstracts formation and maintenance submitted to the ASBMB Genevieve Almouzni, Institut Curie Regulation of Gene Expression Transcription Networks and Chromosome Transactions Using chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with Signaling to the Nucleus topic categories. genomic microarrays to identify target genes for human transcription factors Nuclear retinoid receptor phosphorylation and Chair, Peggy J. Farnham, Univ. of Wisconsin- transduction of the retinoid signal Travel Awards Available for Madison Chair, Cecile Rochette-Egly, Strausbourg Undergraduates, Graduates, Michael Cole, Princeton Univ. STAT3: Transcriptional control studies and cancer Postdoctoral Fellows and Michael Snyder, Yale Univ. therapy Undergraduate Faculty James E. Darnell, Jr., The Rockefeller Univ.

Transcription Regulatory Chromatin modification and rapid gene induction More Information: Mechanisms Louis C. Mahadevan, Oxford Univ. ASBMB Meetings Office 9650 Rockville Pike Dynamics of RNA polymerase II transcription Bethesda, MD 20814 Chair, Marc Timmers, Univ. Med. Ctr.-Utrecht, The Netherlands Tel: 301-634-7145 Fax: 301-634-7126 Mapping protein-protein interactions in the Email: [email protected] transcription preinitiation complex using www.asbmb.org photocrosslinking and artificial proteases Steve Hahn, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Res. Ctr. Analysis of the mechanisms of regulation of yeast RNA polymerase II transcription Tony Weil, Vanderbilt Univ.

www.faseb.org/meetings/asbmbø4 Abstract Deadline: February 11, 2004 GENOMICS, PROTEOMICS AND BIOINFORMATICS MEETING

Organized by Charlie Boone, Univ. of Toronto and Michael Snyder, Yale Univ.

Orfeomics and Interaction Bioinformatics: Comparative Networks Genomics Chair, Charlie Boone, Univ. of Toronto Claire Fraser, Inst. for Genomic Research, Rockville, MD Michael Snyder, Yale Univ. , Swiss Inst. of Bioinformatics Additional Speakers will be Marc Vidal, Dana Farber Cancer Inst. Ford Doolittle, Dalhousie Univ., Nova Scotia chosen from the abstracts Brenda J. Andrews, Univ. of Toronto submitted to the ASBMB Genomics, Proteomics and Proteomics and Medicine Bioinformatics topic categories. Macromolecular Machines Proteomic and functional genomics in translational Chair, Brian Chait, Rockefeller Univ. breast cancer research Travel Awards Available for Proteomic and genetic dissection of the yeast Chair, Julio Celis, Danish Cancer Society Undergraduates, Graduates, transcription apparatus Molecular pathway analysis in cancer using Jack Greenblatt, Univ. of Toronto Postdoctoral Fellows and proteomics Undergraduate Faculty Sam Hanash, Univ. of Michigan Phosphoproteome Steven A. Carr, Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. More Information: Chair, Kevan Shokat, UCSF ASBMB Meetings Office 9650 Rockville Pike Donald F. Hunt, Univ. of Virginia Bioinformatics and Networks Bethesda, MD 20814 Direct imaging and profiling of proteins in tissues Chair, David Eisenberg, UCLA Tel: 301-634-7145 using mass spectrometry to aid diagnosis and Mark B. Gerstein Fax: 301-634-7126 treatment of disease and to identify therapeutic Email: [email protected] targets David Sabatini www.asbmb.org Richard Caprioli, Vanderbilt Univ.

www.faseb.org/meetings/asbmbø4 Abstract Deadline: February 11, 2004 PROTEIN STRUCTURE, CATALYSIS AND DYNAMICS MEETING

Organized by Susan Taylor, UCSD

PLENARY LECTURE Site-Directed Drug Discovery James A. Wells, Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., S. San Francisco

Molecular Assemblies I Ligand-Receptor Dynamics Chair, Mike Rosen, Univ. of Texas, Southwestern Chair, Heidi Hamm, Vanderbilt Univ. Eva Nogales, HHMI, UC, Berkeley Andrew Hincks, Univ. of Texas, San Antonio

Additional Speakers will be Peter E. Wright, Scripps Res. Inst. Kathryn M. Ferguson, Univ. of Penn Sch. of Med. chosen from the abstracts Jamie Williamson, Scripps Res. Inst. John J.G. Tesmer, Univ. of Texas at Austin submitted to the ASBMB Protein Structure, Catalysis and Dynamics topic categories. Molecular Assemblies II Tethering and Targeting of Abstract deadline: 2/4/004 Proteins Chair, Mike Rosen, Univ. of Texas, Southwestern Chair, Lewis C. Cantley, Beth Israel Deaconess Katryn Rittinger, NIMR, MRC, London Travel Awards Available for Med. Ctr. Undergraduates, Graduates, Benjamin J. Neel, Beth Israel Deaconess Med. Ctr. Postdoctoral Fellows and Dynamics of Catalysis I Undergraduate Faculty Michael Yaffe, MIT Chair, T.K. Harris, Univ. of Miami Med. Ctr.

