Choh Hao Li . (n. 21 of April of 1913 , Canton – † 28 of November of 1987 ), and Chinese American biochemist experimental endocrinologist, and his collaborators isolated in pure form, six of the eight hormones known secreting pituitary above. Among the hormones, Li isolated adrenocorticotropic and adrenal stimulating hormone (ACTH) and human growth hormone or somatropin (HGH). He also discovered beta endorphin in 1976 , which is a natural pain reliever, and was the first to synthesize the insulin-like growth factor, which stimulates the growth of cartilage and bone. He was also the first to synthesize theGrowth hormone in 1970 .
Summary
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- 1 Biographical synthesis
- 1 Career path
- 2 Family
- 3 Artwork
- 4 Decorations
- 5 Source
Biographic synthesis
The son of a successful industrialist, he was born in Guangzhou or Canton , China , on April 21 , 1913. He studied high school at the Pui Jing Institute in his city. He later did so at Nanjing University, where he received a degree in chemical sciences in 1933. For two years he was teaching chemistry and doing his first research work. On his way to Michigan, where he had been accepted for graduate studies, he stopped by Berkeley to visit his brother who was doing his doctorate in economics. He insisted that he meet with Professor Lewis, then dean of the Faculty of Chemistry. He brought a copy of one of his papers in which Herbert M. Evans of Northwestern University had participated as a senior researcher. Lewis decided to accept him as a probationary graduate student for a year.
In 1938 he finally received the degree of doctor. Thus began a relationship with this university that would last for more than half a century.
Career path
He joined the Institute of Experimental Biology as an associate researcher, recruited by Herbert McLean Evans (1882-1971) to join a group whose project was the isolation, purification, chemical identification and biological study of the hormones of the anterior pituitary.
In 1940 he isolated the luteinizing or luteostimulating hormone, then the follicle-stimulating hormone, and also prolactin or luteotrope. He also contributed to the study of corticotropin or ACTH. For thirty-two years he worked with growth hormone. Its identification, purification and subsequent synthesis, and the identification of beta-endorphin, were its main contributions.
He made careful studies of the amino acid sequence of some of these hormones, showing that many portions of their structures were homologous, which explained that some of their biological functions overlap. He also pioneered the idea that hormones are made up of biologically active fragments and regulatory regions. He synthesized peptide fragments in the 1950s. For example, he and his collaborators determined the sequence of ovine prolactin, which consists of 199 amino acids. It also resembles growth hormone from a structural point of view. In the 1960s he continued with longer fragments until he was able to synthesize the corticotropin molecule. It is a polypeptide made up of 39 amino acids in linear sequence,
He was director of the Hormone Research Laboratory in Berkeley, between 1950 and 1967 until he retired in 1983 . He was succeeded by William Rutter. After his retirement, as emeritus he directed the Molecular Endocrinology Laboratory, until the date of his death.
Family
In 1931 he met a student at the Nanking University School of Agriculture, Shen-hwai Lu. They married in 1938 when she went to Berkeley to study graduate school. They had three sons, Wei Li-i, who became a cardiac surgeon; Li Ann-Si, veterinarian; and Li Eva, architect.
Work
Li’s work is very extensive, calculating that he published more than a thousand works with three hundred collaborators. He was editor of the Hormonal Proteins and Peptides series and the Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics. He became editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Peptide and Protein Research. Many endocrinologists trained or received their doctorates from him. His laboratory also attracted many scientists from all over.
Li was generous; His decision to send his collection of pituitary hormones in microgram quantities to other researchers was greatly appreciated.
Award
Throughout his life he received the recognition of the scientific community. The Catholic University of Chile, the University of Hong Kong, the University of San Francisco, the University of Colorado and the University of Long Island, among others, awarded him honorary degrees.
He was awarded the Albert Lasker Prize for Basic Medical Research, the Lewis Prize from the American Philosophical Society, the Amory Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, as well as others awarded by the American Medical Association, the American Society Against Cancer, The American Endocrinological Society, etc.
He was nominated twice for the Nobel Prize.
