Frances Brodsky

Brodsky earned her B.Sc. in biochemistry from Harvard University in 1976. She received a Marshall Scholarship to study in the UK and performed research in the laboratory of Walter Bodmer at Oxford University, obtaining a D. Phil. (Oxford's term for a Ph.D.) in 1979.

After postdoctoral work at Harvard University and Stanford University, Brodsky joined Becton Dickinson as a program manager in cell biology in 1982. In 1987, she returned to academia as an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of California, San Francisco.

Brodsky's work straddles the interface of immunology and cell biology. She developed some of the first monoclonal antibodies to the major histocompatibility complex, a protein that is central to the immune system.{{Cite journal|last1=Parham|first1=P.|last2=Sehgal|first2=P. K.|last3=Brodsky|first3=F. M.|date=1979-06-14|title=Anti-HLA-A,B,C monoclonal antibodies with no alloantigenic specificity in humans define polymorphisms in other primate species|journal=Nature|volume=279|issue=5714|pages=639–641|issn=0028-0836|pmid=88017|doi=10.1038/279639a0|bibcode=1979Natur.279..639P|s2cid=4255372 }}{{Cite journal|last1=Brodsky|first1=F. M.|last2=Bodmer|first2=W. F.|last3=Parham|first3=P.|date=1979|title=Characterization of a monoclonal anti-beta 2-microglobulin antibody and its use in the genetic and biochemical analysis of major histocompatibility antigens|journal=European Journal of Immunology|volume=9|issue=7|pages=536–545|doi=10.1002/eji.1830090709|issn=0014-2980|pmid=91522|s2cid=45088807 }} She became interested in clathrin, a protein that is key to both inward and outward membrane trafficking in cells, shortly after its isolation by Barbara Pearse. She used monoclonal antibodies to map the structure of clathrin{{Cite journal|last=Brodsky|first=F. M.|date=1985|title=Clathrin structure characterized with monoclonal antibodies. I. Analysis of multiple antigenic sites|journal=The Journal of Cell Biology|volume=101|issue=6|pages=2047–2054|issn=0021-9525|pmc=2114023|pmid=2415533|doi=10.1083/jcb.101.6.2047}}{{Cite journal|last=Brodsky|first=F. M.|date=1985|title=Clathrin structure characterized with monoclonal antibodies. II. Identification of in vivo forms of clathrin|journal=The Journal of Cell Biology|volume=101|issue=6|pages=2055–2062|issn=0021-9525|pmc=2114020|pmid=4066749|doi=10.1083/jcb.101.6.2055}} and to probe its assembly into its characteristic polyhedral structures.{{Cite journal|last1=Blank|first1=G. S.|last2=Brodsky|first2=F. M.|date=1986|title=Site-specific disruption of clathrin assembly produces novel structures|journal=The EMBO Journal|volume=5|issue=9|pages=2087–2095|issn=0261-4189|pmc=1167086|pmid=3096714|doi=10.1002/j.1460-2075.1986.tb04470.x}}{{Cite journal|last1=Brodsky|first1=F. M.|last2=Galloway|first2=C. J.|last3=Blank|first3=G. S.|last4=Jackson|first4=A. P.|last5=Seow|first5=H. F.|last6=Drickamer|first6=K.|last7=Parham|first7=P.|date=1987|title=Localization of clathrin light-chain sequences mediating heavy-chain binding and coated vesicle diversity|journal=Nature|volume=326|issue=6109|pages=203–205|doi=10.1038/326203a0|issn=0028-0836|pmid=2434865|bibcode=1987Natur.326..203B|s2cid=4363913 }} Clathrin-mediated endocytosis is involved in the uptake of antigens from outside the cell that are eventually presented on the surface of the cell by the major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC class II). Brodsky discovered that the pathway of MHC class II export meets the antigen import pathway in a specialized endocytic compartment where antigens can be processed into peptides and loaded onto the MHC class II molecule for presentation.{{Cite journal|last1=Guagliardi|first1=L. E.|last2=Koppelman|first2=B.|last3=Blum|first3=J. S.|last4=Marks|first4=M. S.|last5=Cresswell|first5=P.|last6=Brodsky|first6=F. M.|date=1990-01-11|title=Co-localization of molecules involved in antigen processing and presentation in an early endocytic compartment|journal=Nature|volume=343|issue=6254|pages=133–139|doi=10.1038/343133a0|issn=0028-0836|pmid=2404209|bibcode=1990Natur.343..133G|s2cid=4240003 }} She also identified the site at which peptides are loaded onto MHC class I proteins.{{Cite journal|last1=Bresnahan|first1=P. A.|last2=Barber|first2=L. D.|last3=Brodsky|first3=F. M.|date=1997-04-01|title=Localization of class I histocompatibility molecule assembly by subfractionation of the early secretory pathway|journal=Human Immunology|volume=53|issue=2|pages=129–139|doi=10.1016/S0198-8859(97)00001-3|issn=0198-8859|pmid=9129970}}

