- Email: [email protected]
Obituary for John E. Scott
Pathologie Biologie 60 (2012) 334–335
Available online at
www.sciencedirect.com
In memoriam
Obituary for John E. Scott Hommage a` John E. Scott
The sad news reached us early August during our summer vacations, about the disappearance of John Scott. We were close friends since about 50 years, following each other’s work rather closely. We met in October 1965 in Swampscott near Boston, where our friend Bandi Balazs was organizing an international meeting on glycoconjugates of biological interest. I was swimming in the Hotel pool when John, sitting on its edge called me by my name although we never met before. He knew about my work in Paris and soon I learned a great deal about his interests concerning nearly exclusively ‘‘mucopolysaccharides’’ which a few years later became glycosaminoglycans as proposed by Drs Balazs and Jeanloz. John gave recently a detailed interview on his work on hyaluronan (see references) with a summary of his CV reproduced here. He received his B.Sc. in Chemistry and Physiology (1951), M.Sc. in Physiology (1953), Ph.D. in Chemical Pathology (1956) and was awarded D.Sc.honoris causa (1965) from the University of Manchester. He served in the Royal Air Force as a pilot officer (1956–1958), then worked at St. Mary’s Hospital in London and at the UK Medical research Council Rheumatism Unit (1960–1976). He was visiting professor at four different universities in the United States and Australia for over 20 years. In 1976 he became MRCfounded Professor of Chemical Morphology at Manchester University and held it for 20 years – this was the first ever chair in this field. Since 1996 he has been Emeritus Professor at Manchester University, the first Emeritus who had not previously been a salaried member of the staff. He has received numerous awards and distinctions, among them the Gold Medal of the Biochemical Society of London (1973), the German Robert Feulgen Prize (1986) and the French Barbara Robert Memorial Medal (2000). He is member of several scientific societies and honorary member of five learned societies. He has 0369-8114/$ – see front matter http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.patbio.2012.09.001
been on the editorial boards of nine scientific journals. He has published about 260 scientific papers and two books and is also a founding member of the International Society for Hyaluronan Sciences (ISHAS). John started his scientific career at the Canadian Red Cross Memorial Hospital, established during the war, in association with the Department of Rhumatology, as did several other pioneers of connective tissue research in other countries. Articular cartilage is frequently the target of diseases and very little was known on this tissue up to the middle of last century. John was one of those early scientists who devoted their attention to the study of the macromolecular structure of cartilage, mostly to the acid polysaccharides, renamed later glycosaminoglycans (GAG-s), which were isolated, purified and their composition elucidated. The list of John’s publications, freely available on the NIH website (http:// www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query) shows at a glance his concerted efforts to elucidate the structure, distribution and biological roles of these polysaccharides. Let us cite some of his outstanding contributions to this highly competitive field of matrix biology. He synthesized specific ‘‘stains’’, organic molecules reacting selectively with glycosaminoglycans, cupromeronic blue, enabling their demonstration down to the electron microscopic level. John demonstrated that by increasing progressively the ionic strength of the medium, the reaction of polysaccharides with quaternary amines, detergents could be extinguished according to the importance of the charge-density of the polysaccharide. This method was adopted by a large number of scientists in this field in order to separate, purify and characterize those acid polysaccharides, all of vital biological importance. Using again electron microscopy, John could identify down to the amino acid sequence of collagen fibers, the sites where glycosaminoglycans associate with these fibers. This is of particular importance for the characterization of the macromolecular structure of tissues from articular cartilage to corneal stroma for the physicochemical characteristics of their macromolecular structure. Another remarkable discovery was the demonstration of a biphasic structure of hyaluronan, relatively long stretches of this high molecular weight linear polysaccharide present a hydrophobic face, opposite to the other hydrophilic face of its sequence. This hydrophilic–hydrophobic nature of hyaluronan could be confirmed by a quantum-chemical approach in our laboratory and shown to be of special importance for the biological role of hyaluronan.
