Joan A. Steitz
Encyclopedia
Joan Argetsinger Steitz (born 26 January 1941) is a molecular biologist
at Yale University
, famed for her discoveries involving RNA
, including ground-breaking insights such as that ribosome
s interact with mRNA by complementary base pairing and that introns are spliced by snRNP
s, small nuclear ribonucleoproteins which occur in eukaryote
s (such as yeasts and humans).
. She grew up in Minnesota in the 1950s and 60s at a time when there were virtually no female role models in molecular biology. She attended the then all-girls Northrop College for high school.
She received her B.S. in chemistry
from Antioch College
, Ohio, (1963), where she first became interested in molecular biology at Alex Rich's MIT laboratory as an Antioch "coop" intern.
After completing her B.S., Steitz applied to medical school rather than graduate school since she knew of female medical doctors but not female scientists. She was accepted to Harvard Medical School, but having been excited by a summer working as a bench scientist in the laboratory of Joseph Gall at the University of Minnesota, she declined the invitation to Harvard Medical School and instead applied to Harvard's new program in biochemistry
and molecular biology. There, she was the first female graduate student to join the laboratory of James D. Watson
, with whom she first worked on bacteriophage
RNA
.
Steitz did her postdoc at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology at Cambridge (UK), where she interacted with Francis Crick
, Sydney Brenner
, and Mark Bretscher
. At the MRC, Steitz focused on the question of how bacteria know where to start the "reading frame" on mRNA. In the process, Steitz discovered the exact sequences on mRNA at which bacterial ribosomes bind to produce proteins. In 1969 she published a seminal Nature paper showing the nucleotide sequence of the binding start points.
In 1970, Steitz joined the faculty at Yale
. In 1975, she published the research for which she is most famous, demonstrating that ribosomes use complementary base pairing
to identify the start site on mRNA.
In 1980, Steitz published another critical paper, identifying the novel entity snRNP
s and their role in splicing
. A snRNP is a short length of RNA, around 150 nucleotides long, that are involved in splicing introns from newly transcribed RNA (pre-mRNA) -- spliceosome
s. Steitz's paper "set the field ahead by light years and heralded the avalanche of small RNAs that have since been disocvered to play a role in multiple steps in RNA biosynthesis," noted Susan Berget.
Steitz later discovered another kind of snRNP particle, the snoRNP, demonstrating conclusively that introns are not "junk DNA" as they had often been described. Her work helps explain the phenomenon of "alternative RNA splicing." Part of the reason her discovery is so important is that it explains how humans are able to have only double the number of genes of a fly
. "The reason we can get away with so few genes is that when you have these bits of nonsense, you can splice them out in different ways," she said. "Sometimes you can get rid of things and add things because of this splicing process so that each gene has slightly different protein products that can do slightly different things. So it multiplies up the information content in each of our genes."
Steitz's research may yield new insights into the diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune disorders
such as lupus
, which develop when patients make antibodies against their own DNA, snRNPs, or ribosomes.
Steitz has commented on the sexist treatment of women in science, noting that a woman scientist needs to be twice as good for half the pay. She has been a "tireless promoter of women in science," noted Christine Guthrie, who described Steitz as "one of the greatest scientists of our generation."
Steitz has served in numerous professional capacities, including as scientific director of the Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund for Medical Research
(1991-2002) and as editorial board member of Genes and Development.
Steitz (then Joan Argetsinger) married Thomas Steitz
, now also a professor of biophysics and biochemistry at Yale and the winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, in 1966. They have one son who played baseball with the Milwaukee Brewers for three years and then entered Yale Law School.
Molecular biology
Molecular biology is the branch of biology that deals with the molecular basis of biological activity. This field overlaps with other areas of biology and chemistry, particularly genetics and biochemistry...
at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, famed for her discoveries involving RNA
RNA
Ribonucleic acid , or RNA, is one of the three major macromolecules that are essential for all known forms of life....
