| Roger David Kornberg | |
|---|---|
 Roger David Kornberg
|
|
| Born |
April 24, 1947 St. Louis, Missouri, United States |
| Residence | United States |
| Nationality | United States |
| Fields | Structural biology |
| Institutions | Stanford
University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Harvard Medical School |
| Alma mater | Harvard
University (undergraduate), Stanford University (PhD) |
| Known for | Transmission of genetic information from DNA to RNA |
| Notable awards | Nobel Prize in Chemistry
(2006), Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize (2006), Gairdner Foundation International Award (2000) |
Roger David Kornberg (born April 24, 1947) is an American biochemist and professor of structural biology at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Kornberg was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2006 for his studies of the process by which genetic information from DNA is copied to RNA, "the molecular basis of eukaryotic transcription."[1][2] His father, Arthur Kornberg, who was also a professor at Stanford University, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1959.
Contents |
Kornberg was born in St. Louis, Missouri to a Jewish family. He was the first of three children born to biochemists Arthur Kornberg and his wife, Sylvy (née Levy), who worked together.
Kornberg earned his bachelor's degree in chemistry from Harvard University in 1967 and his Ph.D. in chemical physics from Stanford in 1972. He then became a postdoctoral fellow at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge England.
All organisms are controlled by their genes, which are coded by DNA, which is copied to RNA, which creates proteins, which are sequences of amino acids. DNA resides in the nucleus. When a cell expresses a gene, it copies (transcribes) that gene's DNA sequence onto a messenger RNA (mRNA) sequence. mRNA is transported out of the nucleus to ribosomes. The ribosomes read the mRNA and translate the code into the right amino acid sequence to make that gene's protein.
The DNA is transcribed to mRNA by an enzyme, RNA polymerase II, with the help of many other proteins. Using yeast, Kornberg identified the role of RNA polymerase II and other proteins in transcribing DNA, and he created three-dimensional images of the protein cluster using X-ray crystallography. Polymerase II is used by all organisms with nuclei, including humans, to transcribe DNA.
Kornberg and his research group have made several fundamental discoveries concerning the mechanisms and regulation of eukaryotic transcription. While a postdoctoral fellow working with Aaron Klug and Francis Crick at the MRC in the 1970s, Kornberg discovered the nucleosome as the basic protein complex packaging chromosomal DNA in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells (chromosomal DNA is often termed "Chromatin" when it is bound to proteins in this manner, reflecting Walther Flemming's discovery that certain structures within the cell nucleus would absorb dyes and become visible under a microscope).[3] Within the nucleosome, Kornberg found that roughly 200 bp of DNA are wrapped around an octamer of histone proteins.
Kornberg's research group at Stanford later succeeded in the development of a faithful transcription system from baker's yeast, a simple unicellular eukaryote, which they then used to isolate in a purified form all of the several dozen proteins required for the transcription process. Through the work of Kornberg and others, it has become clear that these protein components are remarkably conserved across the full spectrum of eukaryotes, from yeast to human cells.