Brodsky has been a leader in analyzing the regulation of clathrin assembly{{Cite journal|last1=Liu|first1=S. H.|last2=Wong|first2=M. L.|last3=Craik|first3=C. S.|last4=Brodsky|first4=F. M.|date=1995-10-20|title=Regulation of clathrin assembly and trimerization defined using recombinant triskelion hubs|journal=Cell|volume=83|issue=2|pages=257–267|issn=0092-8674|pmid=7585943|doi=10.1016/0092-8674(95)90167-1|doi-access=free}}{{Cite journal|last1=Stoddart|first1=Angela|last2=Dykstra|first2=Michelle L.|last3=Brown|first3=Bruce K.|last4=Song|first4=Wenxia|last5=Pierce|first5=Susan K.|last6=Brodsky|first6=Frances M.|date=2002|title=Lipid rafts unite signaling cascades with clathrin to regulate BCR internalization|journal=Immunity|volume=17|issue=4|pages=451–462|issn=1074-7613|pmid=12387739|doi=10.1016/S1074-7613(02)00416-8|doi-access=free}}{{Cite journal|last1=Wakeham|first1=Diane E.|last2=Chen|first2=Chih-Ying|last3=Greene|first3=Barrie|last4=Hwang|first4=Peter K.|last5=Brodsky|first5=Frances M.|date=2003-10-01|title=Clathrin self-assembly involves coordinated weak interactions favorable for cellular regulation|journal=The EMBO Journal|volume=22|issue=19|pages=4980–4990|doi=10.1093/emboj/cdg511|issn=0261-4189|pmc=204494|pmid=14517237}} and the adaptor proteins that help capture specific cargoes in clathrin-coated vesicles.{{Cite journal|last1=Greene|first1=B.|last2=Liu|first2=S. H.|last3=Wilde|first3=A.|last4=Brodsky|first4=F. M.|date=2000|title=Complete reconstitution of clathrin basket formation with recombinant protein fragments: adaptor control of clathrin self-assembly|journal=Traffic|volume=1|issue=1|pages=69–75|issn=1398-9219|pmid=11208061|doi=10.1034/j.1600-0854.2000.010110.x|doi-access=free}}{{Cite journal|last1=Knuehl|first1=Christine|last2=Chen|first2=Chih-Ying|last3=Manalo|first3=Venus|last4=Hwang|first4=Peter K.|last5=Ota|first5=Nobuyuki|last6=Brodsky|first6=Frances M.|date=2006|title=Novel binding sites on clathrin and adaptors regulate distinct aspects of coat assembly|journal=Traffic|volume=7|issue=12|pages=1688–1700|doi=10.1111/j.1600-0854.2006.00499.x|issn=1398-9219|pmid=17052248|doi-access=free}} She has identified roles for clathrin isoforms in diseases such as diabetes{{Cite journal|last1=Vassilopoulos|first1=Stéphane|last2=Esk|first2=Christopher|last3=Hoshino|first3=Sachiko|last4=Funke|first4=Birgit H.|last5=Chen|first5=Chih-Ying|last6=Plocik|first6=Alex M.|last7=Wright|first7=Woodring E.|last8=Kucherlapati|first8=Raju|last9=Brodsky|first9=Frances M.|date=2009-05-29|title=A role for the CHC22 clathrin heavy-chain isoform in human glucose metabolism|journal=Science|volume=324|issue=5931|pages=1192–1196|doi=10.1126/science.1171529|issn=1095-9203|pmc=2975026|pmid=19478182|bibcode=2009Sci...324.1192V}} and myopathies,{{Cite journal|last1=Hoshino|first1=Sachiko|last2=Sakamoto|first2=Kazuho|last3=Vassilopoulos|first3=Stéphane|last4=Camus|first4=Stéphane M.|last5=Griffin|first5=Christine A.|last6=Esk|first6=Christopher|last7=Torres|first7=Jorge A.|last8=Ohkoshi|first8=Norio|last9=Ishii|first9=Akiko|date=2013|title=The CHC22 clathrin-GLUT4 transport pathway contributes to skeletal muscle regeneration|journal=PLOS ONE|volume=8|issue=10|pages=e77787|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0077787|issn=1932-6203|pmc=3813726|pmid=24204966|bibcode=2013PLoSO...877787H|doi-access=free }} and in controlling immunoglobulin class switching.{{Cite journal|last1=Wu|first1=Shuang|last2=Majeed|first2=Sophia R.|last3=Evans|first3=Timothy M.|last4=Camus|first4=Marine D.|last5=Wong|first5=Nicole M. L.|last6=Schollmeier|first6=Yvette|last7=Park|first7=Minjong|last8=Muppidi|first8=Jagan R.|last9=Reboldi|first9=Andrea|date=2016|title=Clathrin light chains' role in selective endocytosis influences antibody isotype switching|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America|volume=113|issue=35|pages=9816–9821|doi=10.1073/pnas.1611189113|issn=1091-6490|pmc=5024586|pmid=27540116|doi-access=free }}

