Ann C. Palmenberg

Ann C. Palmenberg is a professor of virology and biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She received her B.S. from St. Lawrence University and her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Palmenberg has been given numerous awards for her research and involvement within the scientific community, such as Fellow for the American Academy of Microbiology.^[1] News articles have been published about her work within virology, including an article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on her findings on the common cold.^[2]

Research Contributions

Rhinovirus
A representation of the molecular surface of one variant of human rhinovirus also known as the Common Cold. This is the virus that Ann C. Palmenberg has spent much of her professional career studying.
Classification and external resources
ICD-10	J00
ICD-9-CM	460
DiseasesDB	31088
MedlinePlus	000678
eMedicine	med/2339
MeSH	D003139

Ann Palmenberg studies within the realms of Virology and Microbiology. She has invented several technologies for research in science, as well as been published several times within scientific journals and magazines, specifically related to her work with rhinovirus (the common cold). Ann Palmenberg works specifically with the genomics of viruses such as rhinovirus. Much of the research done by Dr. Palmenberg's research group relates to mutations made through protein synthesis and RNA translation of viruses. This type of research works toward finding a viral vaccines for constantly changing viruses, such as rhinovirus and HIV.

In addition to her research on rhinovirus, Dr. Palmenberg has done extensive research on encephalomyocarditis, which is a fatal viral disease that causes inflammation of skeletal and cardiac muscles, followed by degradation of these same muscles. This disease also causes the failure of reproductive organs. She has invented techniques that are used in order to further study encephalomyocarditis and its affects.

Research Technologies Invented

Along with her colleagues, Ann Palmenberg has invented the following research technologies, which are still in use today.

• Monoclonal Antibodies Against Cardiovirus Proteins is a technology that uses an antibody against encephalomyocarditis virus, which causes sudden death and reproductive failure. This virus specifically affects rodents, but can be transferred to other species. Ann Palmenberg and her colleagues developed the antibody, which is used to recognize the cardiovirus using such techniques as ELISA and Immunoprecipitation.^[3]
• Compositions and Methods for Regulating mRNA Transcription and Translation is a technology that describes a translation enhancer. This can be used for an increase in proteins made from an IRES, while stopping the production of proteins that are not viral proteins. This is done by locating the nucleolus, binding to the ribosomes, and inhibiting mRNA translation.^[3]
• Autocatalytic Cleavage Sites and their Use in a Protein Expression Vector is a technology that involves using cleavage sites found in picornaviruses in order to express recombinant peptides or proteins. This technique provides the potential for the creation of viral vaccines by inoculating the viral vector into a host cell, cleaving the foreign proteins and exposing the host to the antigenic protein.^[4]
• Protein Inhibitor of Ran Activity and Methods of Use is a technology used in research with encephalomyocarditis. The Ran protein is important in the transportation of proteins and nucleic acids in and out of the nucleus. The encephalomyocarditis virus binds to the Ran protein, blocking the transportation of mRNAs out of the nucleus.^[5]
• Method of Inhibiting Picornavirus Disease is a technique involving the use of a vaccine in order to stimulate the immune system to make antibodies against picornavirus. This technology is specifically used with research in picornavirus and mengovirus. It is used in monkeys and pigs.^[6]

Leadership & Service

Dr. Palmenberg has been an active member in the science community since 1975, with notable contributions in the following roles:

• Advisee Committee Member for The Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics (RCSB) Protein Data Bank (PDB) in 2009
• Member of the Executive Council for the American Society for Virology from 2007-2009
• President of the American Society for Virology from 2007-2008
• Representative for the American Society for Virology to the International Union of Microbiological Societies from 2005-2008
• Co-Organizer in the 7th, 8th, and 9th International Symposium on Positive-Strand RNA Viruses in 2004, 2007, and 2010
• Guest Editor for the Special Edition of Virus Research in 2003
• FDA Site Visit Panelist for Laboratory of Methods Development in 2003
• Current National and International Consultant on the Production and Use of Cell-Free Translation Systems
• Current National and International Consultant on Protein Expression with Viral IRESes
• Current National and International Consultant on Development and Assay of Recombinant Vaccines
• Current National and International Consultant on Identification of Anti-Picornaviral Drugs Aimed at Specific Viral Proteases
• Current National and International Consultant on Computer Based-Methods of Sequence Analysis, and Topological Assessments of RNA Folding Patterns
• Member of the Executive Committee for the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses from 1999-2005
• NIH Research Panelist on Polio Eradication in 1998
• Advisory Board Member for the American Type Culture Collection, Virology Task Force, and Virology Journals from 1997-2002
• Organizer for the American Society of Virology 13th and 20th Annual Meetings in Madison, WI from 1994-2001
• Associate Editor for Virology Journal from 1993-2005
• NIAID Task Force on Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in 1991
• ASV Representative for International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses in 1988-1992, 1999, and 2001-2002
• Reviewer for Journal of Virology, Archives of Virology, Virology, Cell, Journal of Molecular Biology, EMBO Journal, PNAS, Science, Nature, Virus Research, and Biochemistry journals from 1975–Present^[1]