More Information: Joseph A. Adams, UCSD ASBMB Meetings Office Lewis E. Kay, Univ. of Toronto 9650 Rockville Pike Bethesda, MD 20814 Tel: 301-634-7145 Dynamics of Catalysis II Fax: 301-634-7126 Chair, Rowena G. Matthews, Univ. of Michigan Email: [email protected] www.asbmb.org John Kuriyan, UC, Berkeley Joseph T. Jarrett, Univ. of Pennsylvania David Barford, Inst. of Cancer Res., London

www.faseb.org/meetings/asbmbø4 Abstract Deadline: February 11, 2004 Cancer Biologists and Cardiologist Take New Look at Aggressive Tumors ollaboration between a Univer- Kate Daum Research Professor of “chameleon-like” ability of aggressive sity of Iowa cardiologist and Anatomy and Cell Biology and Depart- tumor cells raises some clinically impor- C cancer biologists at the Univer- ment Head, who is an ASBMB member tant issues. “This plasticity represents a sity’s Holden Comprehensive Cancer and former FASEB President. clinical challenge in trying to detect Center, the Scripps Research Institute in The finding that tumor cells have anti- aggressive tumor cells, but it also pro- California, and Kanagawa Cancer Cen- coagulant properties similar to endothe- vides new insights on how we might ter Hospital and Research Center in lial cells prompted the researchers to target them more effectively.” Japan utilized a multidisciplinary analyze whether there was blood flow approach to learn more about how within these tumors in extravascular aggressive cancer cells function and how spaces lined by tumor cells. ASBMB Welcomes they differ from poorly aggressive cancer University of Iowa Cardiologist Robert cells. The study, which appeared in the Weiss, Associate Professor of Internal New Ph.D.s September 1, 2003, issue of Cancer Medicine, used Doppler imaging to ana- ASBMB extends its congratulations Research, may also suggest potential new lyze blood flow to these individuals who recently therapeutic targets for cancer treatment. within tumors. received their Ph.D. degrees. In Previous studies had found that The researchers recognition of their achievement, aggressive tumor cells express genes saw an exchange ASBMB is presenting them with a that are more normally associated with of blood from the free one-year membership in the other cell types, including endothelial normal vascula- Society. The new Ph.D.s are listed cells that line blood vessels. Also, ture (blood ves- below with the institution from aggressive cancer cells are able to form sels) at the which they received their degree. vascular-like, fluid-conducting net- periphery of the Stephane Angers, works, an ability known as vasculo- Dr. Mary Hendrix tumor through University of Montreal genic mimicry that resembles the tumor-cell-lined extravascular spaces Christina R. Bourne, behavior of embryonic cells that form within the aggressive tumor. University of Oklahoma Health primitive vascular networks. Tumors Although the precise role of the Sciences Center that have fluid-conducting networks extravascular intra-tumoral network Suresh Guruswamy, are much more aggressive than tumors remains unclear, one possibility might University of Oklahoma Health that do not have those networks. be that the meshwork may provide a Sciences Center The study focused on a few of the nutritional exchange for aggressive Shalaka Metkar, genes that are expressed by aggressive, tumors that might prevent cell death University of Mumbai, India but not by poorly aggressive, tumor within the tumor. Michael A. Morgan, cells. These genes normally are The observation that aggressive tumor Hannover Medical School involved in regulating anticoagulant, cells over-express key anticoagulation Oluwakemi Obajimi,* or blood-clotting, activity in endothe- pathway genes may help to explain how UHI Millennium Institute in lial cells. The study suggests that the blood could flow through aggressive the United Kingdom expression of these genes by aggressive tumors prior to the growth of new blood Devon Taylor, tumor cells provides the cells with vessels within the tumor compartment. The Graduate Center, City anticoagulant capabilities that are simi- “This is yet another example of the University of New York lar to those in blood vessel cells. plasticity of aggressive melanoma Li Zhang, “Essentially our observations indi- tumor cells in that they can mimic The Graduate School, City cated that the aggressive melanoma other cell types, such as endothelial University of New York tumor cells behaved in a similar man- cells, and our study provides a mecha- * Candidates with an asterisk were previous Associate members who met the ner as do endothelial cells that form nistic example of how they do it,” Dr. requirements for a free one-year membership. blood vessels,” said Mary Hendrix, the Hendrix said. She added that this

