Eladio Viñuela (1937–99) DNA, That Was Later Shown to Act As a Primer for Ƞ29 DNA Replication

news and views Obituary covalently linked to the 58 ends of the viral Eladio Viñuela (1937–99) DNA, that was later shown to act as a primer for f29 DNA replication. Protein Pioneer of molecular priming turned out to be a hitherto AS unknown way to initiate replication in A SAL biology in Spain both DNA- and RNA-containing viruses. From 1970, Viñuela used this basic GARIT Eladio Viñuela, who died earlier this year research background to move into the MAR in Madrid at the age of 62, was one of study of African swine fever virus, an Spain’s leading scientists. Beyond his own especially serious animal pathogen in substantial research contributions, he was southern Europe. Major contributions here an inspiration to the Spanish scientific were the description of the virus genome community, which has lost a key player in structure and replication strategies, as well developing the country’s strength in as identification of the virus attachment molecular biology. protein involved in the interaction with the Born in February 1937 in a small village animal-cell receptor, and the discovery of in Extremadura, in southwestern Spain, multigene families in the virus genome. Viñuela obtained his academic degrees at The complete sequencing of the viral DNA, the University of Madrid before moving to and identification of several genes involved the laboratory of Alberto Sols at the in the regulation of the host’s immune Spanish Research Council in Madrid. response and apoptosis, provided telling There he worked on carbohydrate insights into the biology of African swine metabolism, discovering the enzyme This was the description that, in fever virus. Basic studies of this virus are glucokinase, the synthesis of which polyacrylamide gels in the presence of the leading to more specific diagnostic tests for depends on insulin and which is detergent sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), the disease. responsible for phosphorylation of glucose there is a correlation between the Viñuela set an example through his in the liver. He also demonstrated the electrophoretic mobility of a protein and own fruitful research and international allosteric properties of yeast its molecular mass. The technique was a reputation (he was among the first Spanish phosphofructokinase, which has a revolutionary way of characterizing members of the European Molecular regulatory binding site for ATP (the end- protein molecular mass, and much faster Biology Organization). He was also a product of the pathway) that differs from than the established method involving catalyst in Spanish science in general, and the substrate site. The end-product ultracentrifugation. The paper concerned in molecular biology and virology in inhibition of phosphofructokinase by ATP was entitled “Molecular weight estimation particular, through his creation of an was proposed to act as a feedback control of polypeptide chains by electrophoresis in influential school of students. Many in the breakdown of glucose. SDS-polyacrylamide gels” and appeared in disciples of his are now senior research In 1964, Viñuela moved to New York Biochemical and Biophysical Research scientists and university professors in University to work as a postdoctoral Communications (28, 815–820; 1967). It Spain and elsewhere; the passion for the student in the laboratory of the Nobel became a Current Contents citation classic, scientific life and for rigour in research prizewinner Severo Ochoa. At that time and the technique is still widely used to that they inherited from their maestro and there was no molecular biology in Spain, determine the molecular mass of proteins amigo are transparent in Phage f29 and so, to learn this relatively new area of and to separate them according to size. the Origins of Molecular Biology in Spain, a biology, it was a must to move — At the age of 26 Viñuela had married festschrift compiled to mark his 60th preferably to the United States. This was a Margarita Salas, herself a highly talented birthday. As a co-founder of the Centro de turning point in Viñuela’s career. In New molecular biologist. They had met during Biología Molecular ‘Severo Ochoa’ in 1975, York he began collaborating with Charles their university studies in Madrid and they together with Federico Mayor, D. Vazquez Weissmann on research into the both worked in the laboratories of Sols and and A. Garcia-Bellido, it was his drive and replication of bacteriophage MS2 RNA, Ochoa (the picture here shows them vision that saw through the design and especially the mechanism of parental-type together in the lab). In 1967 they moved development of its technical department ‘plus strand’ formation. This provided back to Spain to develop molecular biology and core scientific facilities, a true further insights into how MS2 RNA and to contribute to science in their home innovation in Spanish research replicates. After this work he started to country. They brought to Spain a new institutions at that time. characterize the proteins induced after the mentality and a new way of doing science, For current and future generations of infection of Escherichia coli with phage and together they created the first Spanish researchers, Eladio Viñuela will MS2, and to study translation of MS2 RNA. department of molecular biology of the remain a guiding light. His death on 9 This was a time when the basic processes of Spanish Research Council in Madrid, March was untimely. Viñuela’s erudition, the transfer of genetic information starting with seven PhD students with capacity for organization and creativity (replication, transcription and translation) backgrounds in biology, chemistry and together made him one of the best of started to be deciphered. The remarkable medicine. scientists, and best of men. finding to emerge was that formyl As researchers, Viñuela and Salas Jesús Ávila and Federico Mayor Jr methionine is the initiator of all the complemented each other well — her Jesús Ávila and Federico Mayor Jr are in the proteins encoded by the polycistronic MS2 systematic thinking and his wide-ranging Centro de Biología Molecular ‘Severo Ochoa’, RNA in E. coli, a result that quickly made and restless intellect led them to achieve Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and its way into the textbooks. defined goals. Their investigations into the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, But Viñuela’s most influential work of morphogenesis of bacteriophage f29 Spain. this period was carried out independently. resulted in the identification of a protein, e-mail: [email protected] 822 © 1999 Macmillan Magazines Ltd NATURE | VOL 400 | 26 AUGUST 1999 | www.nature.com.

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