Using this system, Kornberg made the major discovery that transmission of gene regulatory signals to the RNA polymerase machinery is accomplished by an additional protein complex that they dubbed Mediator.[4] As noted by the Nobel Prize committee, "the great complexity of eukaryotic organisms is actually enabled by the fine interplay between tissue-specific substances, enhancers in the DNA and Mediator. The discovery of Mediator is therefore a true milestone in the understanding of the transcription process."[5]
At the same as Kornberg was pursuing these biochemical studies of the transcription process, he devoted two decades to the development of methods to visualize the atomic structure of RNA polymerase and its associated protein components. Initially, Kornberg took advantage of expertise with lipid membranes gained from his graduate studies to devise a technique for the formation of two-dimensional protein crystals on lipid bilayers. These 2D crystals could then be analyzed using electron microscopy to derive low-resolution images of the protein's structure. Eventually, Kornberg was able to use X-ray crystallography to solve the 3-dimensional structure of RNA polymerase at atomic resolution.[6][7] The structure of RNA polymerase obtained by Kornberg is the most complex protein structure solved to date. He has recently extended these studies to obtain structural images of RNA polymerase associated with accessory proteins.[8]Through these studies, Kornberg has created an actual picture of how transcription works at a molecular level. According to the Nobel Prize committee, "the truly revolutionary aspect of the picture Kornberg has created is that it captures the process of transcription in full flow. What we see is an RNA-strand being constructed, and hence the exact positions of the DNA, polymerase and RNA during this process."[9]
He has received the following awards:
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| File:Roger. Roger Kornberg in 2006, at the Fairchild Auditorium at Stanford University | |
| Born | April 24, 1947 St. Louis, Missouri, United States |
|---|---|
| Residence | United States |
| Nationality | United States |
| Field | Structural biology |
| Institutions | Stanford University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Harvard Medical School |
| Alma mater | Harvard University;br />Stanford University |
| Known for | Transmission of genetic information from DNA to RNA |
| Notable prizes | File:Nobel prize Nobel Prize in Chemistry |
Roger David Kornberg is an American biochemist who was born on April 24, 1947. He is a professor of Structural Biology at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Kornberg was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2006 for studying eukaryote transcription. This is copying of information from DNA to RNA.[1][2] His father, Arthur Kornberg, who was also a professor at Stanford University, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1959.
Contents |
Kornberg was born in St. Louis, Missouri to a Jewish family. He was the first of three children born to Arthur Kornberg and his wife, Sylvy. The parents worked together as biochemists.
Roger Kornberg earned his bachelors degree from Harvard University in 1967 and his PhD from Stanford University in 1972. He then became a Fellow at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology at the University of Cambridge, England.
All heredity is controlled by genes. For the cells to make use of the information in the genes, a copy of part of the gene must be made. The copying is called transcription. Transcription makes an RNA copy of part of the DNA. The RNA is moved out of the cell nucleus, to ribosomes, where it does its work. This is called messenger RNA and it gives the amino acid sequence for protein production. This second process is called translation. The RNA with the instructions for proteins is called RNA polymerase II. This process works in all eukaryotes, including all plants and animals.
Kornberg worked with Aaron Klug and Francis Crick at the MRC in the 1970s. He discovered the nucleosome as a very important protein in DNA.[3]
Kornberg made the discovery that signals to the RNA are made by another protein that they called Mediator.[4] The Nobel Prize committee said, "the great complexity of eukaryotic organisms is enabled by the fine interplay between tissue-specific substances, enhancers in the DNA and Mediator. The discovery of Mediator is therefore a true milestone in the understanding of the transcription process".[5]
After long effort, Kornberg was able to use X-ray crystallography to take 3D pictures of RNA molecules, lipids and proteins.[6][7][8] With these studies, Kornberg has created a picture of how DNA works. The Nobel Prize committee said, "the truly revolutionary aspect of the picture Kornberg has created is that it captures the process of transcription in full flow. What we see is an RNA-strand being constructed, and hence the exact positions of the DNA, polymerase and RNA during this process".[9]
In 1959, Roger Kornberg's father, Arthur Kornberg, received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for studies of how genetic information moves from one DNA molecule to another. This is called DNA replication. Arthur Kornberg found the first enzyme that could make DNA. This was the first known enzyme to take its instructions from a DNA copy. Roger Kornbergs younger brother, Thomas Bill Kornberg, discovered DNA polymerases II and III in 1970 and is now a geneticist at the University of California, San Francisco. All three Kornbergs have worked to understand how genetic information is used in cells. Arthur and Roger Kornberg are the sixth father and son to win Nobel Prizes.
Professor Kornberg has received these awards:
   | A brief biography of his life - University of Pittsburgh Science2006 |
| | BBC News report of his Nobel Prize win - BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | DNA work earns chemistry Nobel |
| | Press release: A family story about life - Press Release: The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2006 |
| | Roger Kornberg wins the 2006 Nobel Prize in Chemistry - One Moment Please...Redirecting |
| | The Official Site of Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize - Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize for Basic Research of Biology or Biochemistry - Columbia University Medical Center |
| | HU Congratulates Visiting Prof. Roger D. Kornberg For Winning the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2006 - The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Department of Media Relations. |
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