JANUARY 2004 ASBMBToday 17 MEMBERS IN THE NEWS

Enzyme Revealed as Key to Fungus’s Ability to Breach Immune System

newly discovered mechanism noted that the findings in Cryptococ- Mice infected with the flavohemo- by which an infectious fun- cus are likely relevant to other infec- globin-deficient C. neoformans survived A gus evades the immune sys- tious microbes. New drugs that target for five days longer than those infected tem could lead to novel methods to these enzymes might therefore repre- with the normally virulent strain. In fight the fungus and other disease- sent effective treatments for a wide contrast, the normal and mutant fun- causing microbes, according to range of infectious diseases, he added. gal strains were equally virulent in Howard Hughes Medical Institute The human immune system uses a mice whose immune cells could not investigators at Duke University Med- two-pronged mechanism to fight produce nitric oxide, the team ical Center. infection: a rapid innate response and reported. Disruption of a a slower adaptive The mutant fungus also failed to key enzyme in the response that grow normally in laboratory dishes fungus Cryptococ- depends on the containing macrophage cells, further cus neoformans, a production of anti- implicating the innate immune system common cause of bodies. Key com- in the loss of virulence exhibited by infection of the ponents of the fungi lacking flavohemoglobin. central nervous innate immune Dr. Stamler reported, “We found that system in patients system are macro- a mutant C. neoformans strain lacking such as organ Dr. Jonathan Stamler Dr. Joseph Heitman phages that engulf the flavohemoglobin enzyme failed to transplant recipients who lack a func- and kill invading pathogens by using a break down nitric oxide in laboratory tioning immune system, led to a sig- combination of oxidants, including cultures. Fungus with the enzyme defi- nificant loss of fungal virulence in hydrogen peroxide, nitric oxide and ciency also ceased to grow when in the mice. That loss stemmed from the fun- related molecules. presence of nitric oxide, whereas ordi- gus’s inability to launch a counterat- “The body must rely on nary fungus survived normally. A sec- tack against components of the innate macrophages of the innate immune ond enzyme, S-ntrosoglutathione immune system. system to protect itself before the adap- (GSNO) reductase, also had a protec- The Duke-based team-led by HHMI tive immune system can respond to tive role. Thus both NO and GSNO are geneticist and ASBMB member, invasion,” Dr. Heitman noted. “While evidently produced by the mammalian Joseph Heitman, Director of Duke’s much is known about how pathogens host to fight infection “ Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, defend themselves against hydro- “By disabling either the fungal nitric and HHMI biochemist Jonathan gen peroxide produced by the oxide defense system or the immune Stamler, also an ASBMB member, macrophages, this study is the first bio- system’s ability to produce nitric oxide, reported their findings in the Novem- logically relevant test of what microbes we were able to tip the balance one ber 11, 2003, issue of Current Biology. do to counteract nitric oxide and pro- way or the other, in favor of the fungal The work was funded by the National mote infection.” infection or the host,” Dr. Heitman Institutes of Allergy and Infectious The researchers found that a mutant explained. “That raises the possibility Diseases and the Burroughs Well- C. neoformans strain lacking the flavo- that we could treat infectious disease come Fund. hemoglobin enzyme failed to break with drugs that either inhibit fungal The “fungal defense” enzyme, down nitric oxide in laboratory cul- defense enzymes or increase the innate flavohemoglobin, which catalyzes the tures. Fungus with the enzyme defi- immune system’s ability to mount a oxidation of NO to nitrate is preva- ciency also ceased to grow when in the nitrosative attack.” lent among many bacterial and fun- presence of nitric oxide, whereas ordi- “The production of nitric oxide gal pathogens, and Dr. Heitman nary fungus survived normally. and other nitrosants serves as both