, including ground-breaking insights such as that ribosome
Ribosome
A ribosome is a component of cells that assembles the twenty specific amino acid molecules to form the particular protein molecule determined by the nucleotide sequence of an RNA molecule....
s interact with mRNA by complementary base pairing and that introns are spliced by snRNP
SnRNP
snRNPs , or small nuclear ribonucleoproteins, are RNA-protein complexes that combine with unmodified pre-mRNA and various other proteins to form a spliceosome, a large RNA-protein molecular complex upon which splicing of pre-mRNA occurs...
s, small nuclear ribonucleoproteins which occur in eukaryote
Eukaryote
A eukaryote is an organism whose cells contain complex structures enclosed within membranes. Eukaryotes may more formally be referred to as the taxon Eukarya or Eukaryota. The defining membrane-bound structure that sets eukaryotic cells apart from prokaryotic cells is the nucleus, or nuclear...
s (such as yeasts and humans).
Life and career
Steitz was born in Minneapolis, MinnesotaMinnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. She grew up in Minnesota in the 1950s and 60s at a time when there were virtually no female role models in molecular biology. She attended the then all-girls Northrop College for high school.
She received her B.S. in chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
from Antioch College
Antioch College
Antioch College is a private, independent liberal arts college in Yellow Springs, Ohio, United States. It was the founder and the flagship institution of the six-campus Antioch University system. Founded in 1852 by the Christian Connection, the college began operating in 1853 with politician and...
, Ohio, (1963), where she first became interested in molecular biology at Alex Rich's MIT laboratory as an Antioch "coop" intern.
After completing her B.S., Steitz applied to medical school rather than graduate school since she knew of female medical doctors but not female scientists. She was accepted to Harvard Medical School, but having been excited by a summer working as a bench scientist in the laboratory of Joseph Gall at the University of Minnesota, she declined the invitation to Harvard Medical School and instead applied to Harvard's new program in biochemistry
Biochemistry
Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
and molecular biology. There, she was the first female graduate student to join the laboratory of James D. Watson
James D. Watson
James Dewey Watson is an American molecular biologist, geneticist, and zoologist, best known as one of the co-discoverers of the structure of DNA in 1953 with Francis Crick...
, with whom she first worked on bacteriophage
Bacteriophage
A bacteriophage is any one of a number of viruses that infect bacteria. They do this by injecting genetic material, which they carry enclosed in an outer protein capsid...
RNA
RNA
Ribonucleic acid , or RNA, is one of the three major macromolecules that are essential for all known forms of life....
.
Steitz did her postdoc at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology at Cambridge (UK), where she interacted with Francis Crick
Francis Crick
Francis Harry Compton Crick OM FRS was an English molecular biologist, biophysicist, and neuroscientist, and most noted for being one of two co-discoverers of the structure of the DNA molecule in 1953, together with James D. Watson...
, Sydney Brenner
Sydney Brenner
Sydney Brenner, CH FRS is a South African biologist and a 2002 Nobel prize in Physiology or Medicine laureate, shared with H...
, and Mark Bretscher
Mark Bretscher
Mark Bretscher is a British biological scientist and Fellow of the Royal Society. He works at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, United Kingdom...
. At the MRC, Steitz focused on the question of how bacteria know where to start the "reading frame" on mRNA. In the process, Steitz discovered the exact sequences on mRNA at which bacterial ribosomes bind to produce proteins. In 1969 she published a seminal Nature paper showing the nucleotide sequence of the binding start points.
In 1970, Steitz joined the faculty at Yale
YALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
. In 1975, she published the research for which she is most famous, demonstrating that ribosomes use complementary base pairing
Complementarity (molecular biology)
In molecular biology, complementarity is a property of double-stranded nucleic acids such as DNA, as well as DNA:RNA duplexes. Each strand is complementary to the other in that the base pairs between them are non-covalently connected via two or three hydrogen bonds...
to identify the start site on mRNA.
In 1980, Steitz published another critical paper, identifying the novel entity snRNP
SnRNP
snRNPs , or small nuclear ribonucleoproteins, are RNA-protein complexes that combine with unmodified pre-mRNA and various other proteins to form a spliceosome, a large RNA-protein molecular complex upon which splicing of pre-mRNA occurs...
s and their role in splicing
Splicing (genetics)
In molecular biology and genetics, splicing is a modification of an RNA after transcription, in which introns are removed and exons are joined. This is needed for the typical eukaryotic messenger RNA before it can be used to produce a correct protein through translation...
