Mary Edmonds
{{short description|American biochemist}}
{{distinguish|Mary Edmunds (disambiguation){{!}}Mary Edmunds}}
{{Infobox scientist
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Mary Patricia Edmonds
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| birth_date = May 7, 1922{{Cite web|title=Mary Edmonds|url=http://www.nasonline.org/member-directory/deceased-members/59415.html|access-date=2021-09-28|website=www.nasonline.org}}
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| death_date = {{death date and age|2005|4|16|1922|5|7}}
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| alma_mater = University of Pennsylvania
| thesis_title = Studies on the biosynthesis of purines and pyrimidines in growing yeast
| thesis_url = https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/{{{244989850}}}
| thesis_year = 1951
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Mary P. Edmonds (May 7, 1922 – April 16, 2005) was an American biochemist who made key discoveries regarding the processing of messenger RNA (mRNA). She spent most of her career at the University of Pittsburgh.
Education and career
Edmonds was born May 7, 1922, in Racine, Wisconsin. She received a bachelor's degree from Milwaukee-Downer College in 1943, a master's degree from Wellesley College in 1945, and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1951. Following her Ph.D., she was a postdoctoral researcher at University of Illinois (1950-1952) and University of Wisconsin (1952-1955), and then joined Montefiore Hospital in Pittsburgh as a research associate from 1955 until 1965. Starting in 1962 she held appointments at the University of Pittsburgh, initially as adjunct and research professor positions, until she joined the faculty in 1971 and was promoted to professor in 1976.{{cite journal|last1=Grabowski|first1=Paula|last2=Peebles|first2=Craig|last3=Milcarek|first3=Christine|date=2005|title=Mary P. Edmonds (1922–2005)|journal=RNA|volume=11|issue=9|pages=1331–1332|pmc=1370815|pmid=16211698}}{{cite web|last1=Belfort|first1=Marlene|author-link1=Marlene Belfort|title=Biographical Memoirs: Mary P. Edmonds|url=http://www.nasonline.org/publications/biographical-memoirs/memoir-pdfs/edmonds-mary.pdf|accessdate=10 May 2019}}
Edmonds took emeritus status in 1992, and died of complications related to a heart attack on April 16, 2005.
Research
Edmonds was known for her research in mRNA processing, specifically on 3'-end processing and how RNA is spliced. Her research showed that the end of mRNA is a poly-A tail composed of multiple adenosine residues.{{cite journal|last1=Edmonds|first1=Mary|last2=Abrams|first2=Richard|title=Polynucleotide Biosynthesis: Formation of a Sequence of Adenylate Units from Adenosine Triphosphate by an Enzyme from Thymus Nuclei|journal=Journal of Biological Chemistry|date=April 1960|volume=235|issue=4|pages=1142–1149|doi=10.1016/s0021-9258(18)69494-3|issn=0021-9258|doi-access=free}} In her memoirs posted at the National Academy of Sciences, her work discovering the poly-A tails on eukaryotic mRNA{{cite journal |last1=Edmonds |first1=M. |last2=Vaughan |first2=M. H. |last3=Nakazato |first3=H. |title=Polyadenylic Acid Sequences in the Heterogeneous Nuclear RNA and Rapidly-Labeled Polyribosomal RNA of HeLa Cells: Possible Evidence for a Precursor Relationship |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |date=1 June 1971 |volume=68 |issue=6 |pages=1336–1340 |doi=10.1073/pnas.68.6.1336|pmid=5288383 |pmc=389184 |bibcode=1971PNAS...68.1336E |doi-access=free }} and purification of the poly-A polymerase enzyme{{cite journal |last1=Winters |first1=Mary Ann |last2=Edmonds |first2=Mary |title=A Poly(A) Polymerase from Calf Thymus |journal=Journal of Biological Chemistry |date=July 1973 |volume=248 |issue=13 |pages=4756–4762 |doi=10.1016/s0021-9258(19)43729-0 |issn=0021-9258|doi-access=free }} are described as "landmarks in the field". Edmonds also developed the first method to use the poly-A tail to separate mRNA from other nucleic acids,{{Cite journal|last1=Venkatesan|first1=S.|last2=Nakazato|first2=H.|last3=Edmonds|first3=M.|date=1976-08-01|title=Preparation and properties of a poly A resin and its use in the isolation of naturally occurring poly U sequences|journal=Nucleic Acids Research|language=en|volume=3|issue=8|pages=1925–1936|doi=10.1093/nar/3.8.1925|issn=0305-1048|pmc=343049|pmid=967682}} a protocol which forms the beginning of all modern transcriptomics analysis. In the 1980s, Edmonds showed that poly-A RNA is branched, a stage that arises during processing of hnRNA into mRNA.{{cite journal|last1=Wallace|first1=John C.