18 ASBMBToday JANUARY 2004 MEMBERS IN THE NEWS

Mathematical Modeling Predicts Cellular Communication From the moment its life begins, providing an interaction surface), axin the fate of a multicellular organism and APC, they found that these two an immediate early innate immune depends on how well its cells com- proteins were present in dramatically defense mounted prior to adaptive municate. Proteins act as molecular different concentrations, with axin at immunity, and likely also functions switchboard operators to keep the very low levels relative to the other in aspects of controlling infections lines of communication open and signaling components and APC at during long term latency for faculta- the flow of cellular messages on track. similar concentrations to other signal- tive intracellular pathogens,” he But charting the protein interactions, ing components. With this informa- added. “Our work reveals for the first signaling pathways, and other ele- tion in hand, and after refinements time in a true physiological context ments that regulate these networks is based on additional experiments, they the role of specific enzymatic defenses no small feat. There are many players were able to develop a model that in a ubiquitous human pathogen. that interact in complicated ways. could not only simulate the behavior “Specifically, the enzymes flavo- Furthermore, these efforts have been of the main players in the hemoglobin denitrosylase and S- hampered by the lack of quantitative pathway–with or without a Wnt sig- nitrosoglutathione reductase were data—measurements of signal dura- nal—but which also suggested why shown to promote fungal virulence, tion, amplitude, and fluctuation—on the two scaffold proteins are present and to act specifically in defense these regulatory pathways. in different concentrations. The low against nitrosative challenge. We In a combination of mathematical level of axin here may help the path- expect this to be a broadly deployed modeling and precise quantitative ways retain their modularity, prevent- pathogenic defense mechanism, and measurements, ASBMB member Marc ing the Wnt pathway from interfering to play central roles in virulence in Kirschner, of Harvard Medical with the other pathways. bacteria, fungi, and parasites. School, and Reinhart Heinrich, of These findings demonstrate that “These findings raise the possibility Humboldt University, Berlin, and col- modeling can offer powerful new of enhancing the host production of leagues focused their efforts on a insights into the workings of complex nitrosative stress as an adjunct to well-studied signaling pathway, the signaling systems, cutting through antimicrobial therapy and there has Wnt pathway, which plays a role the static to pick up important signals been a report in the Lancet (February both in various stages of embryonic even in those pathways that are well 22, 2003) that low arginine levels, the development and in carcinogenesis. understood. The results have impor- metabolic precursor in NO production, Like most signaling pathways, Wnt is tant implications for developmental are correlated with increased severity highly conserved. Consequently, biology and human disease. The Wnt and risk of cerebral malaria in children developing tools that elucidate the pathway is often activated during car- in Africa. Thus, even simple diet sup- Wnt pathway not only provide cinogenesis. Mutations in several of plementation might have an impact insights into this important pathway these signaling proteins have been on the course of infectious disease, as is but have implications for under- linked to colon cancer, which sug- known to be the case with vitamin A standing communication pathways gests that cancer can develop when supplementation and risk of death in animals from jellyfish to humans. signals in the Wnt circuitry somehow from measles infection. The impor- In order to develop their model, the get crossed. By predicting how quan- tance of our findings is to provide researchers needed to know the con- titative factors may influence the insight into the physiological func- centrations of the various signaling behavior of signaling networks, math- tions of this broadly conserved family components. When they measured ematical models such as this could of NO detoxifying enzymes, specifi- the concentrations of the principal shed light on the role that break- cally in a role during infection by a scaffold proteins (which bring other downs in cellular communication common pathogenic fungus, Crypto- components in a pathway together by play in carcinogenesis. coccus neoformans.”

JANUARY 2004 ASBMBToday 19 Bone Marrow Fusion With Nerve one marrow cells can fuse an ongoing debate, the answer to injury, stroke or such illnesses as with specialized brain cells, which has major implications for the Parkinson’s disease. B possibly bolstering the brain potential use of certain stem cell types Dr. Blau had previously shown that cells or repairing damage, according to in tissue repair and gene therapy. This transplanted bone marrow cells can research from the Stanford University research shows that for complex brain wind their way up to the brain in School of Medicine. Whether stem cells cells called Purkinje cells, fusion is the humans where they take on character- can be reprogrammed or not is the sub- normal pathway. istics of Purkinje cells–large cells in the ject of some controversy. Marked cells ASBMB member Helen Blau, the part of the brain that controls muscu- can be found in various organs after Donald E. and Delia B. Baxter Profes- lar movement and balance. She had transplantation, and there is a need to sor of Pharmacology, said the next also shown that mature cells in a lab know whether they have differentiated step is to learn under what circum- dish can fuse with other cell types and into cells characteristic of that tissue, or stances bone marrow cells fuse with take on characteristics of those cells. fused with preexisting cells there. Purkinje cells. “If you know what In her most recent work, published in Do adult stem cells transform from those signals are, you could deliver the the October 16, 2003, issue of Nature Cell bone marrow cells into other cell signal to damaged tissue and recruit Biology, Dr. Blau showed that the bone types, such as brain, muscle or liver the body’s own bone marrow cells to marrow cells in mice fuse with existing cells, or do they fuse with those cells to treat disease.” She hopes these Purkinje cells and activate genes nor- form a single entity with two nuclei? recruited bone marrow cells may be a mally made in Purkinje cell nuclei. This question has been at the heart of way of repairing damage caused by “I think that fusion might be a really

