Melvin I. Simon

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Melvin Isaac Simon (born February 8, 1937, in New York City) is an American molecular biologist, molecular geneticist, and microbiologist.

Contents

Biography

After secondary education at Manhattan's Yeshiva University High School for Boys, [1] he graduated in 1959 with a B.S. from City College of New York and in 1963 with a Ph.D. from Brandeis University. From 1963 to 1965 he was a postdoc at Princeton University. From 1965 to 1982 he was a faculty member of the biology department of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). [2] In 1982 he and UCSD professor John Abelson founded the Agouron Institute. In 1982 Simon and Abelson both moved to California Institute of Technology (Caltech). In the Division of Biology of Caltech, Simon was Biaggini Professor of Biological Sciences from 1982 to 2007, when he retired from Caltech as professor emeritus. At Caltech he was the chair of his department from 1995 to 2000. At the UC San Diego School of Medicine, was an adjunct professor of pharmacology from 2007 when he retired from UCSD. [3]

Simon is the author or coauthor of over 350 scientific publications. [2] Simon's group at UCSD did important research on bacterial movement and chemotaxis. [4] [2] Michael Robert Silverman (born in 1943) [5] [6] and Melvin Simon are credited with the discovery that bacterial flagella are based in rotary motors. [7] [8] [2] Silverman was Simon's doctoral student. [9]

Simon’s laboratory group at Caltech played an important role in the Human Genome Project (HGP) and built many of the initial libraries that provided the basic material for the HGP. [2] Simon's group invented in 1992 bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) and in 1994 phage artificial chromosomes (PACs) using the P1 phage. [10] The group's scientists were among the main developers of the maps of human chromosome 16 and human chromosome 22. [2] In 2002 Simon and colleagues determined the complete genome sequence of Pyrobaculum aerophilum , a hyperthermophilic archaeum. [11] Simon and his Caltech group gained an international reputation for their research on G-proteins and the molecular mechanisms of how these proteins are essential for transmitting signals detected on cellular surfaces into cellular interiors. [2] [3] Simon and colleagues demonstrated how various genetic mutations in bacteria, nematodes, and mice cause various abnormalities and diseases. [12] [13] [14] [15] [16]

Simon has been involved with a number of non-profit organizations and commercial corporations. He was one of the founders of Agouron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., [2] which was acquired by Warner-Lambert in 1999. [17] [18] He was also one of the founders of the Diversa Corporation, [2] which was merged with the Celunol Corporation in 2007 to form the Verenium Corporation. [19]

Simon was a Guggenheim fellow for the academic year 1978–1979. [20] He was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 1985 [3] and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1986. [2] In 1991 he received the Selman A. Waksman Award in Microbiology. [21]

In January 1937 in the Bronx, he married Linda Fried. They have two sons and a daughter.

Selected publications

Articles

Books

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chemotaxis</span> Movement of an organism or entity in response to a chemical stimulus

Chemotaxis is the movement of an organism or entity in response to a chemical stimulus. Somatic cells, bacteria, and other single-cell or multicellular organisms direct their movements according to certain chemicals in their environment. This is important for bacteria to find food by swimming toward the highest concentration of food molecules, or to flee from poisons. In multicellular organisms, chemotaxis is critical to early development and development as well as in normal function and health. In addition, it has been recognized that mechanisms that allow chemotaxis in animals can be subverted during cancer metastasis. The aberrant chemotaxis of leukocytes and lymphocytes also contribute to inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis, asthma, and arthritis. Sub-cellular components, such as the polarity patch generated by mating yeast, may also display chemotactic behavior.

A bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) is a DNA construct, based on a functional fertility plasmid, used for transforming and cloning in bacteria, usually E. coli. F-plasmids play a crucial role because they contain partition genes that promote the even distribution of plasmids after bacterial cell division. The bacterial artificial chromosome's usual insert size is 150–350 kbp. A similar cloning vector called a PAC has also been produced from the DNA of P1 bacteriophage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yeast artificial chromosome</span> Genetically engineered chromosome derived from the DNA of yeast

Yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs) are genetically engineered chromosomes derived from the DNA of the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is then ligated into a bacterial plasmid. By inserting large fragments of DNA, from 100–1000 kb, the inserted sequences can be cloned and physically mapped using a process called chromosome walking. This is the process that was initially used for the Human Genome Project, however due to stability issues, YACs were abandoned for the use of bacterial artificial chromosome

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FtsZ</span> Protein encoded by the ftsZ gene

FtsZ is a protein encoded by the ftsZ gene that assembles into a ring at the future site of bacterial cell division. FtsZ is a prokaryotic homologue of the eukaryotic protein tubulin. The initials FtsZ mean "Filamenting temperature-sensitive mutant Z." The hypothesis was that cell division mutants of E. coli would grow as filaments due to the inability of the daughter cells to separate from one another. FtsZ is found in almost all bacteria, many archaea, all chloroplasts and some mitochondria, where it is essential for cell division. FtsZ assembles the cytoskeletal scaffold of the Z ring that, along with additional proteins, constricts to divide the cell in two.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Origin of replication</span> Sequence in a genome

