Edmond H. Fischer
Encyclopedia
Edmond H. Fischer is a Swiss American
biochemist. He and his collaborator Edwin G. Krebs
were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
in 1992 for describing how reversible phosphorylation
works as a switch to activate protein
s and regulate various cellular processes.
, China
. His mother, Renée Tapernoux, was born in France, and his father, Oscar Fischer, was born in Austria. Fischer's maternal grandfather founded the "Courrier de Chine" in Shanghai, which is the first newspaper
published in French
in China; he also helped to establish "l'Ecole Municipale Française" in Shanghai, where Fischer attended primary school.
boarding school La Châtaigneraie
, near the home town of his mother, Renée Tapernoux, in Vevey
. At high school he made a pact with a childhood friend, one of them would become a doctor and the other a scientist and then they could cure the ills of the world. While at high school Fischer was admitted to the Geneva
Conservatory of Music, he also considered becoming a professional musician.
At the completion of high school Fischer wanted to study microbiology
, however he was advised to study chemistry. He studied at the University of Geneva
during World War II
, he enjoyed organic chemistry and also studied biology. He completed a PhD
in organic chemistry under the supervision of Kurt H. Meyer, who worked on the structure of polysaccharides, and the enzyme
s needed for their synthesis and breakdown. Fischer worked on alpha-amylase
.
in 1950 for post-doctoral research. He was supposed to take up a position at Caltech, but he was also, unexpectedly, offered a position at the University of Washington
, Seattle. Seattle reminded Fischer and his wife of Switzerland so they chose to settle there.
. They worked on glycogen phosphorylase
; Krebs and Fischer defined a series of reactions leading to the activation/inactivation of this enzyme as triggered by hormone
s and calcium
, and in the process discovering reversible protein phosphorylation.
Explained simply reversible protein phosphorylation works like this: a protein kinase
moves a phosphate
group from adenosine triphosphate
(ATP) to a protein. The shape and the function of the protein is altered enabling it to take part in some biological process. When the protein has completed its role a protein phosphatase
removes the phosphate and the protein reverts to its original state. This cycle takes place to control an enormous number of metabolic processes.
For the key discovery of reversible protein phosphorylation, Fischer and Krebs were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1992.
Through his career Fischer's research continued to look at the role reversible protein phosphorylation played in a variety of cellular processes.
Swiss American
Swiss Americans are Americans of Swiss descent.There are several ethno-linguistic subgroups among Swiss Americans, including Swiss German-speaking, Swiss French-speaking, and Swiss Italian-speaking....
biochemist. He and his collaborator Edwin G. Krebs
Edwin G. Krebs
-External links:*Hughes, R. 1998. *Krebs, E.G. * *...
were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine administered by the Nobel Foundation, is awarded once a year for outstanding discoveries in the field of life science and medicine. It is one of five Nobel Prizes established in 1895 by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, in his will...
in 1992 for describing how reversible phosphorylation
Phosphorylation
Phosphorylation is the addition of a phosphate group to a protein or other organic molecule. Phosphorylation activates or deactivates many protein enzymes....
works as a switch to activate protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
s and regulate various cellular processes.
Early life
Fischer was born in ShanghaiShanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. His mother, Renée Tapernoux, was born in France, and his father, Oscar Fischer, was born in Austria. Fischer's maternal grandfather founded the "Courrier de Chine" in Shanghai, which is the first newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
published in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
in China; he also helped to establish "l'Ecole Municipale Française" in Shanghai, where Fischer attended primary school.
Switzerland
At age 7 he and his two older brothers were sent to the SwissSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
boarding school La Châtaigneraie
La Châtaigneraie (school)
La Châtaigneraie is a private, international, coeducational day school. It is part of the Foundation of the International School of Geneva and offers a comprehensive education in English or French for students from age 4 to 18...
, near the home town of his mother, Renée Tapernoux, in Vevey
Vevey
Vevey is a town in Switzerland in the canton Vaud, on the north shore of Lake Geneva, near Lausanne.It was the seat of the district of the same name until 2006, and is now part of the Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut District...
