Elwira Lisowska

Professor Elwira Lisowska (born May 6, 1930) is a Polish biochemist. She made significant contributions to the biochemistry of human blood groups, especially MNS and P antigen systems.

Prof. Elwira Lisowska
Bar of the Order of Polonia Restituta, Knight's Cross

Early life and education

Lisowska was born in Przemyśl.[1] She studied chemistry at the Wrocław University of Science and Technology. As a student she became interested in biomedical research, and worked with Tadeusz Baranowski in the Department of Physiological Chemistry. She moved to the Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy where she started to work on blood group antigens.[1] She earned her doctoral degree in 1962, and in 1969 she spent one year at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she worked with Roger W. Jeanloz.[1]

Research and career

For many years Lisowska worked on the M and N antigens.[1] She identified that these antigens were carried by the glycosylated protein of the erythrocyte membrane called glycophorins. At first it was understood that the M and N antigens had carbohydrate character, but later it emerged that there were differences in amino acid sequence of polypeptide chain. Lisowska was the first to show that there was a difference between the amino acid residues at positions 1 and 5 of M and N antigens.[1][2]

She obtained and described several monoclonal antibodies recognizing glycophorins and used them to characterie antigenic properteis of human glycophorins.[3] Beyond her work on M and N antigens, Lisowska studied NOR polyagglutination and elucidated the structure of NOR antigen, which is a member of the human P antigen system. [4] In addition, she showed that carcinoembryonic antigen forms dimers in solution[5] and was the first to demonstrate that human Band 3 anion transport protein is degraded during the lifespan of erythrocyte.[6] She described several methods of lectin modifications and used them as tools for glycoconjugate research.[7] She was made Head of Laboratory in 1973 and full Professor in 1986. Lisowska served as editor of the journal Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis, Acta Biochimica Polonica and Advances of Clinical and Experimental Medicine.[1] In 2001 Lisowska retired from the Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy.[1]

Awards and honours
  • 1978  Award of the Faculty of Biological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences for participation in studies on immunochemistry of M and N blood group antigens.
  • 1988  Award of the Polish Academy of Sciences for participation in studies on Band 3 anion transport protein.
  • 1989 Parnas award of the Polish Biochemical Society[8]
  • 2014 Order of Polonia Restituta, the Knight's Cross[9]
  • 2016 Diplome d'Honneur of the Polish Biochemical Society[10]

Select publications
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References
  1. Krotkiewski, Hubert; Czerwinski, Marcin; Jaskiewicz, Ewa; Wasniowska, Kazimiera; Kaczmarek, Radoslaw (2020-07-12). "Professor Elwira Lisowska Celebrates Her 90th Birthday". Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis. 68 (4): 22. doi:10.1007/s00005-020-00589-z. ISSN 1661-4917.
  2. Waśniowska, Kazimiera; Drzeniek, Zofia; Lisowska, Elwira (1977-05-23). "The amino acids of M and N blood group glycopeptides are different". Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 76 (2): 385–390. doi:10.1016/0006-291X(77)90736-7. ISSN 0006-291X.
  3. Lisowska, Elwira. "Antigenic properties of human glycophorins--an update". Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology. 491: 155–169. doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-1267-7_12.
  4. Duk, Maria; Reinhold, Bruce B; Reinhold, Vernon N; Kusnierz-Alejska, Grazyna; Lisowska, Elwira. "Structure of a neutral glycosphingolipid recognized by human antibodies in polyagglutinable erythrocytes from the rare NOR phenotype". Journal of Biological Chemistry. 276: 40574–40582. doi:10.1074/jbc.M102711200.
  5. Lisowska, Elwira; Krop-Watorek, Anna; Sedlaczek, Pawel. "The dimeric structure of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)". Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 115: 206211. doi:10.1016/0006-291X(83)90990-7.
  6. Czerwinski, Marcin; Wasniowska, Kazimiera; Steuden, Iga; Duk, Maria; Wiedlocha, Antoni; Lisowska, Elwira. "Degradation of the human erythrocyte membrane band 3 studied with monoclonal antibody directed against an epitope on the cytoplasmic fragment of band 3". European Journal of Biochemistry. 174: 647–645. doi:10.1111/j.1432-1033.1988.tb14147.x.
  7. Wu, Albert; Lisowska, Elwira; Duk, Maria; Zhangung, Yang. "Lectins as tools in glycoconjugate research". Glycocnjugate Journal. 26: 899–913. doi:10.1007/s10719-008-9119-7.
  8. "FEBS | The Polish Biochemical Society | Our Members". www.febs.org. Retrieved 2020-07-16.
  9. "Postanowienie Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej". Nadanie Orderów i Odznaczeń. Retrieved 2020-07-30.
  10. "Diplome d'Honneur of Polish Biochemical Society". Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy Twitter Account (in Polish). 2016-09-21. Retrieved 2020-07-27.
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