The origin of replication is a particular sequence in a genome at which replication is initiated. Propagation of the genetic material between generations requires timely and accurate duplication of DNA by semiconservative replication prior to cell division to ensure each daughter cell receives the full complement of chromosomes. This can either involve the replication of DNA in living organisms such as prokaryotes and eukaryotes, or that of DNA or RNA in viruses, such as double-stranded RNA viruses. Synthesis of daughter strands starts at discrete sites, termed replication origins, and proceeds in a bidirectional manner until all genomic DNA is replicated. Despite the fundamental nature of these events, organisms have evolved surprisingly divergent strategies that control replication onset. Although the specific replication origin organization structure and recognition varies from species to species, some common characteristics are shared.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nucleoid</span> Region within a prokaryotic cell containing genetic material

The nucleoid is an irregularly shaped region within the prokaryotic cell that contains all or most of the genetic material. The chromosome of a typical prokaryote is circular, and its length is very large compared to the cell dimensions, so it needs to be compacted in order to fit. In contrast to the nucleus of a eukaryotic cell, it is not surrounded by a nuclear membrane. Instead, the nucleoid forms by condensation and functional arrangement with the help of chromosomal architectural proteins and RNA molecules as well as DNA supercoiling. The length of a genome widely varies and a cell may contain multiple copies of it.

<i>Caulobacter crescentus</i> Species of bacterium

Caulobacter crescentus is a Gram-negative, oligotrophic bacterium widely distributed in fresh water lakes and streams. The taxon is more properly known as Caulobacter vibrioides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ti plasmid</span> Circular plasmid used in creation of transgenic plants

A tumour inducing (Ti) plasmid is a plasmid found in pathogenic species of Agrobacterium, including A. tumefaciens, A. rhizogenes, A. rubi and A. vitis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Varshavsky</span>

Alexander J. Varshavsky is a Russian-American biochemist and geneticist. He works at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) as the Morgan Professor of Biology. Varshavsky left Russia in 1977, emigrating to United States.

Rhodopsin kinase is a serine/threonine-specific protein kinase involved in phototransduction. This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction:

Pyrobaculum is a genus of the Thermoproteaceae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OR1D2</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

Olfactory receptor 1D2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the OR1D2 gene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Two-component regulatory system</span> Method of stimulus sensing and response in cells

In molecular biology, a two-component regulatory system serves as a basic stimulus-response coupling mechanism to allow organisms to sense and respond to changes in many different environmental conditions. Two-component systems typically consist of a membrane-bound histidine kinase that senses a specific environmental stimulus, and a corresponding response regulator that mediates the cellular response, mostly through differential expression of target genes. Although two-component signaling systems are found in all domains of life, they are most common by far in bacteria, particularly in Gram-negative and cyanobacteria; both histidine kinases and response regulators are among the largest gene families in bacteria. They are much less common in archaea and eukaryotes; although they do appear in yeasts, filamentous fungi, and slime molds, and are common in plants, two-component systems have been described as "conspicuously absent" from animals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RGS16</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

Regulator of G-protein signaling 16 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the RGS16 gene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AFF1</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

AF4/FMR2 family member 1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the AFF1 gene. At its same location was a record for a separate PBM1 gene, which has since been withdrawn and considered an alias. It was previously known as AF4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GNAI3</span> Protein-coding gene in humans

Guanine nucleotide-binding protein G(k) subunit alpha is a protein that in humans is encoded by the GNAI3 gene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bacterial motility</span> Ability of bacteria to move independently using metabolic energy

Bacterial motility is the ability of bacteria to move independently using metabolic energy. Most motility mechanisms that evolved among bacteria also evolved in parallel among the archaea. Most rod-shaped bacteria can move using their own power, which allows colonization of new environments and discovery of new resources for survival. Bacterial movement depends not only on the characteristics of the medium, but also on the use of different appendages to propel. Swarming and swimming movements are both powered by rotating flagella. Whereas swarming is a multicellular 2D movement over a surface and requires the presence of surfactants, swimming is movement of individual cells in liquid environments.

