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Jens Christian Skou

April 26, 2024

Jens Christian Skou (Danish pronunciation: [ˈjens ˈkʰʁestjæn ˈskʌwˀ]; 8 October 1918 – 28 May 2018) was a Danish biochemist and Nobel laureate.[1]

Jens Christian Skou
Skou in 2008
Born(1918-10-08)8 October 1918
Lemvig, Denmark
Died28 May 2018(2018-05-28) (aged 99)
Risskov, Aarhus, Denmark
NationalityDanish
Alma materUniversity of Copenhagen
Known forNa+,K+-ATPase
AwardsNobel Prize in Chemistry (1997)
Fernström Prize (1985)
Scientific career
FieldsPhysiology, Biophysics, Biochemistry
InstitutionsAarhus University

Early life edit

Skou was born in Lemvig, Denmark to a wealthy family. His father Magnus Martinus Skou was a timber and coal merchant. His mother Ane-Margrethe Skou took over the company after the death of his father. At the age of 15, Skou entered a boarding school in Haslev, Zealand. He graduated in medicine from the University of Copenhagen in 1944 and received his doctorate in 1954. He began working at the Aarhus University in 1947 and was appointed professor of biophysics in 1977. He retired from the Aarhus University in 1988, but kept offices at the Department of Physiology (today part of the Department of Biomedicine).

Career edit

In 1997 he received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (together with Paul D. Boyer and John E. Walker) for his discovery of Na+,K+-ATPase,[2] making him, at the time of his death, the latest Danish Nobel laureate and the first at Aarhus University.

Skou had taken a few years away from his clinical training in the early 1950s to study the action of local anaesthetics. He had discovered that a substance’s anaesthetic action was related to its ability to dissolve in a layer of the lipid part of the plasma membrane, the anaesthetic molecules affected the opening of sodium channels which he assumed to be protein. This, he argued, would affect the movement of sodium ions and make nerve cells inexcitable, thus causing anaesthesia.

Skou thought that other types of membrane protein might also be affected by local anaesthetics dissolving in the lipid part of the membrane. He therefore had the idea of looking at an enzyme which was embedded in the membrane and finding out if its properties were affected by local anaesthetics. He looked at ATPase in crab nerves.

The enzyme was there, but its activity was very variable and he needed a highly active enzyme for his studies. Eventually he managed to discover that ATPase was most active when exposed to the right combination of sodium, potassium and magnesium ions. Only then did he realise that this enzyme might have something to do with the active movement of sodium and potassium across the plasma membrane. This idea had been postulated many years before, however, the mechanism was quite unknown.

Skou published his findings.[3] However, in his paper he was wary of identifying the enzyme with the active ion movement, so he left out the term “sodium-potassium pump” from the title of his paper. Indeed, he seems to have realised the importance of his discovery only gradually, and he continued his studies on local anaesthetics.

In 1958 Skou went to a conference in Vienna to describe his work on cholinesterase. There he met Robert Post (born 1920[4]), who had been studying the pumping of sodium and potassium in red blood cells. Post had recently discovered that three sodium ions were pumped out of the cell for every two potassium ions pumped in, and in his research he had made use of a substance called ouabain (or g-strophanthin) which had recently been shown to inhibit the pump[5]).

Post had not read Skou’s paper, but he was excited when Skou told him about his work with ATPase. Post asked whether the enzyme was inhibited by ouabain. At this stage Skou was unaware that ouabain inhibited the pump, but he immediately telephoned his lab and arranged for the experiment to be done. Ouabain did indeed inhibit the enzyme, thus establishing a link between the enzyme and the sodium-potassium pump.[6]

Following the Nobel Prize, Skou gave several interviews recounting the story of his discoveries, and at age 94 was reported to still keep up with publications in his field.[7][8] He died on 28 May 2018 in Aarhus, Denmark at the age of 99, less than five months shy of his 100th birthday.[9][10][11]

