Martin Geoffrey Low. 27 July 1950—6 August 2013

The young Martin Low embarked on research just as an influential review of biological membrane structure opened by stating that ‘Biological membranes play a crucial role in almost all cellular phenomena, yet our understanding of the molecular organization of membranes is still rudimentary’ (Singer & Nicholson 1972 Science 175, 720–731 (doi:10.1126/science.175.4023.720)). Much of this ignorance was dispelled during the next couple of decades, the period during which he played a central role in establishing that many proteins on the surfaces of eukaryotic cells are moored there by membrane-embedded anchors consisting of glycosylated inositol phospholipids (known as GPI anchors). Martin started this work in Birmingham, UK, and then moved to the USA, working mainly in Ithaca, Oklahoma City and New York. During the latter period he became the focal person of this emerging research community. He provided reagents for and collaborated with a remarkable number of geographically scattered biochemists, immunologists and geneticists, and it was through him that most of the new information flowed. His generosity, modesty and scientific integrity were essential for the speedy maturation of this research area during the 1980s. Tragically, his work was cut short by early-onset Alzheimer's disease, and he retired prematurely in 2008. He died in 2013 at the appallingly young age of 63.

• Publication year

  2018

• Venue

  Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society

• Publication date

  2018-08-08

• Fields of study

  Biology, Political Science

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1098/rsbm.2017.0041
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• A novel mutation in PIGW causes glycosylphosphatidylinositol deficiency without hyperphosphatasia

  2016cited by this paper
• Biomedical applications of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins

  2016cited by this paper
• Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins: Membrane organization and transport.

  2016cited by this paper
• Transbilayer lipid interactions mediate nanoclustering of lipid-anchored proteins.

  2015cited by this paper
• Inhibiting GPI anchor biosynthesis in fungi stresses the endoplasmic reticulum and enhances immunogenicity.

  2012cited by this paper
• Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase D improves glucose tolerance.

  2010cited by this paper
• FragAnchor: A Large-Scale Predictor of Glycosylphosphatidylinositol Anchors in Eukaryote Protein Sequences by Qualitative Scoring

  2007influential reference
• CMP-N-Acetylneuraminic Acid Synthetase from Escherichia coli K1 Is a Bifunctional Enzyme

  2004cited by this paper
• Molecular Genetics of Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria

  2003cited by this paper
• Post-translational GPI lipid anchor modification of proteins in kingdoms of life: analysis of protein sequence data from complete genomes.

  2001influential reference
• Down-Regulation of Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-Specific Phospholipase D Induced by Lipopolysaccharide and Oxidative Stress in the Murine Monocyte- Macrophage Cell Line RAW 264.7

  2001cited by this paper
• Inhibition of the plasma glycosylphosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase D by synthetic analogs of lipid A and phosphatidic acid.

  1999cited by this paper
• Glycosylphosphatidylinositol Anchors of Membrane Glycoproteins Are Binding Determinants for the Channel-forming Toxin Aerolysin*

  1998cited by this paper
• Structural features of GPI-specific phospholipase D revealed by proteolytic fragmentation and Ca2+ binding studies.

  1994cited by this paper
• Decay-accelerating factor (CD55), a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored complement regulatory protein, is a receptor for several echoviruses.

  1994cited by this paper
• The structure, biosynthesis and function of glycosylated phosphatidylinositols in the parasitic protozoa and higher eukaryotes.

  1993cited by this paper
• Phospholipase resistance of the glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol membrane anchor on human alkaline phosphatase.

  1992cited by this paper
• Factors affecting the ability of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase D to degrade the membrane anchors of cell surface proteins.

  1991cited by this paper
• Purification and characterization of glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase D.

  1990cited by this paper
• Expression of T cell antigen receptor heterodimers in a lipid-linked form.

  1990cited by this paper
• Glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol moiety that anchors Trypanosoma brucei variant surface glycoprotein to the membrane.

  1988influential reference
• Cell-specific heterogeneity in sensitivity of phosphatidylinositol-anchored membrane antigens to release by phospholipase C.

