Eva Neer

Born Eva Augenblick in Warsaw, came to New York at age eight with her parents and grew up in Queens and Scarsdale.{{cite news|author=Saxon, Wolfgang |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/02/26/us/eva-julia-neer-62-biochemist-known-for-work-with-proteins.html |title=Eva Julia Neer, 62, Biochemist Known for Work With Proteins |work=The New York Times |date=2000-02-26 |accessdate=Jan 2, 2014}} Neer's family fled Warsaw at war's onset in 1939, emigrated first to Brazil, and soon after to the U.S.. In Warsaw, her father had practiced private corporate law, which he was unable to pursue in the US, but her parents inspired in Neer her love for scholarly endeavors. She graduated with honors from Bronxville High School in 1955, being awarded a Regent’s college scholarship by the State Education Department.{{cite web|url=http://fultonhistory.com/my%20photo%20albums/All%20Newspapers/Yonkers%20NY%20Herald%20Statesman/index.html |title=HS,Yonkers,N.Y,May 13, 1955 |work=Archives of the Yonkers NY Herald Statesman |publisher=Fultonhistory.com |accessdate=Jan 2, 2014}} Eva Augenblick attended Radcliffe College and graduated from Barnard College in 1959. A list of student acquaintances of hers at high school and college would include notable achievers such as economist Fischer Black, psychologist Robert L. Helmreich,{{cite web | url=https://archive.today/20140102103930/http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/amp/68/6/470/ | title=PsycNET - Display Record }} and endocrinologist Robert M. Neer{{Cite web |url=http://www.healthgrades.com/physician/dr-robert-neer-25g89 |title=Dr. Robert M. Neer, MD - Boston, MA - Internal Medicine | Healthgrades.com |access-date=2 January 2014 |archive-date=2 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102200118/http://www.healthgrades.com/physician/dr-robert-neer-25g89 |url-status=dead }} whom she married.{{cite web |first=Perry |last=Mehrling |url=http://www.dmmserver.com/DialABook/978/047/145/9780471457329.html |title=Fischer Black and the Revolutionary Idea of Finance |publisher=Dmmserver.com |accessdate=Jan 2, 2014 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304001918/http://www.dmmserver.com/DialABook/978/047/145/9780471457329.html |url-status=dead }}

Neer graduated as a physician at Columbia University in 1963. Three years later, she joined Harvard University where she worked continuously for more than three decades. Neer has been singled out for her "efforts to help women advance up the academic ladder".{{Cite web |url=http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/2000/03.02/neer.html |title=Professor of Medicine Eva J. Neer Dies at 62 |access-date=1 January 2014 |archive-date=2 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102192532/http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/2000/03.02/neer.html |url-status=dead }} She died of complications from breast cancer in 2000, survived by her husband and two sons, Robert and Richard.{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2000/02/28/eva-julia-neer-62-biochemist-heart-researcher/ |title=Eva Julia Neer, 62, Biochemist, Heart Researcher |work=Chicago Tribune |date=2000-02-28 |access-date=Jan 2, 2014}} A personal account of Neer´s professional life was given by her close colleague David E. Clapham in an obituary note.{{cite journal|last1=Clapham|first1=David E.|title=Remembering Eva Neer|journal=Cell|date=2000|volume=101|issue=3|pages=247–248|doi=10.1016/S0092-8674(02)71135-5|doi-access=free}}

Neer joined Harvard research staff in 1966. She was appointed Assistant Professor of Medicine in 1976, and full professor in 1991. She was ascribed to the Cardiology Division at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Neer served on the Board of Tutors in Biochemical Sciences at Harvard College, as well as on the Harvard Students Research Committee at the Harvard Medical School. She combined the tools of chemistry, biology, physics and molecular biology to explain how cells interpret the messages they get from light, hormones and neurotransmitters. The author of numerous papers, she was elected to both the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and earned membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America. She was honored with the FASEB prize for basic research in 1987 and the American Heart Association’s basic research prize in 1996. She was also an adviser to the National Institutes of Health.

