Temin, Howard Martin

Temin, Howard Martin
▪ 1995

      U.S. virologist (Dec. 10, 1934, Philadelphia, Pa.—Feb. 9, 1994, Madison, Wis.), won the 1975 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine (with Renato Dulbecco and David Baltimore) for his role in discovering reverse transcriptase, an enzyme that transcribes RNA into DNA. Temin identified the enzyme while conducting research on a virus that causes cancer in chickens. Temin's groundbreaking finding dramatically illustrated the exception to one of the fundamental tenets of molecular biology—that the genetic instructions for protein synthesis flow uniquely from DNA to RNA. Temin's studies helped scientists determine that reverse transcriptase also has a role in the replication of such viruses as hepatitis B, cauliflower mosaic (a plant virus), and HIV, which causes AIDS. Temin's original 1964 theory that the DNA-into-RNA sequence could be reversed was derided in the scientific community, but he persevered for six years before proving his hypothesis. Temin graduated from Swarthmore (Pa.) College at the age of 18 and earned a Ph.D. (1959) at the California Institute of Technology. There, working under the tutelage of Dulbecco, he began his investigations into viruses and their role in animal cancers. Temin contended, however, that viruses probably did not play a central role in cancers in humans. An ardent antismoking crusader, he felt that the incidence of cancer could be reduced by the elimination of smoking. In 1960 Temin joined the staff of the University of Wisconsin, where he successively served as associate professor, full professor, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation professor of cancer research, and American Cancer Society professor of viral oncology and cell biology. Temin succumbed to lung cancer, but not a type associated with smoking.

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▪ American virologist
born Dec. 10, 1934, Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.
died Feb. 9, 1994, Madison, Wis.

      American virologist who in 1975 shared the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine with his former professor Renato Dulbecco (Dulbecco, Renato) and another of Dulbecco's students, David Baltimore (Baltimore, David), for his codiscovery of the enzyme reverse transcriptase.

      While working toward his Ph.D. under Dulbecco at the California Institute of Technology, Temin began investigating how the Rous sarcoma virus causes animal cancers. One puzzling observation was that the virus, the essential component of which is ribonucleic acid (RNA) (RNA), could not infect the cell if the synthesis of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) (DNA) was stopped. Temin proposed in 1964 that the virus somehow translated its RNA into DNA, which then redirected the reproductive activity of the cell, transforming it into a cancer cell. The cell would reproduce this DNA along with its own DNA, producing more cancer cells.

      Skeptics pointed out that Temin's suggestion contradicted the contemporary tenet of molecular biology: that genetic information always passed from DNA to RNA, rather than the reverse. But in 1970 both Temin and Baltimore proved Temin's hypothesis correct. They identified an enzyme (reverse transcriptase) in the virus that synthesizes DNA that contains the information in the viral RNA.

      Temin obtained his Ph.D. in 1959, and after spending another year with Dulbecco, he joined the faculty of the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where he taught and conducted research until his death.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • TEMIN, HOWARD MARTIN — (1934–1994), U.S. Nobel laureate in medicine. Temin was born in Philadelphia and graduated in biology from Swarthmore College. He received his Ph.D. at the California Institute of Technology, studying Rous sarcoma virus. His mentors included… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Temin,Howard Martin — Tem·in (tĕmʹĭn), Howard Martin. 1934 1994. American oncologist. He shared a 1975 Nobel Prize for research on the interaction of tumor viruses and genetic material. * * * …   Universalium

  • Temin , Howard Martin — (1934–1994) American molecular biologist Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Temin studied biology at Swarthmore College and at the California Institute of Technology, where he obtained his PhD in animal virology in 1959. He worked at the… …   Scientists

  • Howard Martin Temin — Howard M. Temin um 1975 Howard Martin Temin (* 10. Dezember 1934 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; † 9. Februar 1994 in Madison, Wisconsin) war ein US amerikanischer Biologe. Er wurde 1975 für seine Erkenntnisse im Bereich der Krebsforschun …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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  • Howard Martin Temin — (10 de diciembre, 1934 – 9 de febrero, 1994) fue un genetista estadounidense que codescubrió en 1970, junto a Renato Dulbecco y David Baltimore, la transcripción inversa.[1] [2] Licenciado en Biología en 1955 en el Swarthmore College en… …   Wikipedia Español

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  • Medizinnobelpreis 1975: David Baltimore — Renato Dulbecco — Howard Martin Temin —   Die drei amerikanischen Wissenschaftler erhielten den Nobelpreis für »ihre Entdeckungen auf dem Gebiet der Wechselwirkungen zwischen Tumorviren und dem genetischen Material der Zelle«.    Biografien   David Baltimore, * New York 7. 3. 1938; ab… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Temin — Howard M. Temin um 1975 Howard Martin Temin (* 10. Dezember 1934 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; † 9. Februar 1994 in Madison, Wisconsin) war ein US amerikanischer Biologe. Er wurde 1975 für seine Erkenntnisse im Bereich der Krebsforschu …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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