References edit

  1. ^ Stevnhøj, Henriette (29 May 2018). "Nobelpristager, læge og fysiolog Jens Christian Skou er død 99 år". newsroom.au.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  2. ^ "The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1997". nobelprize.org. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  3. ^ Skou, JC (23 February 1957). "The influence of some cations on an adenosine triphosphatase from peripheral nerves". Biochimica et Biophysica Acta. 23 (2): 394–401. doi:10.1016/0006-3002(57)90343-8. PMID 13412736. S2CID 32516710.
  4. ^ Kresge, Nicole; Simoni, Robert D.; Hill, Robert L. (13 January 2006). "Na,K-ATPase and the Post-Albers Cycle: the Work of Robert L. Post". Journal of Biological Chemistry. 281 (2): e2. doi:10.1016/S0021-9258(19)47575-3. Retrieved 29 May 2018 – via www.jbc.org.
  5. ^ Post, RL; Merritt, CR; Kinsolving, CR; Albright, CD (June 1960). "Membrane adenosine triphosphatase as a participant in the active transport of sodium and potassium in the human erythrocyte". Journal of Biological Chemistry. 235 (6): 1796–1802. doi:10.1016/S0021-9258(19)76884-7. PMID 14434402.
  6. ^ Skou, JC (9 April 1962). "Preparation from mammalian brain and kidney of the enzyme system involved in active transport of Na ions and K ions". Biochimica et Biophysica Acta. 58: 314–325. doi:10.1016/0006-3002(62)91015-6. PMID 13913700.
  7. ^ "Held og tilfældighed førte Jens Christian Skou til Nobelprisen". videnskab.dk. 22 March 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  8. ^ "Professor livet ud". stiften.dk. 7 July 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  9. ^ Stevnhøj, Henriette (29 May 2018). "Nobel Laureate, medical doctor and physiologist Jens Christian Skou has died". newsroom.au.dk.
  10. ^ Uriy (29 May 2018). "In Denmark died Nobel prize in chemistry". 24-my.info. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  11. ^ "Dansk nobelprismodtager i kemi er død – 99 år". www.fyens.dk (in Danish). 29 May 2018.
  • Clausen, Torben (August 2007). "[J.C. Skou identified Na+,K+-pump—a breakthrough and its significance]". Ugeskrift for Læger. 169 (35): 2897. PMID 17878005.
  • Boldyrev, A. A. (2000). "Na+,K+-ATPase: 40 years of investigations". Membrane & Cell Biology. 13 (6): 715–9. PMID 10963431.
  • Skou, J. C. (August 1998). "Nobel Lecture. The identification of the sodium pump". Bioscience Reports. 18 (4): 155–69. doi:10.1023/A:1020196612909. PMID 9877230. S2CID 189901020.
  • Klodos, I. (1998). "[Nobel Prize for Jens Christian Skou for the discovery of Na(+)-K+ ATPase]". Postepy Biochemii. 44 (1): 6–7. PMID 9738232.
  • Wojtczak, L. (1998). "[The Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1997—mitochondrial ATP synthase]". Postepy Biochemii. 44 (1): 2–5. PMID 9738231.
  • Clausen, T.; Persson, A. E. (May 1998). "Jens Christian Skou awarded the Nobel prize in chemistry for the identification of the Na+, K(+)-pump". Acta Physiologica Scandinavica. 163 (1): 1–2. doi:10.1046/j.1365-201x.1998.00367.x. PMID 9648616.
  • Service, R. F. (October 1997). "Chemistry prize taps the energy of life". Science. 278 (5338): 579. Bibcode:1997Sci...278..579S. doi:10.1126/science.278.5338.579. PMID 9381166. S2CID 5371266.
  • Sejersted, O. M. (December 1997). "[Nobel Prize in chemistry]". Tidsskrift for den Norske Laegeforening. 117 (30): 4359. PMID 9456574.
  • Skou, J. C. (1989). "The identification of the sodium-pump as the membrane-bound Na+/K+-ATPase: a commentary on 'The Influence of Some Cations on an Adenosine Triphosphatase from Peripheral Nerves'". Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - General Subjects. 1000: 435–8. doi:10.1016/s0006-3002(89)80038-1. PMID 2550073.
  • Nissen, P. (2018). "Jens Christian Skou (1918–2018)". Science. 361 (6398): 133. Bibcode:2018Sci...361..133N. doi:10.1126/science.aau5275. PMID 30002243. S2CID 51621227.