20 ASBMBToday JANUARY 2004 Cells May Repair Brain Damage important biological mechanism,” mouse’s life span) they looked for signs The bone marrow nucleus in the explained Dr. Blau. She said researchers of fluorescent green cells in the ani- fused cell also acts like a Purkinje cell previously considered fusion to be less mals’ brains. nucleus, they found. When the group medically important than the idea that Over time, the group found an transplanted mice with bone marrow bone marrow cells may be able to increasing number of Purkinje cells cells that only glow green when Purk- change fates entirely, but she disagrees that glowed green under a micro- inje cell genes are active, they found with that assessment. “Fusion might be scope. Looking closely at these cells, normal-looking Purkinje cells that a sophisticated mechanism for rescuing they found two nuclei—one from the glowed green. This showed that the complex damaged cells,” Dr. Blau stated. original Purkinje cell and one from bone marrow cells had fused with She and senior research scientist Dr. the fused bone marrow cell. They Purkinje cells and activated Purkinje James Weimann transplanted mice also found that the compact nucleus cell genes. with bone marrow cells that had been of the bone marrow cell expanded Other Stanford researchers who par- genetically altered to produce a fluo- over time to take on the appearance ticipated in the study include postdoc- rescent green protein. Over the course of the more loosely packed Purkinje toral scholar Clas Johansson and of the next 18 months (75 percent of a cell nucleus. research associate Angelica Trejo. Study Of Primitive Life Form May Provide Clues To Biological Processes In Higher Organisms rimitive microorganisms pro- them difficult to study, Dr. Kennelly kinases that are responsible for phos- vide important clues as to how said. Microorganisms carry out many phorylating them, and the protein P all creatures employ a basic reg- of the same basic processes as higher phosphatases that remove the phos- ulatory mechanism to conduct the busi- organisms, but they do so with a much phate groups. The project will utilize ness of life. ASBMB member Peter smaller set of molecular machinery. a variety of approaches, including Kennelly, Professor of Biochemistry at Vir- “If you consider living cells to be a genomics, enzymology, molecular ginia Polytechnic Institute, is studying a molecular puzzle, a microorganism biology and mass spectroscopy. Ulti- primitive organism discovered in acidic puzzle contains from 10 to as many as mately, he hopes to not only identify hot springs at Yellowstone National Park 100 times fewer pieces than the all the pieces in the phosphorylation to find clues about that mechanism in human puzzle,” Dr. Kennelly said. network, but to also dissect the func- higher organisms. A $400,000 NSF grant “Solving the first puzzle will be much tional relationships between them. supports Dr. Kennelly’s investigations into faster than the second. More impor- The end product will be a molecular the process of protein phosphorylation. tantly, the parallels between microbial map that can be used as a guide to In higher organisms, thousands of and human puzzles mean that com- the solving the more complex sys- phosphorylated proteins are linked pleting the first puzzle will make solv- tems in more biologically compli- together in networks that coordinate ing the second one easier and faster.” cated organisms. the multiple chemical events that take The Kennelly lab is studying Sul- place inside each cell and modify folobus solfataricus, an extremophile Correction these processes in response to changes from the Archaea. Extremophiles live On page 20 of the November issue the in the environment. in conditions far more stressful than recipients of the 2002 ASBMB-Merck While the great size of these net- other life forms can endure. Award were erroneously identified as Dr. works provides them with a high Dr. Kennelly and his students aim Robert G. Roeder and Dr. Robert D. capacity to process a broad spectrum of to identify the proteins that are con- Kornberger. It was Dr. Roger D. Korn- environmental factors and select trolled by phosphorylation in Sul- berg, and not Robert D. Kornberger, who appropriate responses, it also renders folobus solfataricus, the protein shared the 2002 award with Dr. Roeder.