In 2000, she founded Traffic: The International Journal of Intracellular Transport with Mark Marsh, Sandra Schmid, and Thomas Kreis, with the goal of creating “a central journal to gather together publications that are of most interest to those working on intracellular trafficking”. In 2007, she stepped aside from the role of co-Editor to become Reviews Editor of Traffic.{{Cite journal|last1=Brodsky|first1=Frances M.|last2=Marsh|first2=Mark|date=2010|title=Life History of the Journal TRAFFIC, Celebrating Ten Years of Publication|journal=Traffic|language=en|volume=11|issue=1|pages=1–3|doi=10.1111/j.1600-0854.2009.01004.x|doi-access=free}}

In 2015, after 28 years at UCSF, Brodsky moved back to the UK to lead the Division of Biosciences at University College London.{{Cite web|url=https://pharmacy.ucsf.edu/news/2015/11/department-says-farewell-frances-brodsky|title=Department Says Farewell to Frances Brodsky {{!}} School of Pharmacy {{!}} UCSF|website=pharmacy.ucsf.edu|date=13 November 2015 |access-date=2019-03-17}}

In 2019, she was elected to the council of the Academy of Medical Sciences{{Cite web|url=https://acmedsci.ac.uk/about/governance/council-members|title=Academy of Medical Sciences Council Members 2019|access-date=2019-07-27}}

• 1976 Marshall Scholarship
• 1988 Pew Scholar award {{Cite web|url=https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/projects/pew-biomedical-scholars/directory-of-pew-scholars/1988/frances-brodsky/|title=Frances Brodsky|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-17}}
• 2007 WICB Senior Award{{Cite web|url=https://www.ascb.org/award/women-in-cell-biology-awards/|title=Women in Cell Biology Awards|website=ASCB|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-17}}

Brodsky is the author of three mystery novels starring virologist Dr. Celeste Braun, all published by Berkley Prime Crime, under the pseudonym B.B. Jordan. In Principal Investigation (1997),{{Cite book|title=Principal investigation|last=Jordan|first=B. B.|date=1997|publisher=Berkley Prime Crime|isbn=978-0425160909|location=New York|oclc=37832200}} Braun foils a criminal who is threatening to cause an outbreak of a deadly virus; in Secondary Immunization (1999){{Cite book|title=Secondary immunization|last=Jordan|first=B. B.|date=1999|publisher=Berkley Prime Crime|isbn=978-0425171189|location=New York|oclc=42654221|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/secondaryimmuniz00jord}} she uncovers a conspiracy that uses the immune systems of patients to carry information for a drug cartel; and in Triplet Code (2001){{Cite book|title=Triplet code|last=Jordan|first=B. B.|date=2001|publisher=Berkley Prime Crime|isbn=978-0425179208|location=New York|oclc=46718397}} she solves the mystery of the deaths of three colleagues.

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• [https://www.ucl.ac.uk/brodsky-lab Brodsky lab]

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Category:Harvard University alumni

Category:American women biologists

Category:American women immunologists

Category:Living people

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:21st-century American women scientists

Category:Alumni of the University of Oxford

Category:University of California, Los Angeles faculty