Guenter Schwarz (Center for Molecular Medicine, University of Cologne, Germany)
Abstract
The trace element molybdenum is essential most organisms in all kingdoms of life. Molybdenum gains biological activity by its incorporation into the molybdenum cofactor (Moco), which forms the active site of various enzymes catalyzing important reactions in the global cycles of nitrogen, carbon and sulfur. Moco is synthesized by a complex biosynthetic pathway, which we have extensively studies in the past. Moco deficiency is characterized by severe and rapidly progressing brain damage caused by the loss of sulfite oxidase activity. Without effective therapy, death in early infancy has been the usual outcome. The seminar will cover aspects of the molecular basis of Moco deficiency, its first successful treatment as well as clinical observations that provide a new understanding of nitrite-dependent NO synthesis. The seminar further aims to highlight the structural basis of the evolution of novel enzyme and protein functions contributing to synaptogenesis, blood pressure control and neurodegeneration.
Biography
Professor Guenter Schwarz was born in 1970 in Suhl. He studied biology at the University of Szeged (Hungary) and Technical University of Braunschweig (Germany), where he also completed his Ph.D. and habilitation. From 2000-2001 he was a Post-doctoral Research Fellow at the Center for Molecular Medicine and Structural Biology, with Prof. Dr. Schindelin (State University of New York at Stony Brook, USA). In 2005 he got appointed as Associate Professor for Biochemistry at University of Cologne. Since 2009 he is Full Professor for Biochemistry and Vice Chair of the Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne. Since 1995, Professor Schwarz has been honoured with numerous awards, notably the:
-“Novartis-Preis” for therapy-related pharmacological research given by the German society of pharmacology and toxicology (in 2003);
-“Max-von-Laue-Preis” for structural biology given by the German Society of Crystallography (in 2005);
-“Horst-Bickel-Award” for the development of novel therapies in the field of inborn errors in metabolism given by Arbeitsgem. für Pediatrische Stoffwechselstörung (in 2009) and;
-Innovation Award of the State North Rhine Westphalia for the development of a therapy to treat Molybdenum Cofactor deficiency (in 2010).
