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Turkish Journal of – Türk Biyokimya Dergisi; 2016; 41 (5): 373–376

Biochemistry Letter to the Editor – 34466

Nuriye Nuray Ulusu Cornerstones of biochemistry in stamps

Pullarda biyokimyanın temel taşları

DOI 10.1515/tjb-2016-0054 Received March 23, 2016; accepted April 6, 2016; published online October 1, 2016

1 Education and stamps

A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is pur- chased from post-office and sticking them on envelopes was very popular a few decades ago. Nowadays the way of many people interact with each other has changed and we cannot purchase stamps. Stamps have key roles in educa- tion the general public on various topics such as history; president of the republic, king, queen, (president of the republic or king or queen‘s ware dressing style and also some ideas about the population dressing), and nature and ecosystems of a geographical region, cities, literature, celebration days, foundations, scientific discoveries, well known scientists, authors, and their works, the nation‘s currency and country name.

Figure 1: A stamp published in Italy approximately in 1979 com- memorating the 200th anniversary of the death for the honour of 2 Biochemistry and stamps Spallanzani.

The history of research on chemical processes on living organisms is not as old as other scientific research the digestion of predatory birds’ gastric juices at that areas. Erasistratus (304–250 B.C) did the first scientific time human dissection was illegal [2,3]. An Italian biol- human cadaveric dissections for a short period. After ogist and physiologist Spallanzani (1729–1799) made then human dissection was forbidden and was not important contributions on biochemistry and a stamp allowed again up to 1800 years [1]. Throughout modern published in Italy approximately in 1979 commemorat- medicinal biochemistry, numerous improvements were ing the 200th anniversary of the death for the honour done by countless number of researchers beginning of Spallanzani [2,3] (Figure 1). Wohler, (1800–1882) from the Middle Ages [2]. The in 1828, was the first who synthesized urea can be said to have started with the with dissection buz- [4]. A German stamp is published in 1982 commemo- zards. A French scientist Re´aumur (1683–1757) studied rating the 100th anniversary of the death of Friedrich Wohler, which is contains the urea molecule and name Corresponding author: Nuriye Nuray Ulusu: Koç University, School of and birthday and death day of the scientist (Figure 2). Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, İstanbul, Turkey, (1822–1895; French chemist): created the e-mail: [email protected] first and on the other hand he is 374 Nuriye Nuray Ulusu: Cornerstones of biochemistry in stamps

Figure 2: A stamp published in 1982 commemorating the 100th Figure 4: A winners stamps for the honour of Gerty Cori. anniversary of the death Friedrich Wohler, which is contains the urea molecule and birthday and death day of the scientist

Figure 3: A Nobel Prize winners stamps for the honour of .

Figure 5: The 1953 discovery of DNA’s double helix. best known for his pioneering work in which led to the discovery of the molecular asymmetry of tartaric and racaemic acid had a profound consequence for struc- phate and picture of the Gerty Cori (Figure 4). Most of tural have many stamps [5]. Wilhelm Kühne the people thought that Gerty Cori was the unlucky (1837–1900): coined the term although they one among the fifteen women won Nobel Prize winners lived in the same century approximately same years as as the structure of -1-phosphate was wrong on Louis Pasteur, he has no stamps [2,3]. More than one the stamp. However mistakes can add value by this hundred years ago in 1907 the father of biochemistry way most of the people may learn the true structural Eduard Buchner investigated the conversion of formula of glucose-1-phosphate [8]. James Batcheller into in the presence of derived from Sumner (1887–1955) won Nobel Prize in 1946 and he and he had won and as received the award “for his discovery that can all the other Nobel Prize winners Eduard Buchner has be crystallized [9]. The 1953 discovery of DNA’s double his stamps (Figure 3) [6]. The investigators; Oskar Min- helix and it is one of the most important cornerstones kowski (1858-1931) and Sir Frederick G. Banting (1891– of science and technology therefore numerous galleries 1941) who made research on diabetes and insulin and and museums are honoring the anniversary with DNA their stamps have been published in 2012 [7]. A stamp with many ways. Cracking the Code by Williams Murray published in USA in 1981 emphasizing the importance Hamm (design) and Peter Brookes (illustration), 2003 is of glycogen , the artist draw glucose-1-phos- one of the most impressive stamps (Figure 5) [10]. Nuriye Nuray Ulusu: Cornerstones of biochemistry in stamps 375

Figure 8: A different point of view to mono- enzyme kinetics.

Figure 6: Guanylate cyclase properties are symbolized in motorcycle.

Figure 9: Dr. Hulusi Behçet (1889-1948) is the doctor whose name was given to a disease.

Figure 7: A different point of view to ‘The Persistence of Memory’ painting by artist Salvador Dali.