. A snRNP is a short length of RNA, around 150 nucleotides long, that are involved in splicing introns from newly transcribed RNA (pre-mRNA) -- spliceosome
Spliceosome
A spliceosome is a complex of snRNA and protein subunits that removes introns from a transcribed pre-mRNA segment. This process is generally referred to as splicing.-Composition:...
s. Steitz's paper "set the field ahead by light years and heralded the avalanche of small RNAs that have since been disocvered to play a role in multiple steps in RNA biosynthesis," noted Susan Berget.
Steitz later discovered another kind of snRNP particle, the snoRNP, demonstrating conclusively that introns are not "junk DNA" as they had often been described. Her work helps explain the phenomenon of "alternative RNA splicing." Part of the reason her discovery is so important is that it explains how humans are able to have only double the number of genes of a fly
Drosophila melanogaster
Drosophila melanogaster is a species of Diptera, or the order of flies, in the family Drosophilidae. The species is known generally as the common fruit fly or vinegar fly. Starting from Charles W...
. "The reason we can get away with so few genes is that when you have these bits of nonsense, you can splice them out in different ways," she said. "Sometimes you can get rid of things and add things because of this splicing process so that each gene has slightly different protein products that can do slightly different things. So it multiplies up the information content in each of our genes."
Steitz's research may yield new insights into the diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune disorders
Autoimmunity
Autoimmunity is the failure of an organism to recognize its own constituent parts as self, which allows an immune response against its own cells and tissues. Any disease that results from such an aberrant immune response is termed an autoimmune disease...
such as lupus
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Systemic lupus erythematosus , often abbreviated to SLE or lupus, is a systemic autoimmune disease that can affect any part of the body. As occurs in other autoimmune diseases, the immune system attacks the body's cells and tissue, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage...
, which develop when patients make antibodies against their own DNA, snRNPs, or ribosomes.
Steitz has commented on the sexist treatment of women in science, noting that a woman scientist needs to be twice as good for half the pay. She has been a "tireless promoter of women in science," noted Christine Guthrie, who described Steitz as "one of the greatest scientists of our generation."
Steitz has served in numerous professional capacities, including as scientific director of the Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund for Medical Research
Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund for Medical Research
The Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund for Medical Research , established in 1937, awards the "Jane Coffin Childs Postdoctoral Fellowship" for research in the medical and related sciences bearing on cancer...
(1991-2002) and as editorial board member of Genes and Development.
Steitz (then Joan Argetsinger) married Thomas Steitz
Thomas A. Steitz
-Publications:* Steitz, T. A., et al. , nsls newsletter, .* Steitz, T. A., et al. , NSLS Activity Report .-External links:* , from the Office of Scientific and Technical Information, United States Department of Energy...
, now also a professor of biophysics and biochemistry at Yale and the winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, in 1966. They have one son who played baseball with the Milwaukee Brewers for three years and then entered Yale Law School.
Seminal papers
- J.A. Steitz, "Polypeptide Chain Initiation: Nucleotide Sequences of the Three Ribosomal Binding Sites in Bacteriophage R17 RNA," Nature Dec. 6, 1969, v. 224, no. 5223, pp. 957-964.
- Joan Argetsinger Steitz and Karen Jakes, "How Ribosomes Select Initiator Regions in mRNA: Base Pair Formation between the 3' Terminus of 16S rRNA and the mRNA during Initiation of Protein Synthesis in Escherichia coli," PNAS, Dec. 1, 1975, v. 72, n. 12, pp. 4734-4738.
- Lerner MR, Boyle JA, Mount SM, Wolin SL, Steitz JA, "Are snRNPs involved in splicing?", Nature Jan. 10, 1980, v. 283, no. 5743, pp. 220-224.
Awards
- Biochemical Society Jubilee Lecture Award (2009)
- Columbia University Honorary Doctorate of Science (2011)
- Albany Medical Center Prize (shared with Elizabeth Blackburn) (2008)
- Rosalind E. Franklin Award for Women in Science, National Cancer Institute (2006)
- Gairdner Foundation International AwardGairdner Foundation International AwardThe Gairdner Foundation International Award is given annually at a special dinner to three to six people for outstanding discoveries or contributions to medical science. Receipt of the Gairdner is traditionally considered a precursor to winning the Nobel Prize in Medicine; as of 2007, 69 Nobel...