External links edit

  • Jens Christian Skou on Nobelprize.org   including the Nobel Lecture on "The Identification of the Sodium-Potassium Pump"

April 26, 2024
jens, christian, skou, danish, pronunciation, ˈjens, ˈkʰʁestjæn, ˈskʌwˀ, october, 1918, 2018, danish, biochemist, nobel, laureate, skou, 2008born, 1918, october, 1918lemvig, denmarkdied28, 2018, 2018, aged, risskov, aarhus, denmarknationalitydanishalma, materu. Jens Christian Skou Danish pronunciation ˈjens ˈkʰʁestjaen ˈskʌwˀ 8 October 1918 28 May 2018 was a Danish biochemist and Nobel laureate 1 Jens Christian SkouSkou in 2008Born 1918 10 08 8 October 1918Lemvig DenmarkDied28 May 2018 2018 05 28 aged 99 Risskov Aarhus DenmarkNationalityDanishAlma materUniversity of CopenhagenKnown forNa K ATPaseAwardsNobel Prize in Chemistry 1997 Fernstrom Prize 1985 Scientific careerFieldsPhysiology Biophysics BiochemistryInstitutionsAarhus University Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 References 4 External linksEarly life editSkou was born in Lemvig Denmark to a wealthy family His father Magnus Martinus Skou was a timber and coal merchant His mother Ane Margrethe Skou took over the company after the death of his father At the age of 15 Skou entered a boarding school in Haslev Zealand He graduated in medicine from the University of Copenhagen in 1944 and received his doctorate in 1954 He began working at the Aarhus University in 1947 and was appointed professor of biophysics in 1977 He retired from the Aarhus University in 1988 but kept offices at the Department of Physiology today part of the Department of Biomedicine Career editIn 1997 he received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with Paul D Boyer and John E Walker for his discovery of Na K ATPase 2 making him at the time of his death the latest Danish Nobel laureate and the first at Aarhus University Skou had taken a few years away from his clinical training in the early 1950s to study the action of local anaesthetics He had discovered that a substance s anaesthetic action was related to its ability to dissolve in a layer of the lipid part of the plasma membrane the anaesthetic molecules affected the opening of sodium channels which he assumed to be protein This he argued would affect the movement of sodium ions and make nerve cells inexcitable thus causing anaesthesia Skou thought that other types of membrane protein might also be affected by local anaesthetics dissolving in the lipid part of the membrane He therefore had the idea of looking at an enzyme which was embedded in the membrane and finding out if its properties were affected by local anaesthetics He looked at ATPase in crab nerves The enzyme was there but its activity was very variable and he needed a highly active enzyme for his studies Eventually he managed to discover that ATPase was most active when exposed to the right combination of sodium potassium and magnesium ions Only then did he realise that this enzyme might have something to do with the active movement of sodium and potassium across the plasma membrane This idea had been postulated many years before however the mechanism was quite unknown Skou published his findings 3 However in his paper he was wary of identifying the enzyme with the active ion movement so he left out the term sodium potassium pump from the title of his paper Indeed he seems to have realised the importance of his discovery only gradually and he continued his studies on local anaesthetics In 1958 Skou went to a conference in Vienna to describe his work on cholinesterase There he met Robert Post born 1920 4 who had been studying the pumping of sodium and potassium in red blood cells Post had recently discovered that three sodium ions were pumped out of the cell for every two potassium ions pumped in and in his research he had made use of a substance called ouabain or g strophanthin which had recently been shown to inhibit the pump 5 Post had not read Skou s paper but he was excited when Skou told him about his work with ATPase Post asked whether the enzyme was inhibited by ouabain At this stage Skou was unaware that ouabain inhibited the pump but he immediately