3 Highlighting research by stamps

John Kuriyan and his colleagues investigated the first structure of a eukaryotic guanylate cyclase catalytic domain and they have indicated that the differences between the adenylate and guanylate cyclase are gener- ally localized to flexible regions, some of which are pro- posed to mediate coupling with regulatory domains and other control elements. Guanylate cyclase properties are symbolized in motorcycle in a stamp in their internet link (Figure 6) [11]. Same group have compared the structure of the heme-NO and oxygen binding (H-NOX) domain in two different crystal forms and they have suggested a mech- Figure 10: The Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2015 was awarded to anism whereby alteration in the degree of distortion of three valuable scientists for their research on DNA repair and Aziz the heme group is coupled to changes on the molecular Sancar, MD, PhD is Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics. 376 Nuriye Nuray Ulusu: Cornerstones of biochemistry in stamps surface of the H-NOX domain and potentially to changes 5 References in intermolecular interaction and they have shown they refer to the ‘The Persistence of Memory’ painting by artist [1] Wiltse LL, Pait TG. Herophilus of Alexandria (325–255 B. C.). The Salvador Dali (Figure 7) [12]. The single-substrate enzy- father of anatomy. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 1998; 23(17):1904–14. matic reactions [13] can be symbolized as in the (Figure 8). [2] Ulusu NN. Curious Cases of the Enzymes. J Med Biochem 2015; 34(3):271–81. I have asked Dr. Patricia Pellicena she is also from Prof. Dr. [3] Copeland RA. A Brief History of Enzymology. In Enzymes-A John Kuriyans’ research group and she have explained me Practical Introduction to Structure. 2000;pp. 1–11, Wiley- VCH, that the stamps on the web page associated with the lab‘s Inc. New York. publications are the creation of the primary author of that [4] Richet G. An unrecognized renal physiologist: Friedrich Wohler. publication. Typically, the author chooses a stamp from Am J Nephrol 1995; 15(6):528–32. [5] Haas L. Louis Pasteur (1822–95). J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry their home country and modifies it in a way that includes 1998; 64(3):330. an aspect of the work presented in their paper. [6] Jaenicke L. Centenary of the award of a Nobel Prize to Eduard Advances in biochemistry occurred in concert with Buchner, the father of biochemistry in a test tube and thus of developments in novel technologies. In a previous study experimental molecular bioscience. Angew Chem Int Ed 2007; Vatanoğlu-Lutz and her colleague emphasize the impor- 46(36):6776–82. tance of philately on microscope development [14]. [7] Shulman ST. Metabolic Syndromes. Pediatr Ann 2012; 41(2):43–4. [8] Ochoa S, Kalckar HM. Gerty T Cori, . Science. 1958; 4;(128):16–7. [9] Simoni RD, Hill RH, Vaughan M. , the first crystalline 4 Turkish scientist stamps enzyme and the proof that enzymes are proteins: the work of James B. Sumner. J Biol Chem. 2002; 30(277):23e. Dr. Hulusi Behçet (1889-1948) is the doctor whose name [10] Art imitates life. Nat Med. 2003; 9(4):381. was given to a disease and he published a total of 196 arti- [11] Winger JA, Derbyshire ER, Lamers MH, Marletta MA, Kuriyan cles. Dr. Hulusi Behçet has a stamp for the honour of great J. The crystal structure of the catalytic domain of a eukaryotic Turkish scientists [15] (Figure 9). guanylate cyclase. BMC Struct Biol. 2008; 8(42):1–11. [12] Pellicena P, Karow DS, Boon EM, Marletta MA, Kuriyan J. The Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2015 was awarded to Crystal structure of an oxygen-binding heme domain related three valuable scientists for their research on DNA repair to soluble guanylate cyclases. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2004; and Aziz Sancar, MD, PhD is Professor of Biochemistry 101(35):12854–9. and Biophysics Born in 1946 in Savur Mardin, Turkey [16]. [13] Ulusu NN. of Enzyme kinetic mechanisms J Mol Evol A stamp published in with DNA in Turkey (Figure 10). 2015; 80 (5–6): 251–7. [14] Vatanoğlu-Lutz EE, Ataman AD Medicine in philately: Antony Over time, the worth of substances regularly changes Van Leeuwenhoek, the father of microscope/Pullardaki as the availability of rare materials increases, or the desire tıp: Antony Van Leeuwenhoek, mikroskobun kaşifi Turkish for them decreases. Stamps are relatively inexpensive and Journal of Biochemistry – Türk Biyokimya Dergisi 2016; currently we are not using them in our daily life. By far the 41(1):58–62. most expensive substance on earth is not stamp however [15] Saylan T. Life story of Dr. Hulusi Behçet. Yonsei Med J 1997; the most valuable thing is on world is having a stamp. 38(6):327–32. [16] Orren DK The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2015: Exciting discoveries in DNA repair by Aziz Sancar. Sci China Life Sci. Conflict of interest: None declared. 2016; 59(1):97–102.