JANUARY 2004 ASBMBToday 21 BIOTECH BUSINESS NEWS

by John D. Thompson, Editor

Britain Maps Plans for Biotech Innovation Britain as a global leader in the bio- . The UK biotech sub-sec- United Kingdom to allow collaboration science industry is the vision of a tor includes over 400 companies, between the National Health Service report issued in mid-November of last employing over 25,000 people and and industry. It also calls for supportive year by a consortium of the UK gov- generates revenues of £3 billion. The regulations particularly for drug devel- ernment and the country’s BioIndustry UK industry also has what it regards as opment, appropriate funding, and a Association (BIA). an impressive number of drugs in its sufficient supply of scientists. The The report, Biotech Innovation and pipeline with 194 in development and group also advised the government to Growth (BIGT), is the result of a seven- 23 in phase III clinical trials. establish a network of bioprocessing month project launched by Lord Sains- Among other recommendations, the centers of excellence across the United bury, Parliamentary Under Secretary of BIGT report advises establishing a Kingdom to develop the biomanufac- State for Science and Innovation, and national clinical trials agency in the turing sector. Lord Hunt, then a Minister at the Department of Health, in partnership Cumbre, University of Wisconsin Publish Data with the BioIndustry Association (BIA). The mandate of the BIGT was to take a on Bacterial RNA Polymerase Inhibitor strategic approach to the future of the Cumbre Inc., a privately held bio- ful new tool to study the mecha- bioscience industry in the UK. pharmaceutical company, announced nism of the central enzyme in the The BIGT’s vision is that by 2015 the the publication of a research paper in process of gene expression. At least UK will have secured its position as a the October 24, 2003, issue of Science as importantly, they also hold great global leader in bioscience. This means entitled “A new class of bacterial RNA promise for the development of new the nation will boast: a diverse, self- polymerase inhibitor affects antibiotics that target bacterial sustaining bioscience sector, with a nucleotide addition.” The paper pathogens, which is now a high-pri- core of large, profitable companies; the describes the identification and char- ority need in both medicine and most efficient and effective setting for acterization of the “CBR703” class of bio-defense.” conducting clinical trials in the world; inhibitors through combined efforts A. Simon Lynch, Ph.D., Cumbre’s and a healthcare system, regulatory in biochemistry, genetics and struc- Director of Research, added, “We are regime and business environment that tural modeling with contributions excited about the development support bioscience innovation. from both Cumbre researchers and potential of the CBR703 series, and The report envisions two significant scientists from the University of Wis- are pleased to be able to contribute benefits for the UK in achieving this consin-Madison. to the RNA polymerase research vision: Co-author Robert Landick, Ph.D., community through provision of a Improved national health, through an ASBMB member and Professor of novel experimental tool. We hope improved clinical performance and Bacteriology at the University of that ongoing efforts to determine early access to innovative medicine. Wisconsin-Madison, whose labora- high resolution X-ray structures of Increased national wealth: enhanced tory is primarily focused on studies RNA polymerase-inhibitor com- Gross Domestic Product by maintain- of regulatory mechanisms that con- plexes will both aid Cumbre’s antibi- ing and supporting a high growth, trol gene expression in bacteria, otic development program and yield high margin, high value-added, knowl- commented, “The Cumbre RNA additional insight regarding the fun- edge-based industry. polymerase inhibitors are a major damental processes underlying the The UK is currently number two in breakthrough. They give us a power- transcription elongation cycle.” the global bioscience industry, after the

22 ASBMBToday JANUARY 2004 BIOTECH BUSINESS NEWS

Genentech Exec Says Stock Option Expensing May Harm Small Companies During testimony November 12 based employee stock options without is that the proposal would seriously before the Senate Subcommittee on providing investors with consistent, hinder small, start-up biotechnology Securities and Investment, Walter K. comparable and reliable financial companies, which frequently offer Moore, Vice President for Government information,” Moore stated in testi- stock options as part of an employee’s Affairs at Genentech Inc., said that mony submitted to the Senate panel. overall compensation package proposed accounting rules mandating Proponents of the proposed changes Moore told Senate panel members that that companies expense employee in the FASB accounting standards existing problems with current option stock options will be detrimental to argue that stock option expensing will valuation methods applied by the FASB biotechnology firms—particularly provide investors with a clearer under- must be addressed or new models must small, biotech start-up companies, standing of a company’s financial be developed before wide scale account- which often use stock options as an health. However, Genentech’s position ing changes are implemented. enticement for employee recruitment. Under current accounting standards, companies are permitted but are not Creating Biobased Plastics from Corn required to expense employee stock Creating environmentally friendly “Development of value-added prod- options. The Financial Accounting Stan- plastics, fibers and films from a corn ucts from DDG is crucial to the future dards Board (FASB), however, is consid- byproduct is one focus of a new profitability of the ethanol industry,” ering a proposal that would require all research project between South he explained. “There are potentially companies to expense the options. Dakota State University (SDSU), Iowa high-value oils and proteins which are Such a proposal would “greatly State University (ISU), and Midwest not converted to ethanol by the yeast. impact all companies that use broad- Grain Processors Corp., an ethanol They may provide beneficial nutrition company. or health benefits for humans.” The study is funded by a $1 million The two-year research project calls Euros Missing joint grant from the U.S. Department for first extracting those high valued The € symbol for euros was inadver- of Agriculture and the Department of oils and proteins from the DDG. Sci- tently dropped from the article “Ger- Energy. Approximately half of the entists then will use thermal gasifica- many Pumps Extra Funding into grant goes to SDSU, and the rest to tion on the remaining DDG product Biotech Firms” in the December issue of ISU. The project is one of only 19 to produce “syngas,” a mixture of ASBMB Today. The € should have selected for funding from among 400 carbon monoxide and hydrogen. appeared before expenses in euros applications. That syngas serves as feedstock for which should have read as, for exam- Associate Professor of Agricultural anaerobic fermentation in which ple: Federal Minister of Education and and Biosystems Engineering James microorganisms feed on the carbon Research Edelgard Bulmahn announced Julson, SDSU coordinator for the sub- monoxide to produce the biopoly- a commitment to spending an extra contract, said the goal is to develop mer polyhydroxyalkonates, or PHAs, €100 million ($117 million) on the sec- value-added products from distillers’ which have potential applications in tor in the next four years, with the dried grains (DDG), a byproduct from the manufacture of degradable plas- money being directed to small- and the production of ethanol from corn. tics, synthetic fibers and films. medium-sized biotech companies.