Neer's early research, performed under the guidance of Guido Guidotti,{{cite web |url=https://www.mcb.harvard.edu/mcb/faculty/profile/guido-guidotti/ |title=Guido Guidotti |publisher=Molecular & Cellular Biology - Harvard University |accessdate=Jan 2, 2014 |archive-date=15 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161115183604/https://www.mcb.harvard.edu/mcb/faculty/profile/guido-guidotti/ |url-status=dead }} was devoted to study aspects of hemoglobin chemistry. These included the role of sulfhydryl groups of α and β chains on the quaternary conformation of the molecule. She showed their importance in subunit interface interaction and functional cooperativity for oxygen binding. This binding is an essential property for oxygen transport in blood and is often referred as Bohr effect.{{cite journal|last=Neer|first=EJ|author2=Guidotti, G|title=The recombination of α and β chains of human hemoglobin. Effect of sulfhydryl group modifications.|journal=J. Biol. Chem.|date= 1970|volume=245|issue=3|pages=570–3|doi=10.1016/S0021-9258(18)63370-8|pmid=5412713|doi-access=free}}

While still at Guidotti's lab, Neer undertook independent research on the biochemical mechanisms of vasopressin's action on kidney's distal tubules. She described the purification and kinetic properties of vasopressin-sensitive adenylate cyclase from rat renal medulla.{{cite journal|last=Neer|first=EJ|title=The vasopressin-sensitive adenylate cyclase of the rat renal medulla.|journal=J. Biol. Chem.|date= 1973|volume=248|issue=13|pages=4775–81|doi=10.1016/S0021-9258(19)43732-0|pmid=4352409|doi-access=free}} It would be later shown that vasopressin{{cite journal|last=Prat|first=AG|author2=Ausiello, DA |author3=Cantiello, HF |title=Vasopressin and protein kinase A activate G protein-sensitive epithelial Na+ channels.|journal= American Journal of Physiology. Cell Physiology| date=1993|volume=265|issue=1 Pt 1|pages=C218–23|pmid=8393279|doi=10.1152/ajpcell.1993.265.1.C218}} acts through a G protein-coupled receptor. This was the topic of Neer's work for most of her research career.

In order to dissect out different aspects of G protein messaging complexities Neer studied a variety of tissues including brain cortex, rat testis, pigeon erythrocytes, heart, brain, retina-rods. Some of her most cited research findings include:

