description Edwin Krebs Overview
Edwin Krebs was an American biochemist whose research at the University of Washington fundamentally advanced the understanding of cellular regulation. Working with his colleague Edmond Fischer in the 1950s, he discovered reversible protein phosphorylation, a process where enzymes add or remove phosphate groups from proteins. This mechanism acts as a biological switch, turning protein activities on or off, and is essential for regulating metabolism, cell division, and signal transduction. Krebs and Fischer were awarded the 1992 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for this discovery.
insights Ranking position
Edwin Krebs ranks #45 of 150 in the Physician ranking, behind Harold Varmus, ahead of Alfred Blalock.
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What specific enzyme did Edwin Krebs and Edmond Fischer study in their phosphorylation discovery?
Krebs and Fischer studied glycogen phosphorylase, the enzyme that breaks down glycogen into glucose-1-phosphate to provide energy to cells. They discovered that an enzyme called phosphorylase kinase adds a phosphate group to phosphorylase to activate it, and that another enzyme reverses the process—the first known example of reversible protein phosphorylation.
When did Edwin Krebs and Edmond Fischer win the Nobel Prize?
They shared the 1992 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, more than three decades after their original discovery in the mid-1950s. The long delay reflected the time it took for the scientific community to appreciate that phosphorylation was a universal mechanism, not just a quirk of glycogen metabolism.
Is Edwin Krebs related to Hans Krebs, the biochemist of the Krebs cycle?
No, Edwin Krebs was not related to Hans Adolf Krebs, the German-born British biochemist who discovered the citric acid cycle (Krebs cycle). They shared the same surname but had no family connection; Hans Krebs won his Nobel Prize in 1953, while Edwin Krebs received his in 1992.
Where was Edwin Krebs a professor?
Krebs spent most of his career at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he and Edmond Fischer made their seminal discoveries. He later also held positions at the University of California, Davis, before returning to the University of Washington later in his career.
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