Awards

Ann Palmenberg has received several awards within the science community for her achievements, including the following:

• Made a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology in 2009
• Elected as President for the American Society for Virology in 2007
• Awarded the Distinguished Scientist Award from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2006
• Awarded an American Society for Virology Lifetime Membership in 2001
• Elected Chair for the Institute of Molecular Virology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1997-2013
• Awarded the WARF Faculty Mid-Career Award from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1997
• Awarded the Vilas Associate Award from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1996
• Awarded the H.I. Romnes Faculty Research Award from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1991
• Awarded the Pound Research Award from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1990
• Awarded the Distinguished Scientist Award from the Waksman Institute of Rutgers University in 1989
• Commended by Pan American Foot-and-Mouth Disease Center for Work in the Control and Eradication Programs in South America in 1988^[1]

Notable Publications

The following are the most notable of her 93 publications for which Ann Palmenberg has been a major contributor.

• The Atomic Structure of Mengo Virus at 3.0 A Resolution^[7]
• Proteolytic Processing of Picornaviral Polyprotein^[8]
• Sequencing and Analyses of All Known Human Rhinovirus Genomes Reveal Structure and Evolution^[9]
• Sequence and Structural Elements that Contribute to Efficient Encephalomyocarditis Virus RNA Translation^[10]
• The Nucleotide and Deduced Amino Acid sequences of the Encephalomyocarditis Viral Polyprotein Coding Region^[11]

References

1. "Ann C. Palmenberg | Faculty | Biochemistry | UW-Madison".
2. "Unmasked: UW researchers reveal what mystery cold virus looks like".
3. Aminev AG, Amineva SP, Palmenberg AC (2003). "Encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) proteins 2A and 3BCD localize to nuclei and inhibit cellular mRNA transcription but not rRNA transcription". Virus Res. 95 (1-2): 59–73. doi:10.1016/s0168-1702(03)00163-1. PMID 12921996.
4. Altmeyer R, Escriou N, Girard M, Palmenberg A, van der Werf S (1994). "Attenuated Mengo virus as a vector for immunogenic human immunodeficiency virus type 1 glycoprotein 120". Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 91 (21): 9775–9. doi:10.1073/pnas.91.21.9775. PMC 44899. PMID 7937890.
5. Bacot-Davis VR, Ciomperlik JJ, Basta HA, Cornilescu CC, Palmenberg AC (2014). "Solution structures of Mengovirus Leader protein, its phosphorylated derivatives, and in complex with nuclear transport regulatory protein, RanGTPase". Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 111 (44): 15792–7. doi:10.1073/pnas.1411098111. PMC 4226078. PMID 25331866.
6. Duke GM, Palmenberg AC (1989). "Cloning and synthesis of infectious cardiovirus RNAs containing short, discrete poly(C) tracts". J. Virol. 63 (4): 1822–6. PMC 248463. PMID 2538661.
7. Luo M, Vriend G, Kamer G, Minor I, Arnold E, Rossmann MG, Boege U, Scraba DG, Duke GM, Palmenberg AC (1987). "The atomic structure of Mengo virus at 3.0 A resolution". Science. 235 (4785): 182–91. doi:10.1126/science.3026048. PMID 3026048.
8. Leijd-Tidbeck K (1978). "[Nurses who live together work less within their own profession]". Vardfacket (in Swedish). 2 (19): 72–3. PMID 252396.
9. Palmenberg AC, Spiro D, Kuzmickas R, Wang S, Djikeng A, Rathe JA, Fraser-Liggett CM, Liggett SB (2009). "Sequencing and analyses of all known human rhinovirus genomes reveal structure and evolution". Science. 324 (5923): 55–9. doi:10.1126/science.1165557. PMC 3923423. PMID 19213880.
10. Duke GM, Hoffman MA, Palmenberg AC (1992). "Sequence and structural elements that contribute to efficient encephalomyocarditis virus RNA translation". J. Virol. 66 (3): 1602–9. PMC 240893. PMID 1310768.
11. Palmenberg AC, Kirby EM, Janda MR, Drake NL, Duke GM, Potratz KF, Collett MS (1984). "The nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of the encephalomyocarditis viral polyprotein coding region". Nucleic Acids Res. 12 (6): 2969–85. doi:10.1093/nar/12.6.2969. PMC 318719. PMID 6324136.