JANUARY 2004 ASBMBToday 23 Calendar of Scientific Meetings

FEBRUARY 2004 APRIL 2004 Second International Conference on Ubiquitin, 7th International Conference on Plasma Membrane Ubiquitin-Like Proteins, and Cancer Redox Systems and their Role in Biological Stress and February 5-7 • University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Disease Center, Houston April 14-17 • Asilomar State Park and Conference Center, To allow for the optimal exchange of ideas, the conference will Pacific Grove, California be limited to 175 attendees, who will be selected based on past Website: http://redox.cfs.purdue.edu contributions and/or newly developed interests in this field. In addition to the invited speakers, all attendees are encouraged Experimental Biology 2004 to present posters and some will be invited to present them at the podium. Due to the limited number of attendees, you are April 17–21 • Washington, DC encouraged submit online applications prior to the November Deadline for Submission of Abstracts: November 12, 2003 15, 2003 deadline. Contact: Amy Heaton; Ph: 713-745-6826 Website: http://www.faseb.org/meetings/eb2004/ email: [email protected]; website: http://www.sentrin.org Xth International Symposium on and Biophysical Society 48th Annual Meeting Amyloidosis February 14–18 • Baltimore, Maryland April 18-22 • Tours, France Abstract Deadline: October 5, 2003 A transdisciplinary meeting that will Early Registration Deadline: December 12, 2003 address basic as well as clinical aspects of this field Ph: 301-634-7114; Fx: 301-634-7133 Deadline for Receipt of Abstracts: December 15th, 2003 Website: http://www.biophysics.org/annmtg/site-index.htm Abstracts must be submitted in English and only via the web via http://www.colloquium.fr/isaa2004 where you will find all 50th Anniversary Gordon Conference on Isotopes in the necessary information for submission. Biological and Chemical Sciences COLLOQUIUM-ISAA2004, 12 rue de la Croix-Faubin 75557 PARIS cedex 11 (France); Ph: +33 (0)1 44 64 15 15 February 15–20 • Ventura, California Fx: +33 (0)1 44 64 15 16; email: [email protected] Chair: David N. Silverman, Vice Chair: Charles L. Perrin Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.grc.org/programs/2004/isotopes.htm MAY 2004 FEBS Lecture Course on Cellular Signaling & 4th The 1st Gordon Research Conference on The Biology of Dubrovnik Signaling Conference 14-3-3 Proteins May 21-27 • Dubrovnik, Croatia February 22–27 • Ventura, California Application Deadline: March 1, 2004 Chairs: Haian Fu & David Klein, Vice-Chair: Alastair Aitken The FEBS Lecture Course on Cellular Signaling and 4th Email: [email protected] Dubrovnik Signaling Conference are meeting jointly so that Website: http://www.grc.org/programs/2004/14-3-3.htm students who participate at the FEBS Lecture Course will also be able to attend all seminars and will have special tutorial ses- Association for Biomolecular Resource Facilities sions organized for their education. 2004 Annual Meeting TOPICS: Signaling cascades, Protein kinases and phosphatases, Cell compartmentalization and signaling, Receptor endocyto- February 28–March 2 • Portland, Oregon sis and trafficking, Structural biology, GTPase signaling and Abstract Deadline: November 21, 2003 diseases, Molecular targets for cancer therapy, Proteomics, Early Registration Deadline: January 16, 2004 Diabetes and Cardiovascular diseases Ph: 301-634-7010; Fx: 301-634-7014; Email: [email protected] website: http://www.icst.irb.hr Website: www.faseb.org/meetings/abrf2004

MARCH 2004 JUNE 2004 Oxygen Club of California 2004 Congress American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Annual Meeting and 8th IUBMB Conference Co-sponsored by the Linus Pauling Institute and the Society of Free Radical Research International June 12–16 • Boston, Massachusetts March 10–13 • Santa Barbara, California Contact: Kelly Gull; Ph: 301-634-7145; Fx: 301-634-7126 Contacts: Enrique Cadenas ([email protected]); Lester Packer Email: [email protected]; Website: www.asbmb.org/meetings ([email protected]); Website: http://www.oxyclubcalifornia.org JULY 2004 24 ASBMBToday JANUARY 2004 Department Heads Take Note:

