The identification of phosphate-sugar-base linkages within nucleic acids established the structural foundation for modern molecular biology. Conducted by Phoebus Levene during his tenure at the Rockefeller Institute, this research delineated the core components of DNA and RNA. His methodical investigation into biochemical structures spanned over 700 published papers, defining chemical constants that remain central to the field of biochemistry.
Early Education and Emigration
Born as Fishel Aronovich Levin in 1869 in Žagarė, Lithuania, Levene spent his youth in St. Petersburg. He completed his medical training at the Imperial Military Medical Academy in 1891. Faced with the threat of antisemitic pogroms, he relocated to the United States in 1893. Upon arrival in New York City, he balanced a medical practice with independent biochemical research while pursuing further academic study at Columbia University.
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In 1905, Levene accepted a position as the head of the biochemical laboratory at the Rockefeller Institute of Medical Research, a role he maintained for the remainder of his professional career. During this time, he collaborated with figures including Albrecht Kossel and Emil Fischer. His work focused on the chemical composition of nucleic acids, specifically identifying d-ribose in 1909 and deoxyribose in 1929.
The Tetranucleotide Hypothesis
Levene proposed the tetranucleotide hypothesis, asserting that DNA was comprised of equal parts adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine. He theorized that these units were linked in a repeating phosphate-sugar-base sequence. Although he incorrectly concluded that the molecule was too simple to encode genetic information, his structural models provided the essential framework for subsequent breakthroughs regarding DNA as a carrier of hereditary data.
Professional Recognition
Levene achieved broad acknowledgement for his contributions to organic chemistry and biochemistry. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, and the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities. Among his notable distinctions were the Willard Gibbs Award in 1931 and the William H. Nichols Medal in 1938.
Fast facts
- Born: 1869, Žagarė, Lithuania
- Died: 1940, New York City
- Field: Biochemistry and organic chemistry
- Notable discovery: Deoxyribose (1929)
- Professional home: The Rockefeller University (from 1905)
- Primary hypothesis: Tetranucleotide structure of DNA
- Award: Willard Gibbs Award (1931)
- Award: William H. Nichols Medal (1938)
Questions readers ask
Did Phoebus Levene discover the function of DNA?
He identified its chemical components and structural links but erroneously concluded that its simple chemical nature prevented it from carrying the genetic code.
What was the tetranucleotide hypothesis?
It was Levene's proposal that DNA consisted of equal amounts of four nucleotides, which led many scientists to believe DNA was too structurally uniform to contain genetic information.
Achievements
- Held posts at The Rockefeller University
- Educated at Columbia University and S. M. Kirov Military Medical Academy
- Fields of research: biochemistry and organic chemistry