|last2=Edmonds|first2=Mary|date=1 February 1983|title=Polyadenylylated nuclear RNA contains branches|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|language=en|volume=80|issue=4|pages=950–954|doi=10.1073/pnas.80.4.950|pmid=6573664|issn=0027-8424|pmc=393505|bibcode=1983PNAS...80..950W |doi-access=free}} This research led to the development of antibodies targeting branched RNA.{{Cite journal|last1=Reilly|first1=J. David|last2=Freeman|first2=Sandra K.|last3=Melhem|first3=Randa F.|last4=Kierzek|first4=Ryszard|last5=Caruthers|first5=Marvin H.|last6=Edmonds|first6=Mary|last7=Munns|first7=Theodore W.|date=1990-02-15|title=Antibodies specific for branched ribonucleic acids|url=https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0003-2697%2890%2990266-C|journal=Analytical Biochemistry|language=en|volume=185|issue=1|pages=125–130|doi=10.1016/0003-2697(90)90266-C|pmid=1693046|issn=0003-2697|url-access=subscription}}
Selected publications
- {{cite journal|last1=Edmonds|first1=Mary|last2=Abrams|first2=Richard|title=Polynucleotide Biosynthesis: Formation of a Sequence of Adenylate Units from Adenosine Triphosphate by an Enzyme from Thymus Nuclei|journal=Journal of Biological Chemistry|date=April 1960|volume=235|issue=4|pages=1142–1149|doi=10.1016/s0021-9258(18)69494-3|issn=0021-9258|doi-access=free}}
- {{cite journal |last1=Edmonds |first1=M. |last2=Vaughan |first2=M. H. |last3=Nakazato |first3=H. |title=Polyadenylic Acid Sequences in the Heterogeneous Nuclear RNA and Rapidly-Labeled Polyribosomal RNA of HeLa Cells: Possible Evidence for a Precursor Relationship |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |date=1 June 1971 |volume=68 |issue=6 |pages=1336–1340 |doi=10.1073/pnas.68.6.1336|pmid=5288383 |pmc=389184 |bibcode=1971PNAS...68.1336E |doi-access=free }}
- {{cite journal |last1=Winters |first1=Mary Ann |last2=Edmonds |first2=Mary |title=A Poly(A) Polymerase from Calf Thymus |journal=Journal of Biological Chemistry |date=July 1973 |volume=248 |issue=13 |pages=4756–4762 |doi=10.1016/s0021-9258(19)43729-0 |issn=0021-9258|doi-access=free }}
- {{cite journal |last1=Wallace |first1=John C. |last2=Edmonds |first2=Mary |title=Polyadenylylated nuclear RNA contains branches |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |date=1 February 1983 |volume=80 |issue=4 |pages=950–954 |doi=10.1073/pnas.80.4.950 |pmid=6573664 |language=en |issn=0027-8424|pmc=393505 |bibcode=1983PNAS...80..950W |doi-access=free }}
- {{cite journal |last1=Edmonds |first1=Mary |title=A history of poly A sequences: from formation to factors to function |journal=Progress in Nucleic Acid Research and Molecular Biology |date=2002 |volume=71 |pages=285–389 |doi=10.1016/S0079-6603(02)71046-5|pmid=12102557 |isbn=9780125400718 }}
Awards and accolades
Edmonds was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1991. She was awarded an honorary degree by Lawrence University in 1983, named woman of the year in science by Chatham University in 1986,{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=April 28, 2005|title=University Times » Obituary: Mary P. Edmonds|url=https://www.utimes.pitt.edu/archives/?p=872|access-date=2021-09-28|language=en}} and received the Chancellor’s Distinguished Research Award Winners from the University of Pittsburg in 1989.{{Cite web|title=Chancellor's Distinguished Research Award Winners {{!}} Office of the Provost {{!}} University of Pittsburgh|url=https://www.provost.pitt.edu/research-award-winners|access-date=2021-09-29|website=www.provost.pitt.edu}} After her death, the University of Pittsburg established the Mary P. Edmonds Award given each year to a graduate student in recognition of an "outstanding research paper".{{Cite web|title=Mary P. Edmonds Award {{!}} Department of Biological Sciences {{!}} University of Pittsburgh|url=https://www.biology.pitt.edu/graduate/enrolled-students/edmonds-award|access-date=2021-09-28|website=www.biology.pitt.edu}}
References
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External links
- [http://www.nasonline.org/publications/biographical-memoirs/memoir-pdfs/edmonds-mary.pdf Marlene Belfort, "Mary P. Edmonds", Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences (2014)]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edmonds, Mary}}
Category:People from Racine, Wisconsin
Category:Milwaukee-Downer College alumni
Category:Scientists from Wisconsin
Category:Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences
Category:Wellesley College alumni
Category:University of Pennsylvania alumni
Category:University of Pittsburgh faculty
Category:20th-century American biochemists
Category:American women biochemists