• Purification and properties of free and membrane-bound adenylate cyclase (1978){{cite journal|last=Neer|first=EJ|title=Physical and functional properties of adenylate cyclase from mature rat testis|journal=J. Biol. Chem.|date=1978|volume=253|issue=16|pages=5808–12|doi=10.1016/S0021-9258(17)30340-X|pmid=670231|doi-access=free}}
• Size and detergent binding of adenylate cyclase from bovine cerebral cortex (1978){{cite journal|last=Neer|first=EJ|title=Size and detergent binding of adenylate cyclase from bovine cerebral cortex|journal=J. Biol. Chem.|date=1978|volume=253|issue=5|pages=1498–502|doi=10.1016/S0021-9258(17)34894-9|pmid=627551|doi-access=free}}
• The site of α-chymotryptic activation of pigeon erythrocyte adenylate cyclase (1978){{cite journal|last=Marshak|first=DR|author2=Neer, EJ|title=The site of α-chymotryptic activation of pigeon erythrocyte adenylate cyclase|journal=J. Biol. Chem.|date=1980|volume=255|issue=10|pages=4781–5|doi=10.1016/S0021-9258(19)85565-5|pmid=7372611|doi-access=free}}
• Calmodulin activates the isolated catalytic unit of brain adenylate cyclase (1981){{cite journal|last=Salter|first=RS|author2=Krinks, MH |author3=Klee, CB |author4= Neer, EJ |title=Calmodulin activates the isolated catalytic unit of brain adenylate cyclase|journal=J. Biol. Chem.|date= 1981|volume=256|issue=19|pages=9830–3|doi=10.1016/S0021-9258(19)68703-X|pmid=6268633|doi-access=free}}
• Location and function of reactive sulfhydryl groups of α subunit 39 (1987){{cite journal|last=Winslow|first=JW|author2=Bradley, JD |author3=Smith, JA |author4= Neer, EJ |title=Reactive sulfhydryl groups of α39, a guanine nucleotide-binding protein from brain. Location and function|journal=J. Biol. Chem.|date= 1987|volume=262|issue=10|pages=4501–7|doi=10.1016/S0021-9258(18)61220-7|pmid=3104318|doi-access=free}}
• Action of G protein subunits on the cardiac muscarinic K⁺ channel (1987, 1988){{cite journal|last=Logothetis|first=DE|author2=Kurachi, Y |author3=Galper, J |author4=Neer, EJ |author5= Clapham, DE |title=The βγ subunits of GTP-binding proteins activate the muscarinic K⁺ channel in heart|journal=Nature|date=1987|volume=325|issue=6102|pages=321–6|doi=10.1038/325321a0|pmid=2433589|bibcode=1987Natur.325..321L |s2cid=4338529}}{{cite journal|last=Logothetis|first=DE|author2=Kim, DH |author3=Northup, JK |author4=Neer, EJ |author5= Clapham, DE |title=Specificity of action of guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory protein subunits on the cardiac muscarinic K⁺ channel|journal=Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA|date= 1988|volume=85|issue=16|pages=5814–8|doi=10.1073/pnas.85.16.5814|pmid=2457901|pmc=281855|bibcode=1988PNAS...85.5814L |doi-access=free}}
• Cloning and differential expression of α-subunit types in human tissues and cell types (1988){{cite journal|last=Kim|first=SY|author2=Ang, SL |author3=Bloch, DB |author4=Bloch, KD |author5=Kawahara, Y |author6=Tolman, C |author7=Lee, R |author8=Seidman, JG |author9= Neer, EJ |title=Identification of cDNA encoding an additional α subunit of a human GTP-binding protein: expression of three α_i subtypes in human tissues and cell lines|journal=Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA|date=1988|volume=85|issue=12|pages=4153–4257|doi=10.1073/pnas.85.12.4153|pmid=3132707|pmc=280384|bibcode=1988PNAS...85.4153K |doi-access=free}}
• G-protein α_s and α_o synthesis in GH₃ cells (1996){{cite journal|last=Li|first=Y|author2=Mende, U |author3=Lewis, C |author4= Neer, EJ |title=Maintenance of cellular levels of G-proteins: different efficiencies of α_s and α_o synthesis in GH₃ cells|journal=Biochem. J.|date=1996|volume=318|pages=1071–7|pmid=8836158|pmc=1217725|issue=Pt 3|doi=10.1042/bj3181071}}
• Structure-function aspects of activation of PLC by G protein subunits: site mutation studies. (1998){{cite journal|last=Panchenko|first=MP|author2=Saxena, K |author3=Li, Y |author4=Charnecki, S |author5=Sternweis, PM |author6=Smith, TF |author7=Gilman, AG |author8=Kozasa, T |author9= Neer, EJ |title=Sites important for PLCβ2 activation by the G Protein βγ subunit map to the sides of the β propeller structure|journal=J. Biol. Chem.|date=Oct 23, 1998|volume=273|issue=43|pages=28298–304|doi=10.1074/jbc.273.43.28298|pmid=9774453|doi-access=free}}{{cite journal|last=Li|first=Y|author2=Sternweis, PM |author3=Charnecki, S |author4=Smith, TF |author5=Gilman, AG |author6=Neer, EJ |author7= Kozasa, T |title=Sites for Gα binding on the G protein β subunit overlap with sites for regulation of phospholipase Cβ and adenylyl cyclase|journal=J. Biol. Chem.|date= 1998|volume=273|issue=26|pages=16265–72|doi=10.1074/jbc.273.26.16265|pmid=9632686|doi-access=free}}

During the course of her career Neer authored a number of highly cited review articles on structural and functional aspects of G protein and its subunits.

