John O'Brien Papers
Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego
Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego
Copyright 2017
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla 92093-0175
spcoll@ucsd.edu
Descriptive Summary
Languages:
English
Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla 92093-0175
Title: John S. O'Brien Papers
Creator:
O'Brien, John S.
Identifier/Call Number: MSS 0606
Physical Description:
5 Linear feet
(12 archives boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1968 - 2000
Abstract: Papers of John S. O'Brien, UC San Diego professor of neurosciences, internationally known for his discovery of the genetic
cause of Tay-Sachs disease and his development of screening tests for the disease.
Acquisition Information
Acquired 2003.
Preferred Citation
John O'Brien Papers. MSS 606. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego.
Biography
John Smith O'Brien was born in 1934 in Rochester, New York. He attended Loyola University in Los Angeles, then earned his
M.S. in physiology (1958) and his M.D. (1960) at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. After graduating with academic honors,
he was a postdoctoral fellow at the City of Hope Medical Center at the Department of Biochemistry in Duarte, California. O'Brien
was recruited to the UC San Diego School of Medicine in 1968 after six years as a faculty member at the University of Southern
California.
His research was focused on the lipid metabolism of storage diseases which are characterized by the accumulation of waste
materials in cells preventing normal function and often leading to early death. In this family of diseases, he especially
investigated Tay-Sachs and Gaucher diseases. He discovered the primary enzyme deficiency of Tay-Sachs disease, a hereditary
disorder which leads to mental retardation, blindness, and death in infancy or early childhood. Once thought to primarily
affect people of Central and Eastern European Jewish ancestry, Tay-Sachs has now been documented in other populations. O'Brien
also discovered and described the structure, biological functions, and role in nervous system development of the saposin proteins
that stimulate regeneration and neuronal survival. His laboratory investigated possibilities for exploiting the saposin proteins
for treatment of pain associated with post-polio syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, and central nervous system disorders.
O'Brien was a founder of Myelos Neurosciences Corporation, which resulted from technology developed at UC San Diego with saposin
proteins. The company was started to expedite the development of treatments for neurodegenerative central nervous system disorders
based on research findings.
O'Brien was a member of the Society for Neuroscience, American Society for Neurochemistry, the American Association for the
Advancement of Science, and the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. He was honored with the 1995 Supelco
Award from the American Oil Chemists' Society for outstanding original research on fats, oils, lipid chemistry or biochemistry;
the Jacob Javits Neurosciences Investigator Award from the National Institutes of Health; the Foster Elting Bennett Lecturer
Award from the American Neurological Association; and the National Foundation of March of Dimes Award for Distinguished Voluntary
Leadership in the Fight Against Birth Defects. He also received the UC San Diego Chancellor's Associates Merit Award for Excellence
in Research, and a Distinguished Alumni Award from Loyola University.
In addition to his scientific and scholarly work, O'Brien was an accomplished painter and a jazz pianist. O'Brien died in
La Jolla in 2001.
Scope and Content of Collection
The papers of John S. O'Brien, UC San Diego professor of neurosciences, internationally known for his discovery of the genetic
cause of Tay-Sachs disease and his development of screening tests for the disease. The papers primarily document his research
on Tay-Sachs and similar hereditary diseases, many of which are characterized by the accumulation of waste materials in cells
preventing normal function and often leading to early death. The files comprise correspondence, writings, laboratory notes,
and newspaper clippings discussing his discovery of the genetic cause of Tay-Sachs disease. Also included are his writings
and administrative materials related to his later work on a family of proteins called saposins responsible for regeneration
and normal neuronal function of the central nervous system.
The papers are arranged in seven series: 1) BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS, 2) CORRESPONDENCE, 3) WRITINGS, 4) TEACHING, 5) TAY-SACHS,
6) RESEARCH, and 7) ORGANIZATIONS.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Metabolism, Inborn errors of
Tay-Sachs Disease
O'Brien, John S. -- Archives
BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS
Scope and Content of Series
Series 1) BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS: Curricula vitae, photographs, and materials pertaining to O'Brien's postdoctoral fellowship
with the National Heart Institute.