JULY 2004 4th ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF FOCIS (Federation of ASBMB Offers Clinical Immunology Societies) July 18-23 • Montréal, Canada Free Membership to Abstract submission: January 23, 2004 Travel Award applications (FOCIS): January 23, 2004 Early Registration: April 30, 2004 New Ph.D.s Website: www.immuno2004.org ASBMB is now offering a free one-year Associate membership to all students who AUGUST 2004 have, within the past year, earned a Ph.D. 12th International Conference on Second Messengers degree in the molecular life sciences or and Phospoproteins related areas. August 3–7 • Montreal, Canada ASBMB implemented this program as a Contact: [email protected] way to recognize the significant Website: http://www.secondmessengers2004.ca accomplishment of earning the Ph.D., and to provide new Ph.D.s with something tangible 8th International Symposium on the Maillard Reaction and of economic value. Membership in August 28–September 1 • Charleston, South Carolina ASBMB brings with it a free subscription to For detailed information about the meeting, including abstract the online versions of the Journal of Biological submission, a call for papers and deadlines. Website: http://Maillard.chem.sc.edu Chemistry and Molecular and Cellular Email: [email protected] Proteomics, as well as subscriptions to The Scientist and the Society’s magazine, ASBMB Today, discounts on other publications, and a SEPTEMBER 2004 host of other benefits. Stem Cell Biology: Development and Plasticity The Society is asking department chairs September 16-19 • Scheman Continuing Education Building to provide ASBMB with the names and Iowa State UniversityAmes, Iowa. addresses of each new Ph.D. recipient from Deadlines: Abstracts due July 16, 2004; registration deadline: their institutions. Upon receipt of this August 16, 2004 information, we will write the new Ph.D.s to Travel Grants: Students may apply for travel grants (applica- tions due July 16, 2004). congratulate them on their accomplishment Contact: Growth Factor and Signal Transduction Conferences and offer the free one-year membership in Symposium Office, 3208 Molecular Biology Building, Iowa ASBMB. Names and addresses of the new State University,Ames, Iowa 50011-3260 Ph.D.s should be sent to: Ph: 515-294-7978; Fx: 515-294-2244; Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.bb.iastate.edu/-gfstlhomepg.htmi Kathie Cullins Membership and Subscriptions Manager American Society for Biochemistry NOVEMBER 2004 & Molecular Biology 4th International Congress on Autoimmunity 9650 Rockville Pike Bethesda, MD 20814 November 3–7 • Budapest, Hungary Email: [email protected] Deadline for Receipt of Abstracts: June 20, 2004 Contact: 4th International Congress on Autoimmunity Kenes This is an ongoing project; please advise us International—Global Congress Organisers and Association whenever a student in your department earns the Management Services,17 Rue du Cendrier, PO Box 1726, Ph.D., so that we can make this free membership CH-1211 Geneva 1, SWITZERLAND offer to him or her. Ph: +41 22 908 0488; Fx: +41 22 732 2850 Email: [email protected] Website: www.kenes.com/autoim2004 Q: WHAT IS BLACK, WHITE, AND READ ALL OVER?

Editor Ralph A. Bradshaw University of California Irvine

Deputy Editor A.L. Burlingame A: University of California San Francisco

Associate Editors Molecular & Cellular properties of proteins and their Ruedi H. Aebersold Proteomics (MCP), expression through original Institute for Systems Biology published by the high quality research. In Seattle American Society for addition, MCP showcases Biochemistry and emerging technologies used to Patricia C. Babbitt Molecular Biology (ASBMB), actively encourages determine how the presence or absence of proteins University of California researchers to submit original papers in the areas of affects biological responses, and how interaction of San Francisco structural and functional properties of proteins and proteins with germane cellular partners allows them their expression. to function. Steven A. Carr Why submit your research to MCP? VISIBILITY OF YOUR RESEARCH… Millennium Pharmaceuticals Inc. MCP is indexed in Medline, Index Medicus, Google, Cambridge LEGACY OF HIGH EDITORIAL STAN- Yahoo, Altavista, AOL, and MSN; therefore your DARDS… As part of the family of ASBMB research will be seen around the world by more Julio E. Celis publications, MCP adheres to the same high level of researchers than ever before. Institute of Cancer Biology and editorial standards adopted nearly 100 years ago by Danish Center for Human Genome the ASBMB flagship publication and most cited OPEN ACCESS… MCP’s latest online feature, Research journal in biochemistry*, Journal of Biological Papers in Press, provides free, worldwide access to Copenhagen Chemistry (JBC). Consequently, your research com- your research on the day it is accepted for mands attention and earns the respect of your peers. publication. The result… faster publication, and Raymond Deshaies greater exposure for your research. EDITORIAL FOCUS… MCP advances the California Institute of Technology * Based on the ISI Journal Citation Reports® 2002 Edition understanding of the structural and functional Pasadena

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