Record

RefNoEC/1996/17
LevelItem
TitleLow, Martin Geoffrey: certificate of election to the Royal Society
Date1989
DescriptionCitation typed
CitationMartin Low's outstanding contribution has been to reveal that phosphatidylinositol glycans comprise a novel family of hydrophobic anchors which moor (glyco)proteins in the outer leaflet of the plasma membranes of diverse eukaryote cells. Having demonstrated the ability of phosphoinositide-specific phospho-lipases C to release several known plasma membrane ectoenzymes, he demonstrated that the phospholipase-released enzymes are freely water-soluble whereas detergent-solubilised enzymes retain their hydrophobic character; the enzymes are covalently attached to their inositol lipid anchors. He then collaborated with other groups to identify inositol lipid anchors on a variety of clinically and immunologically important proteins, including the variable surface glycoprotein of trypanosomes, decoy accelerating factor, the Th-1, Ly-6, LFA-3, ThB, Qo3 and MEM-43 antigens of leucocytes, the neural cell-cell adhesion molecule N-CAM, a placental growth factor and a colonic carcinoembryonic antigen. He has participated in studies which have shown that a single gene sometimes encodes multiple forms of a single cell surface protein, only one of which bears a phosphatidylinositol glycan anchor. Most recently, he has discovered a plasma phospholipase D which may be the normal mediator of the release of phosphatidylinositol glycan-anchored proteins from cell surfaces in vivo. This pioneering body of work has been primarily responsible for opening up an entire new field in the study of membrane proteins.
AccessStatusClosed
Fellows associated with this archive
CodePersonNameDates
NA4418Low; Martin Geoffrey (1950 - 2013)1950 - 2013
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