telephoned his lab and arranged for the experiment to be done Ouabain did indeed inhibit the enzyme thus establishing a link between the enzyme and the sodium potassium pump 6 Following the Nobel Prize Skou gave several interviews recounting the story of his discoveries and at age 94 was reported to still keep up with publications in his field 7 8 He died on 28 May 2018 in Aarhus Denmark at the age of 99 less than five months shy of his 100th birthday 9 10 11 References edit Stevnhoj Henriette 29 May 2018 Nobelpristager laege og fysiolog Jens Christian Skou er dod 99 ar newsroom au dk in Danish Retrieved 29 May 2018 The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1997 nobelprize org Retrieved 29 May 2018 Skou JC 23 February 1957 The influence of some cations on an adenosine triphosphatase from peripheral nerves Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 23 2 394 401 doi 10 1016 0006 3002 57 90343 8 PMID 13412736 S2CID 32516710 Kresge Nicole Simoni Robert D Hill Robert L 13 January 2006 Na K ATPase and the Post Albers Cycle the Work of Robert L Post Journal of Biological Chemistry 281 2 e2 doi 10 1016 S0021 9258 19 47575 3 Retrieved 29 May 2018 via www jbc org Post RL Merritt CR Kinsolving CR Albright CD June 1960 Membrane adenosine triphosphatase as a participant in the active transport of sodium and potassium in the human erythrocyte Journal of Biological Chemistry 235 6 1796 1802 doi 10 1016 S0021 9258 19 76884 7 PMID 14434402 Skou JC 9 April 1962 Preparation from mammalian brain and kidney of the enzyme system involved in active transport of Na ions and K ions Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 58 314 325 doi 10 1016 0006 3002 62 91015 6 PMID 13913700 Held og tilfaeldighed forte Jens Christian Skou til Nobelprisen videnskab dk 22 March 2017 Retrieved 29 May 2018 Professor livet ud stiften dk 7 July 2013 Retrieved 29 May 2018 Stevnhoj Henriette 29 May 2018 Nobel Laureate medical doctor and physiologist Jens Christian Skou has died newsroom au dk Uriy 29 May 2018 In Denmark died Nobel prize in chemistry 24 my info Retrieved 3 August 2019 Dansk nobelprismodtager i kemi er dod 99 ar www fyens dk in Danish 29 May 2018 Clausen Torben August 2007 J C Skou identified Na K pump a breakthrough and its significance Ugeskrift for Laeger 169 35 2897 PMID 17878005 Boldyrev A A 2000 Na K ATPase 40 years of investigations Membrane amp Cell Biology 13 6 715 9 PMID 10963431 Skou J C August 1998 Nobel Lecture The identification of the sodium pump Bioscience Reports 18 4 155 69 doi 10 1023 A 1020196612909 PMID 9877230 S2CID 189901020 Klodos I 1998 Nobel Prize for Jens Christian Skou for the discovery of Na K ATPase Postepy Biochemii 44 1 6 7 PMID 9738232 Wojtczak L 1998 The Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1997 mitochondrial ATP synthase Postepy Biochemii 44 1 2 5 PMID 9738231 Clausen T Persson A E May 1998 Jens Christian Skou awarded the Nobel prize in chemistry for the identification of the Na K pump Acta Physiologica Scandinavica 163 1 1 2 doi 10 1046 j 1365 201x 1998 00367 x PMID 9648616 Service R F October 1997 Chemistry prize taps the energy of life Science 278 5338 579 Bibcode 1997Sci 278 579S doi 10 1126 science 278 5338 579 PMID 9381166 S2CID 5371266 Sejersted O M December 1997 Nobel Prize in chemistry Tidsskrift for den Norske Laegeforening 117 30 4359 PMID 9456574 Skou J C 1989 The identification of the sodium pump as the membrane bound Na K ATPase a commentary on The Influence of Some Cations on an Adenosine Triphosphatase from Peripheral Nerves Biochimica et Biophysica Acta BBA General Subjects 1000 435 8 doi 10 1016 s0006 3002 89 80038 1 PMID 2550073 Nissen P 2018 Jens Christian Skou 1918 2018 Science 361 6398 133 Bibcode 2018Sci 361 133N doi 10 1126 science aau5275 PMID 30002243 S2CID 51621227 External links editJens Christian Skou on Nobelprize org nbsp including the Nobel Lecture on The Identification of the Sodium Potassium Pump Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jens Christian Skou amp oldid 1196568789, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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