SaPIs are a family of ~15 kb mobile genetic elements resident in the genomes of the vast majority of S. aureus strains. Much like bacteriophages, SaPIs can be transferred to uninfected cells and integrate into the host chromosome. Unlike the bacterial viruses, however, integrated SaPIs are mobilized by host infection with "helper" bacteriophages. SaPIs are used by the host bacteria to co-opt the phage reproduction cycle for their own genetic transduction and also inhibit phage reproduction in the process.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Response regulator</span> Protein which mediates cellular response in two-component regulatory systems

In molecular biology, a response regulator is a protein that mediates a cell's response to changes in its environment as part of a two-component regulatory system. Response regulators are coupled to specific histidine kinases which serve as sensors of environmental changes. Response regulators and histidine kinases are two of the most common gene families in bacteria, where two-component signaling systems are very common; they also appear much more rarely in the genomes of some archaea, yeasts, filamentous fungi, and plants. Two-component systems are not found in metazoans.

David Schlessinger is a Canadian-born American biochemist, microbiologist, and geneticist. He is known for his directorship of the development of the map of the X chromosome.

References

  1. ↑ "Simon, Melvin I. Interview by Shirley K. Cohen. Pasadena, California, May 24 and June 5, 2005. Oral History Project". California Institute of Technology Archives.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Biography. Melvin I. Simon". American Academy of Arts and Sciences. 6 December 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 "Melvin I. Simon". Member Directory, National Academy of Sciences.
  4. ↑ Simon MI, Borkovich KA, Bourret RB, Hess J (1989). "Protein phosphorylation in the bacterial chemotaxis system". Biochimie. 71 (9–10): 1013–1019. doi:10.1016/0300-9084(89)90105-3. PMID   2512992.
  5. ↑ Silverman, Michael Robert (1972). Characterization and genetic analysis of flagellar mutants in Escherichia coli; Ph.D. thesis, University of California, San Diego{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  6. ↑ "Michael R. Silverman and Bonnie L. Bassler Win 2011 Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize". Goethe Universität, Frankfurt am Main. 28 January 2011.
  7. ↑ Silverman M, Simon M (May 1974). "Flagellar rotation and the mechanism of bacterial motility". Nature. 249 (452): 73–4. Bibcode:1974Natur.249...73S. doi:10.1038/249073a0. PMID   4598030. S2CID   10370084.
  8. ↑ Silverman M, Simon MI (1977). "Bacterial Flagella". Annual Review of Microbiology. 31: 397–419. doi:10.1146/annurev.mi.31.100177.002145. PMID   410356.
  9. ↑ "Melvin I. Simon, Ph.D." Chemistry Tree.
  10. ↑ McElheny, Victor K. (31 July 2012). Drawing the Map of Life: Inside the Human Genome Project. Basic Books. p. 106. ISBN   9780465032600.
  11. ↑ Fitz-Gibbon ST, Ladner H, Kim UJ, Stetter KO, Simon MI, Miller JH (2002). "Genome sequence of the hyperthermophilic crenarchaeon Pyrobaculum aerophilum". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 99 (2): 984–989. Bibcode:2002PNAS...99..984F. doi: 10.1073/pnas.241636498 . PMC   117417 . PMID   11792869.
  12. ↑ "Melvin I. (Mel) Simon". Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Caltech.
  13. ↑ Brundage L, Avery L, Katz A, Kim UJ, Mendel JE, Sternberg PW, Simon MI (1996). "Mutations in a C. elegans Gqα Gene Disrupt Movement, Egg Laying, and Viability". Neuron. 16 (5): 999–1009. doi:10.1016/S0896-6273(00)80123-3. PMC   4444781 . PMID   8630258.
  14. ↑ Chen J, Simon MI, Matthes MT, Yasumura D, Lavail MM (November 1999). "Increased Susceptibility to Light Damage in an Arrestin Knockout Mouse Model of Oguchi Disease (Stationary Night Blindness)". Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. 40 (12): 2978–2982. PMID   10549660.
  15. ↑ Dong X, Han SK, Zylka MJ, Simon MI, Anderson DJ (2001). "A Diverse Family of GPCRS Expressed in Specific Subsets of Nociceptive Sensory Neurons". Cell. 106 (5): 619–632. doi: 10.1016/S0092-8674(01)00483-4 . PMID   11551509. S2CID   14119088.
  16. ↑ Imamachi N, Park GH, Lee H, Anderson DJ, Simon MI, Basbaum AI, Han SK (2009). "TRPV1-expressing primary afferents generate behavioral responses to pruritogens via multiple mechanisms". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 106 (27): 11330–11335. Bibcode:2009PNAS..10611330I. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0905605106 . PMC   2708751 . PMID   19564617.
  17. ↑ Jacobs, Paul (January 27, 1999). "Biotech Firm Agouron Will be Purchased for $2.1 Billion". Los Angeles Times.
  18. ↑ Morrow, David J. (January 27, 1999). "Warner-Lambert to Acquire Agouron Pharmaceuticals". New York Times.
  19. ↑ "Diversa and Celunol Complete Merger to Create Verenium Corporation". Biospace. June 20, 2007.
  20. ↑ "Melvin I. Simon". John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.
  21. ↑ "Selman A. Waksman Award in Microbiology". National Academy of Sciences.
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