{{cite journal|last=Neer|first=EJ|title=Structural and functional studies of the Go protein|journal=Soc. Gen. Physiol. Series|year=1990|volume=45|pages=143–51|pmid=2116036}}{{cite journal|last=Clapham|first=DE|author2=Neer, EJ|title=New roles for G-protein beta gamma-dimers in transmembrane signalling|journal=Nature|date=1993|volume=365|issue=6445|pages=403–6|doi=10.1038/365403a0|pmid=8413584|bibcode=1993Natur.365..403C |s2cid=4245662}}{{cite journal|last=Neer|first=EJ|title=Heterotrimeric G proteins: organizers of transmembrane signals|journal=Cell|date=1995|volume=80|issue=2|pages=249–57|doi=10.1016/0092-8674(95)90407-7|pmid=7834744|s2cid=10095565|doi-access=free}}{{cite journal|last=Neer|first=EJ|author2=Clapham, DE|title=Roles of G protein subunits in transmembrane signalling|journal=Nature |date=1988|volume=333|issue=6169|pages=129–34|doi=10.1038/333129a0|pmid=3130578|bibcode=1988Natur.333..129N |s2cid=4256130}}{{Cite journal |url=http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.pharmtox.37.1.167?journalCode=pharmtox |title=G protein βγ subunits |year=1997 |doi=10.1146/annurev.pharmtox.37.1.167 |pmid=9131251 |access-date=1 January 2014 |archive-date=13 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200713171052/https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.pharmtox.37.1.167?journalCode=pharmtox |url-status=dead |last1=Clapham |first1=D. E. |last2=Neer |first2=E. J. |journal=Annu. Rev. Pharmacol. Toxicol. |volume=37 |pages=167–203 |url-access=subscription }}

• Damon Runyon Fellowship from the Cancer Research Foundation in 1973{{cite web |url=http://www.damonrunyon.org/for_scientists/more/damon_runyon_fellows_by_award_year_70s |title=Damon Runyon Fellows + Grantees (by award year): '70s |publisher=Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation |accessdate=Jan 2, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102192651/http://www.damonrunyon.org/for_scientists/more/damon_runyon_fellows_by_award_year_70s |archive-date=January 2, 2014 |url-status=dead }}
• American Heart Association Research Achievement Award for Basic Research (1996) together with David E. Clapham
• FASEB Excellence in Science Award 1998
• Elected to the National Academy of Sciences 1998
• Elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences 1998
• Earned membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 1997
• Posthumously honored by Harvard Medical School by establishing the Eva Neer Memorial Lecture{{Cite web |url=http://www.hms.harvard.edu/md_phd/events/speakers.html |title=The M.D.-Ph.D. Program at Harvard Medical School |access-date=23 January 2014 |archive-date=2 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202175126/http://www.hms.harvard.edu/md_phd/events/speakers.html |url-status=dead }}

{{reflist}}

• [http://archives.focus.hms.harvard.edu/1995/Dec1_1995/On_the_Quad.html MOLECULAR MIDDLEMEN]
• [http://id.lib.harvard.edu/ead/med00198/catalog Eva Neer papers, 1960-2002 (inclusive), 1980-1999 (bulk). H MS c391. Harvard Medical Library, Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Boston, Mass.]
• [http://www.nasonline.org/publications/biographical-memoirs/memoir-pdfs/neer-eva.pdf Robert Neer, Thomas Michel, and Robert J. Lefkowitz, "Eva J. Neer", Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences (2021)]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Neer, Eva}}

Category:1937 births

Category:2000 deaths

Category:American women biochemists

Category:Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons alumni

Category:Barnard College alumni

Category:20th-century American women scientists

Category:20th-century American chemists

Category:Scientists from Queens, New York

Category:People from Scarsdale, New York

Category:Members of the National Academy of Medicine

Category:Scientists from Warsaw