virology division news : Obituary
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Obituary In Memoriam Andreas Scheid (1941–2001) nveloped viruses enter cells by a mechanism of membrane fusion. To this end, they have evolved E fusion proteins that are often controlled by an activation process that involves proteolytic cleavage followed by a conformational change. Fusion events occurring in vesicular transport of uninfected cells follow similar principles. Some of the fundamental discoveries that led to these concepts were made by Andreas Scheid who died last year at the age of 60. Born in Munich, Andi Scheid spent most of his youth in Cologne where his father was head of the Department of Neurology of the university hospital. After attending medical school in Berlin, Zurich, and Cologne, Andi went in 1969 to the laboratory of Purnell Choppin at the Rockefeller University in New York as a postdoctoral fellow. Together with Purnell Choppin, he found in 1972 that both hemagglutinating and neuraminidase activities of the paramyxovirus SVS were associated with one of the two surface glycoproteins, which was therefore called HN protein. Analyzing Sendai virus, Scheid and Choppin reported shortly thereafter that the other paramyxovirus glycoprotein underwent proteolytic cleavage after trypsin treatment and that cleavage resulted in the activation of cell fusion, hemolysis and infectivity. With this observation, which was also made at about the same time and independently by Homma and Ohuchi in Japan, a fusion (F) protein was identified for the first time. To acknowledge the importance of this discovery one has to remember that very little was known about membrane fusion at that time. In fact, it was widely assumed that fusion factors were lipids. The discoveries of HN and F were followed by extensive studies focusing on the structural requirements for fusion, proteolytic cleavage, and receptor binding. These studies strengthened Andi’s reputation as one of the leading scientists in this field and as a result he was promoted to assistant professor and, in 1976, to associate professor at the Rockefeller University. Andi enjoyed the stimulating atmosphere of Rockefeller University and he always considered these years as the most rewarding ones in his scientific life. In 1983, he returned to Germany to become a professor at the Department of Medical Microbiology and Virology of the University of D¨usseldorf. His scientific interests shifted then to HIV research with particular emphasis on virus gene expression and resistance against antiviral therapy. From 1994 until 1998 he served as Vice-Dean and member of the Board of Directors of the Medical School. Andi was the first virologist in D¨usseldorf and right up to the end he devoted much of his energy to developing virology as an independent and respected field at his university. His last years were dominated by his struggle against cancer, which he fought with great courage and self-control.
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Obituary
Andi Scheid was a dedicated virologist. His professional attitude was one of profound scholarliness, and he disliked any kind of trendiness in science.
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