| Citation | Distinguished for his diverse studies on the chemistry and biochemistry of natural products and on enzyme mechanisms. Among these the most notable are the experiments on the isomerizations and reductions of double bonds during the transformations of lanosterol to cholesterol and the definition of the stereochemistry of such reactions, which enabled him to formulate a general hypothesis for the mechanism of reduction of double-bonds in sterol biochemistry. Of no less significance are his studies on porphyrin biosynthesis, on the stereochemistry of conversion of glycine to serine, and the synthesis of delta-aminolevulinic acid. Professor Akhtar's wide interests are further demonstrated by his definitive studies on the oestrogen-induced calcium-binding glycolipophosphoprotein vitellogenin in Zenopus and on the visual pigment, rhodopsin. A bibliography of 105 publications is appended. |