In memoriam / Pathologie Biologie 60 (2012) 334–335
Let us finish this short enumeration of some of John’s outstanding contributions to matrix biology by a short note written to draw attention to an evolutionarily important feature of glycosaminoglycan structure for their early phylogenetic appearance and permanence all through evolution. As proposed in this article, the dense negative charge of these polysaccharides could form a protective screen against the attack of hydrated electrons capable of destroying most early biological structures. John was a highly cultured scientist speaking a marvelous English. He was very much appreciated, not only by his colleges he visited in several countries, but also by their wives because of the variety of subjects he could vividly discuss, including literature, theater or music. He was also a remarkable guide to Manchester, his city of residence over the last decades. John became an early organizer of Connective Tissue Societies. When we invited our British colleagues to a meeting at the Paris Pasteur Institute, John came as the president at that time, October 1967, of the British ‘‘Mucopolysaccharide Club’’, together with the British Collagen Club, directed by Alen Bailey, in order to form the Federation of the European Connective Tissue Societies (FECTS) during this meeting, in the presence of Klaus Ku¨hn from Germany, at that time they did not have yet their Society. The creation of this Federation was celebrated and toasted in a restaurant on the banks of the Seine River, just opposite to Notre Dame Cathedral. John proposed to organize the first meeting of the new European Federation, next year, in summer 1968 when the turmoil of the student revolution in Paris broke out. Helped by John Dingle from the Strangeways Laboratories and other British colleagues, this first FECTS-meeting was a big success, thanks also to the prestigious Trinity College in Cambridge, where it took place. John was then traveling all through
335
Europe to help to organize the following meetings every other year. John was a brilliant lecturer, frequently invited for seminars and colloquia. We also invited him to be member of PhD-thesis juries. He was a frequent guest in our house, frightened once my wife Jacqueline by knocking on the kitchen window behind our home where he arrived by walking 12 km from the metro-station, instead of calling us to drive him home. We shall miss him very much as will also all his colleagues and friends over the widely extended international society of matrix biologists. A biographical interview and some references to books edited by John Scott: Hyaluronan, From basic Science to Clinical Applications, Endre E. Balazs, General Editor. Conversations with Hyaluronan Scientists, Magdolna Hargittai and Istvan Hargittai, Interview with John Scott pp. 298–327, PubMatrix, Edgewater, New Jersey, 2011. Keratan sulphate, Chemistry, biology, Chemical Pathology. A meeting held in Vaalsbroek, August 1988. Edited by Helmut Greiling, University of Technology, Aachen, FRG and John E. Scott, Victoria University of Manchester, UK. Dermatan Sulphate Proteoglycans, Chemistry, Biology, Chemical Pathology. Edited by John E. Scott, Portlan Press, 1993, London and Chapel Hill. L. Robert Laboratoire de recherche ophtalmologique, hoˆpital Hoˆtel-Dieu, universite´ Paris-V, 1, place du Parvis-Notre-Dame, 75181 Paris cedex 04, France E-mail address: [email protected]
Available online at
www.sciencedirect.com
In memoriam
Obituary for John E. Scott Hommage a` John E. Scott
The sad news reached us early August during our summer vacations, about the disappearance of John Scott. We were close friends since about 50 years, following each other’s work rather closely. We met in October 1965 in Swampscott near Boston, where our friend Bandi Balazs was organizing an international meeting on glycoconjugates of biological interest. I was swimming in the Hotel pool when John, sitting on its edge called me by my name although we never met before. He knew about my work in Paris and soon I learned a great deal about his interests concerning nearly exclusively ‘‘mucopolysaccharides’’ which a few years later became glycosaminoglycans as proposed by Drs Balazs and Jeanloz. John gave recently a detailed interview on his work on hyaluronan (see references) with a summary of his CV reproduced here. He received his B.Sc. in Chemistry and Physiology (1951), M.Sc. in Physiology (1953), Ph.D. in Chemical Pathology (1956) and was awarded D.Sc.honoris causa (1965) from the University of Manchester. He served in the Royal Air Force as a pilot officer (1956–1958), then worked at St. Mary’s Hospital in London and at the UK Medical research Council Rheumatism Unit (1960–1976). He was visiting professor at four different universities in the United States and Australia for over 20 years. In 1976 he became MRCfounded Professor of Chemical Morphology at Manchester University and held it for 20 years – this was the first ever chair in this field. Since 1996 he has been Emeritus Professor at Manchester University, the first Emeritus who had not previously been a salaried member of the staff. He has received numerous awards and distinctions, among them the Gold Medal of the Biochemical Society of London (1973), the German Robert Feulgen Prize (1986) and the French Barbara Robert Memorial Medal (2000). He is member of several scientific societies and honorary member of five learned societies. He has 0369-8114/$ – see front matter http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.patbio.2012.09.001
