| Citation | Dario Alessi is distinguished for his wide-ranging studies of protein kinases. He discovered PDK1 and showed that it was the "master" kinase required for signalling by insulin and growth factors. He defined structure of the tumour suppressor LKB1 and established that it is another "master" kinase that activates many protein kinases of the subfamily that includes AMPK the major cellular sensor of energy charge. He discovered the physiological roles of WNK1 and WNK4, explaining why mutations in these protein kinases cause an inherited hypertension syndrome. Other key contributions include the identification of the intracellular receptors for the "second messenger" PtdIns(3,4)bisphosphate, the discovery of the first MAP kinase phosphatase MKP1/CL100, and the identification and characterisation of the mitogen and stress-activated protein kinases MSK1 and MSK2. His work is characterised by an elegant combination of mouse genetics and biochemistry to establish and confirm the physiological significance of control mechanisms. The 13th most cited scientist in the field of biology and biochemistry from 1995-2005, he was awarded the EMBO Gold Medal in 2005. |