  1988cited by this paper
• Complete structure of the glycosyl phosphatidylinositol membrane anchor of rat brain Thy-1 glycoprotein

  1988cited by this paper
• Biochemistry of the glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol membrane protein anchors.

  1987cited by this paper
• Scrapie prion protein contains a phosphatidylinositol glycolipid.

  1987cited by this paper
• Covalently attached phosphatidylinositol as a hydrophobic anchor for membrane proteins

  1986cited by this paper
• Identification of amine components in a glycolipid membrane-binding domain at the C-terminus of human erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase.

  1986cited by this paper
• Phosphatidylinositol is the membrane-anchoring domain of the Thy-1 glycoprotein

  1985cited by this paper
• A glycophospholipid tail at the carboxyl terminus of the Thy-1 glycoprotein of neurons and thymocytes.

  1985cited by this paper
• Trypanosoma brucei variant surface glycoprotein has a sn-1,2-dimyristyl glycerol membrane anchor at its COOH terminus.

  1985cited by this paper
• Physicochemical behaviour and structural characteristics of membrane-bound acetylcholinesterase from Torpedo electric organ. Effect of phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C.

  1985cited by this paper
• Novel protein/membrane attachment.

  1985cited by this paper
• Glycosyl-sn-1,2-dimyristylphosphatidylinositol is covalently linked to Trypanosoma brucei variant surface glycoprotein.

  1985cited by this paper
• Identification of covalently bound inositol in the hydrophobic membrane-anchoring domain of Torpedo acetylcholinesterase.

  1985cited by this paper
• A hydrophobic dimer of acetylcholinesterase from Torpedo californica electric organ is solubilized by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C.

  1983cited by this paper
• The membrane form of variant surface glycoproteins of Trypanosoma brucei

  1983cited by this paper
• Carbohydrate is linked through ethanolamine to the C-terminal amino acid of Trypanosoma brucei variant surface glycoprotein.

  1983cited by this paper
• Rat brain Thy-1 glycoprotein. The amino acid sequence, disulphide bonds and an unusual hydrophobic region.

  1981cited by this paper
• Role of phosphatidylinositol in attachment of alkaline phosphatase to membranes.

  1980cited by this paper
• Inositol phospholipids in membrane function

  1979cited by this paper
• Specific release of plasma membrane enzymes by a phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C.

  1978cited by this paper
• Phosphatidyl inositol-specific phospholipase C from Clostridium novyi type A.

  1978cited by this paper
• Non‐lytic release of acetylcholinesterase from erythrocytes by A phosphatidylinositol‐specific phospholipase C

  1977cited by this paper
• Release of alkaline phosphatase from membranes by a phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C.

  1977cited by this paper
• The action of phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipases C on membranes.

  1976cited by this paper
• Studies on phosphatidylinositol phosphodiesterase (phospholipase C type) of Bacillus cereus. I. purification, properties and phosphatase-releasing activity.

  1976cited by this paper
• Studies on phosphatidylinositol phosphodiesterase (phospholipase C type) of Bacillus cereus. I. purification, properties and phosphatase-releasing activity.

  1976cited by this paper
• Phosphatidylinositol metabolism in cells receiving extracellular stimulation

  1973cited by this paper
• The Fluid Mosaic Model of the Structure of Cell Membranes

  1972cited by this paper
• A structural study of the modification of erythrocyte ghosts by phospholipase C.

  1970cited by this paper
• Biophysical contributions to membrane structure.

  1969cited by this paper
• IUPAC-IUB Commission on Biochemical Nomenclature. A one-letter notation for amino acid sequences. Tentative rules.

  1969cited by this paper
• Characterization of the Phospholipases of Bacillus cereus and Their Effects on Erythrocytes, Bone, and Kidney Cells

  1965influential reference
• MECHANISM OF ACTION OF THE TOXIN OF BACILLUS ANTHRACIS II

  1962influential reference
• Enzymic activities of tumour mitochondria as evidenced by their inhibitory effect on the oxidation of DL-, D- and L-beta-hydroxybutyrate by liver mitochondria.

  1956cited by this paper

• No citing papers are available for this paper.