been on the editorial boards of nine scientific journals. He has published about 260 scientific papers and two books and is also a founding member of the International Society for Hyaluronan Sciences (ISHAS). John started his scientific career at the Canadian Red Cross Memorial Hospital, established during the war, in association with the Department of Rhumatology, as did several other pioneers of connective tissue research in other countries. Articular cartilage is frequently the target of diseases and very little was known on this tissue up to the middle of last century. John was one of those early scientists who devoted their attention to the study of the macromolecular structure of cartilage, mostly to the acid polysaccharides, renamed later glycosaminoglycans (GAG-s), which were isolated, purified and their composition elucidated. The list of John’s publications, freely available on the NIH website (http:// www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query) shows at a glance his concerted efforts to elucidate the structure, distribution and biological roles of these polysaccharides. Let us cite some of his outstanding contributions to this highly competitive field of matrix biology. He synthesized specific ‘‘stains’’, organic molecules reacting selectively with glycosaminoglycans, cupromeronic blue, enabling their demonstration down to the electron microscopic level. John demonstrated that by increasing progressively the ionic strength of the medium, the reaction of polysaccharides with quaternary amines, detergents could be extinguished according to the importance of the charge-density of the polysaccharide. This method was adopted by a large number of scientists in this field in order to separate, purify and characterize those acid polysaccharides, all of vital biological importance. Using again electron microscopy, John could identify down to the amino acid sequence of collagen fibers, the sites where glycosaminoglycans associate with these fibers. This is of particular importance for the characterization of the macromolecular structure of tissues from articular cartilage to corneal stroma for the physicochemical characteristics of their macromolecular structure. Another remarkable discovery was the demonstration of a biphasic structure of hyaluronan, relatively long stretches of this high molecular weight linear polysaccharide present a hydrophobic face, opposite to the other hydrophilic face of its sequence. This hydrophilic–hydrophobic nature of hyaluronan could be confirmed by a quantum-chemical approach in our laboratory and shown to be of special importance for the biological role of hyaluronan.
In memoriam / Pathologie Biologie 60 (2012) 334–335
Let us finish this short enumeration of some of John’s outstanding contributions to matrix biology by a short note written to draw attention to an evolutionarily important feature of glycosaminoglycan structure for their early phylogenetic appearance and permanence all through evolution. As proposed in this article, the dense negative charge of these polysaccharides could form a protective screen against the attack of hydrated electrons capable of destroying most early biological structures. John was a highly cultured scientist speaking a marvelous English. He was very much appreciated, not only by his colleges he visited in several countries, but also by their wives because of the variety of subjects he could vividly discuss, including literature, theater or music. He was also a remarkable guide to Manchester, his city of residence over the last decades. John became an early organizer of Connective Tissue Societies. When we invited our British colleagues to a meeting at the Paris Pasteur Institute, John came as the president at that time, October 1967, of the British ‘‘Mucopolysaccharide Club’’, together with the British Collagen Club, directed by Alen Bailey, in order to form the Federation of the European Connective Tissue Societies (FECTS) during this meeting, in the presence of Klaus Ku¨hn from Germany, at that time they did not have yet their Society. The creation of this Federation was celebrated and toasted in a restaurant on the banks of the Seine River, just opposite to Notre Dame Cathedral. John proposed to organize the first meeting of the new European Federation, next year, in summer 1968 when the turmoil of the student revolution in Paris broke out. Helped by John Dingle from the Strangeways Laboratories and other British colleagues, this first FECTS-meeting was a big success, thanks also to the prestigious Trinity College in Cambridge, where it took place. John was then traveling all through
335
Europe to help to organize the following meetings every other year. John was a brilliant lecturer, frequently invited for seminars and colloquia. We also invited him to be member of PhD-thesis juries. He was a frequent guest in our house, frightened once my wife Jacqueline by knocking on the kitchen window behind our home where he arrived by walking 12 km from the metro-station, instead of calling us to drive him home. We shall miss him very much as will also all his colleagues and friends over the widely extended international society of matrix biologists. A biographical interview and some references to books edited by John Scott: Hyaluronan, From basic Science to Clinical Applications, Endre E. Balazs, General Editor. Conversations with Hyaluronan Scientists, Magdolna Hargittai and Istvan Hargittai, Interview with John Scott pp. 298–327, PubMatrix, Edgewater, New Jersey, 2011. Keratan sulphate, Chemistry, biology, Chemical Pathology. A meeting held in Vaalsbroek, August 1988. Edited by Helmut Greiling, University of Technology, Aachen, FRG and John E. Scott, Victoria University of Manchester, UK. Dermatan Sulphate Proteoglycans, Chemistry, Biology, Chemical Pathology. Edited by John E. Scott, Portlan Press, 1993, London and Chapel Hill. L. Robert Laboratoire de recherche ophtalmologique, hoˆpital Hoˆtel-Dieu, universite´ Paris-V, 1, place du Parvis-Notre-Dame, 75181 Paris cedex 04, France E-mail address: [email protected]