obituary Elisa Izaurralde 1959–2018 lisa Izaurralde, a leading RNA biologist established key roles for SMG proteins in and director of the Department of mRNA surveillance and delved into the EBiochemistry at the Max Planck molecular architecture of complexes that Institute for Developmental Biology in regulate mRNA translation by modulating Tübingen, Germany, passed away on the activity of the cytoplasmic cap-binding 30 April at the age of 58 after battling cancer. protein eIF4E. Elisa was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, Elisa’s institute not only excelled in and moved to the University of Geneva to its sustained, top-level productivity, but study biochemistry. She pursued a PhD in it also became an ideal training ground molecular biology studying the interaction for students, postdocs and junior faculty. of DNA with nuclear protein scaffolds, Elisa made it a priority to dedicate time under the guidance of Ulrich Laemmli. She to mentoring, conveying high standards then moved to Heidelberg to a postdoctoral of excellence and a supportive, can-do position in the laboratory of Iain Mattaj at attitude that made her a true role model. the European Molecular Biology Laboratory We remember how, without exception, (EMBL). There, she contributed seminal every student and postdoc from Elisa’s work leading to the identification of the lab would give outstandingly crisp, nuclear cap-binding complex (CBC), a Credit: Carolin Thiersch Photography convincing, perfectly prepared and protein heterodimer that recognizes the professionally delivered presentations at m7GpppG cap that is added to the 5′ end of An early highlight of this work was the international meetings, while her fellows eukaryotic RNA polymerase II transcripts. discovery and characterization of the cherished Elisa’s generosity with time and Further efforts established roles for the exon junction complex in collaboration her empowering smile. Unsurprisingly, CBC in pre-mRNA splicing and in nucleo- with Hervé Le Hir, Melissa Moore and many went on themselves to successful cytoplasmic export of mRNAs and uridylate- Lynne Maquat. This seminal discovery careers in research. rich small nuclear RNAs, and uncovered led to a long-term collaboration with the Elisa was a force of nature, passionately an elegant mechanism for coupling of RNA structural biologist Elena Conti, who had motivated to dissect molecular mechanisms, export from and protein import to the also established her group at EMBL. Their scientifically rigorous, intellectually fearless nucleus, mediated by importins. collaboration unearthed major insights into and wholeheartedly dedicated to her work, When Elisa returned to the University the molecular basis of mRNA transport, her group and her collaborators. She was also of Geneva to start her own independent the function of the exon junction complex a generous supporter of her field and beyond, research group, she remained fascinated by and mechanisms of mRNA degradation, serving on numerous advisory boards of the question of how mRNAs are exported especially by nonsense-mediated decay. institutes, funding agencies and journals. from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, at the Elisa and Elena jointly received the She was an elected member of the European time a largely unexplored area. Her detailed Leibniz Prize, Germany’s highest research Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), of knowledge of the literature, an analytical award, in 2008 for the “exceptional value, the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina mind and her intuition led her to use a originality and elegance of the mechanisms and a former member of the board of sequence motif involved in the export of identified.” Elisa also developed an interest directors of the RNA Society. For her viral mRNAs as a probe to investigate the in microRNA-mediated regulation and outstanding contributions, she also received mechanisms underlying the export process. quickly became a point of reference in the Ernst Jung Prize for Medicine in 2012. This triggered the discovery of TAP, a this particularly complex field. Following Elisa lived and breathed science. Her human protein that mediates mRNA export. her genuine thirst for mechanistic scientific contributions will have a long- TAP interacts with other RNA-binding understanding and her uncompromising lasting impact, as they fill many wonderful proteins as well as with nucleoporins, thus attention to detail, her group made pages of the fascinating, life-like saga offering a paradigm for how an export factor landmark discoveries on the role of the that mRNA molecules follow from their negotiates interactions between mRNP CCR4–NOT deadenylase complex and transcriptional birth to decay. She will be complexes and the nuclear pore. This was the DCP1–DCP2 decapping complex in sorely missed by her family, friends and by a defining moment in Elisa’s career, which microRNA-induced mRNA turnover. a legion of colleagues around the world, and swiftly made her a leader in the field of RNA After highly productive years at EMBL, remembered for her brilliant intellect and trafficking. The work already carried her where she was promoted to senior scientist her warm, winning smile. ❐ signature of a multidisciplinary approach, and coordinator of the Gene Expression strong biochemistry, rigorous functional Programme, Elisa was recruited as scientific Matthias W. Hentze1* and Juan Valcárcel2 dissection of mechanisms and attention to director to the Max Planck Institute for 1Director of the European Molecular Biology detail, which remained a constant of her Developmental Biology in Tübingen in Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany. 2President scientific endeavors. 2005. There, she built a widely admired of the RNA Society, Center for Genomic Regulation, When Elisa joined the Gene Expression Department of Biochemistry, integrating Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain. Programme at EMBL as a group leader molecular, structural and systems biology *e-mail: [email protected] in 1999, she naturally expanded her approaches to unravel particularly intricate interests into other aspects of mRNA questions in translational repression and Published online: 18 June 2018 metabolism and their interconnections. mRNA decay. Research at this department https://doi.org/10.1038/s41594-018-0081-1 NATURE STRUCTURAL & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY | VOL 25 | JULY 2018 | 547 | www.nature.com/nsmb 547.