Turkish Journal of Biochemistry – Türk Biyokimya Dergisi 2015; 40(6): 438–439

Editorial

Gulnihal Kulaksız Erkmen My Ph.D. CO-Advisor Dr. Aziz Sancar

Doktora Tez Hocam Dr. Sancar

doi 10.1515/tjb-2015-0046

The Nobel Awards, that were begun in 1901 by the foun- dation built by Alfred Nobel, was given to a Turkish sci- entist Prof.Dr. Aziz Sancar on Chemistry for the first time in its history. Prof.Dr. Aziz Sancar currently progressing his studies with a big team in the Biochemistry and Bio- physics Department of Medical School of University of North Carolina. He has variety of articles published in many popular journals in the area of DNA damage res- ponses and biological rthym, and has many awards both national and international. In the science history, he has great contributions on DNA repair through defining whole steps of nucleotide excision repair (NER) in E. coli, and the defining, cloning the participating proteins of the human body nucleotide excision repair system and clarify its mechanism. As we know, nucleotide exicion repair plays a crucial role on the repair of the DNA damage caused by exogenous or endogenous factors. In the human body, dis- function of this repair system is associated with cancer, aging, and some neurodegenerative diseases. In human, two main DNA damages caused by ultraviolet light invol- ved in the ethiology of skin cancer are repaired by this mechanism, so this process takes place an important part in the skin cancer research area. Dr. Sancar and his research team found out that the NER protein xeroderma pigmentosum group A has a circadian rthym in mice, 2005 thus the repair of the damages caused by ultraviolet light varies by the time of the day. Those studies have an important place both in the field of biochemistry, and in tation of oligonucleotides of NER, and XR-sequencing that public health. The DNA damages caused by many of the lets genome mapping. platinum group chemoterapeutic drugs are also repaired Dr. Sancar’s lab has an extra place in my life. In 2004, by NER. Do responses to those cancer drugs are related to with the encourage of my advisor Prof. Dr. Nazmi Ozer and biological rthym? We will have chance to know the results support of TUBITAK, to accomplish my thesis studies I of those studies. In addition to that, the localization of the spent a year, and in 2015 with the support of both Hacet- damage caused ultraviolet light in the whole human body, tepe University and TUBITAK I spent 6 months in Prof. Dr. and the map of the damage in the genome has been estab- Aziz Sancar’s lab. Our studies that we held together with lished by Dr. Sancar and his team. At the same time, Prof. him as my co-adviser were published in Molecular and Cel- Dr. Aziz Sancar’s lab also developed, in vitro, and in vivo lular Biology in 2005. Our studies contributed elucidating excision assay techiques which lets experimental presen- the function of xeroderma pigmentozum group E protein Kulaksız Erkmen: My Ph.D. CO-Advisor Dr. Aziz Sancar 439

(XPE) -which is thought to play a role in the damage reco- might be in the very early in the morning or even in the gnition step-, and its complexes in NER. In those days, as night time. One of the most important thing is the Prof. Dr. in vivo excison assay has not been established yet, the role Aziz Sancar’s love of Turkey, and Atatürk. The Atatürk por- of the excinucleases could only be shown by in vitro, and trait keeps its place even the lab had moved to the new buil- by radioactive labeling. Today, non-radioactive, and in ding. Prof. Dr. Aziz Sancar also very sensitive on mother’s vivo excision assay can be performed. Both (the old and tongue, Turkish language, and he supports Prof. Dr. Oktay new) methods are developed in Dr. Sancar’s lab). It was a Sinanoglu’s ideas on that issue. Our review published in great chance for me to learn this new technique, and study the Turkish Biochemistry Journal in Turkish which we pre- on biological rthym-cancer-DNA repair relationship in pared together is also related to his Mother’s tongue sen- the same laboratory 10 years later. Although some of the sitivity. Simit (circle bread), sweet nut, and dry fig are the members worked here were changed, the working mode ones he misses a lot, because when he is asked for anything was still same. Prof. Dr. Aziz Sancar works 7 days a week in from Turkey, those things are the ones he mentions. As his his office by the lab. You can knock his door, and talk with ex-PhD student and as one of the Turks worked in his lab, him about your issue if he is available, but shortly. Weekly I can say we (Turkish members working/worked there) group meetings including Prof. Dr. Aziz Sancar and group allready assumed him the Nobel Awarder, but officially members, and the general meetings that is held in every getting that award makes us really proud. He is also visiting 2 weeks including every member of the lab –presented by Professor of Hacettepe University since 2014. We are proud only one member describing what he had done from the of Prof. Dr.Aziz Sancar, and willing to hear of his successive previous time- is a common issue. Thus, it ables sharing work forever, both for him, for us, and for Turkey. ideas, and everyone to be aware of the overall situation which lets progressing more rapidly. The working hours in *Corresponding author: Associate Professor Dr. Gulnihal Kulaksız the lab is not limited to daily working hours as 09:00 am to Erkmen: Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Department of 05:00 pm; It is related to your experiment schedule, which Medical Biochemistry, Ankara, Turkey, e-mail: [email protected]