(2006) - E.B. Wilson Medal (2005), American Society for Cell Biology
- Member, Institute of Medicine (2005)
- RNA Society Lifetime Achievement Award (2004)
- The Caledonian Research Foundation (CRF) Prize Lectureship in Biomedical Sciences and Arts and Letters (2004), Royal Society of Edinburgh
- The Howard Taylor RickettsHoward Taylor RickettsHoward Taylor Ricketts was an American pathologist after whom the Rickettsiaceae family and the Rickettsiales are named....
Award from The University of ChicagoUniversity of ChicagoThe University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
(2004) - Excellence in Science Award (2003), Federation of American Societies of Experimental Biology (FASEB)Federation of American Societies for Experimental BiologyThe Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, abbreviated FASEB, is a non-profit organization that is the principal umbrella organization of U.S. societies in the field of biological and medical research. FASEB organizes academic conferences and publishes scientific literature...
- Thirty-First Annual Lewis S. Rosenstiel Award for Distinguished Work in Basic Medical Science (2002), Brandeis University
- UNESCO-L'Oréal Award for Women in ScienceL'Oréal-UNESCO Awards for Women in ScienceThe L'Oréal-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science aims to improve the position of women in science by recognizing outstanding women researchers who have contributed to scientific progress...
(2001) - Novartis-Drew Award in Biomedical Research (1999)
- Sterling ProfessorSterling ProfessorA Sterling Professorship is the highest academic rank at Yale University, awarded to a tenured faculty member considered one of the best in his or her field...
(1998) of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at Yale UniversityYale UniversityYale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States... - City of Medicine Award (1996)
- First Weizmann Women & Science AwardWeizmann Women & Science AwardThe Weizmann Women & Science Award is a biennial award established in 1994 to honor an outstanding woman scientist in the United States who has made significant contributions to the scientific community...
(1994), American Committee for the Weizmann Institute - Member, American Philosophical SocietyAmerican Philosophical SocietyThe American Philosophical Society, founded in 1743, and located in Philadelphia, Pa., is an eminent scholarly organization of international reputation, that promotes useful knowledge in the sciences and humanities through excellence in scholarly research, professional meetings, publications,...
(1992) - Christopher Columbus Discovery Award in Biomedical Research (1992)
- Warren Triennial Prize (1989) (shared with Thomas Cech)
- Dickson Prize for Science (1988), Carnegie-Mellon University
- Radcliffe Graduate Society Medal for Distinguished Achievement (1987)
- National Medal of ScienceNational Medal of ScienceThe National Medal of Science is an honor bestowed by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioral and social sciences, biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and...
(1986), National Science Foundation - Lee Hawley, Sr. Award for Arthritis Research (1983)
- Member, National Academy of SciencesUnited States National Academy of SciencesThe National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
(1983) - Member, American Academy of Arts and SciencesAmerican Academy of Arts and SciencesThe American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
(1982) - U.S. Steel Foundation Award in Molecular Biology (1982)
- Eli Lilly Award in Biological Chemistry (1976)
- Passano Foundation Young Scientist Award (1975)
- Numerous honorary doctorates (eleven as of June 2006) and degrees
Further reading
- Tanya Talaga, "Her work may lead to progress in diseases like lupus," Toronto Star (Ontario ed.), Oct. 26, 2006, p. A10.
- Joan Steitz, "The Importance of Role Models to Girls' Educational Choices," April 6, 2006, L'Oréal Agora, available at http://www.agora.forwomeninscience.com/education_of_girls_and_women/2006/04/the_importance_of_role_models.php
- Joan Steitz, Interviews, Cold Spring Harbor Digital Archives, Oral History Collection, available at http://oralhistory.cshl.edu/mainMovie.html
- Elga Wasserman, The Door in the Dream: Conversations with Eminent Women in Science (Joseph Henry Press: Washington, D.C., 2000), pp. 144-150.
- "RNA Interviews: Dr. Joan Steitz", Ambion TechNotes v. 10, n. 1 (March 2003) (available at http://www.ambion.com/techlib/tn/101/5.html ).