. At high school he made a pact with a childhood friend, one of them would become a doctor and the other a scientist and then they could cure the ills of the world. While at high school Fischer was admitted to the Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
Conservatory of Music, he also considered becoming a professional musician.
At the completion of high school Fischer wanted to study microbiology
Microbiology
Microbiology is the study of microorganisms, which are defined as any microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell , cell clusters or no cell at all . This includes eukaryotes, such as fungi and protists, and prokaryotes...
, however he was advised to study chemistry. He studied at the University of Geneva
University of Geneva
The University of Geneva is a public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland.It was founded in 1559 by John Calvin, as a theological seminary and law school. It remained focused on theology until the 17th century, when it became a center for Enlightenment scholarship. In 1873, it...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he enjoyed organic chemistry and also studied biology. He completed a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in organic chemistry under the supervision of Kurt H. Meyer, who worked on the structure of polysaccharides, and the enzyme
Enzyme
Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. In enzymatic reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process, called substrates, are converted into different molecules, called products. Almost all chemical reactions in a biological cell need enzymes in order to occur at rates...
s needed for their synthesis and breakdown. Fischer worked on alpha-amylase
Amylase
Amylase is an enzyme that catalyses the breakdown of starch into sugars. Amylase is present in human saliva, where it begins the chemical process of digestion. Food that contains much starch but little sugar, such as rice and potato, taste slightly sweet as they are chewed because amylase turns...
.
USA
Fischer went to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1950 for post-doctoral research. He was supposed to take up a position at Caltech, but he was also, unexpectedly, offered a position at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
, Seattle. Seattle reminded Fischer and his wife of Switzerland so they chose to settle there.
Research
Six months after his arrival in Seattle, Fischer began collaborating with Ed KrebsEdwin G. Krebs
-External links:*Hughes, R. 1998. *Krebs, E.G. * *...
. They worked on glycogen phosphorylase
Glycogen phosphorylase
Glycogen phosphorylase is one of the phosphorylase enzymes . Glycogen phosphorylase catalyzes the rate-limiting step in the degradation of glycogen in animals by releasing glucose-1-phosphate from the terminal alpha-1,4-glycosidic bond...
; Krebs and Fischer defined a series of reactions leading to the activation/inactivation of this enzyme as triggered by hormone
Hormone
A hormone is a chemical released by a cell or a gland in one part of the body that sends out messages that affect cells in other parts of the organism. Only a small amount of hormone is required to alter cell metabolism. In essence, it is a chemical messenger that transports a signal from one...
s and calcium
Calcium
Calcium is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft gray alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth-most-abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust...
, and in the process discovering reversible protein phosphorylation.
Explained simply reversible protein phosphorylation works like this: a protein kinase
Protein kinase
A protein kinase is a kinase enzyme that modifies other proteins by chemically adding phosphate groups to them . Phosphorylation usually results in a functional change of the target protein by changing enzyme activity, cellular location, or association with other proteins...
moves a phosphate
Phosphate
A phosphate, an inorganic chemical, is a salt of phosphoric acid. In organic chemistry, a phosphate, or organophosphate, is an ester of phosphoric acid. Organic phosphates are important in biochemistry and biogeochemistry or ecology. Inorganic phosphates are mined to obtain phosphorus for use in...
group from adenosine triphosphate
Adenosine triphosphate
Adenosine-5'-triphosphate is a multifunctional nucleoside triphosphate used in cells as a coenzyme. It is often called the "molecular unit of currency" of intracellular energy transfer. ATP transports chemical energy within cells for metabolism...
(ATP) to a protein. The shape and the function of the protein is altered enabling it to take part in some biological process. When the protein has completed its role a protein phosphatase
Phosphatase
A phosphatase is an enzyme that removes a phosphate group from its substrate by hydrolysing phosphoric acid monoesters into a phosphate ion and a molecule with a free hydroxyl group . This action is directly opposite to that of phosphorylases and kinases, which attach phosphate groups to their...
removes the phosphate and the protein reverts to its original state. This cycle takes place to control an enormous number of metabolic processes.
For the key discovery of reversible protein phosphorylation, Fischer and Krebs were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1992.
Through his career Fischer's research continued to look at the role reversible protein phosphorylation played in a variety of cellular processes.