Box 1, Folder 3
Photographs of O'Brien
1969
Box 1, Folder 4
U.S. Public Health Service - Postdoctoral research fellowship
1958 - 1961
General
Applications and correspondence.
CORRESPONDENCE
Scope and Content of Series
Series 2) CORRESPONDENCE: Correspondence with Michael M. Kaback, who organized and led the first Tay-Sachs screening program
among Jewish citizens of Baltimore and Washington in 1971. Also chronological files documenting O'Brien's medical research.
Box 1, Folder 5
Kaback, Michael M.
1970 - 1993
Box 1, Folder 6-10
Chronological files
1959 - 1965
Box 2, Folder 1-7
Chronological files
1965 - 1967
Box 3, Folder 1
Chronological files
1968 - 1977
WRITINGS
Scope and Content of Series
Series 3) WRITINGS: O'Brien's published and unpublished writings on folic acid, lipids, and lysosomal storage diseases. Arranged
in two subseries: A) Articles, and B) Notes.
A) Articles: Typescripts, notes, correspondence, and photographs for O'Brien's research articles. Arranged chronologically.
B) Notes: O'Brien's notes on lysosomal storage disorders, including Gaucher disease and metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD).
Box 3, Folder 2
List of publications
1958 - 1998
Box 3, Folder 3
A Bioautographic Technique for Assay of Folic and Folinic Acids
1958
General
Typescript of master's thesis in physiology, Creighton University.
Box 3, Folder 4
Simultaneous Fe-59 and Cr-51 Study in Evaluation of Erythrokinetics
1958 - 1964
General
Typescripts, notes, and correspondence.
Box 3, Folder 5
The Folate Coenzymes. I. The Occurrence of Folate Forms in Leucocytes. II. A Review of the Chemistry and Biology of the Folate
Coenzymes
1960
General
Typescript of M.D. thesis, Creighton University.
Box 3, Folder 6
Hypogammaglobulinemia and Hypersplenism Associated with Lymphosarcoma of the Spleen: Normal Gamma Globulins Post Splenectomy.
With John R. Walsh
1961
General
Typescripts, notes, and illustrations.
Box 3, Folder 7
Role of Folate Coenzymes in Cellular Division
1961 - 1962
General
Typescripts, correspondence, and illustrations. Published in
Cancer Research.
Box 3, Folder 8
Folinic Acid Activity in Leucocytes. With John R. Walsh
1962 - 1963
General
Drafts and typescripts. Published in
Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine 109: 843-847, 1962.
Box 3, Folder 9
Tissue Distribution of Glycosphingolipids in a Case of Fabry's Disease. With James M. Schibanoff and Shigehiko Kamoshita
1966
General note
Drafts, notes, correspondence, photographs and illustrations. Published in
The Journal of Lipid Research, Vol. 10.
Box 3, Folder 10-11
Lipid Composition of the Brain in Late Infantile Amaurotic Idiocy (Jansky-Bielschowsky Type). With Hyakuji Yabuuchi and George
B. Reed
1967 - 1969
General
Typescripts, photographs, research notes and correspondence.
Box 3, Folder 12
Fucosidosis: Diagnosis by Serum Assay of Alpha-L-Fucosidase. With Klaus Zielke, et al
1968
General
Typescript, notes, and illustrations.
Box 4, Folder 1
Lipid Composition of the Nervous System in Refsum's Disease. With Monica C. MacBrinn
1968
General
Typescripts, correspondence, and photograph.
Box 4, Folder 2
I-Cell Disease: Biochemical Studies. With Jules G. LeRoy, et al
1968 - 1972
General note
Typescripts, notes, photographs, and correspondence. Published in
Pediatric Research 6: 752-757 (1972).
Box 4, Folder 3
Sanfilippo Disease Type B: Detection of Homozygotes and Heterozygotes by Leucocyte Alpha-Acetylglucosaminidase Assay
1971 - 1973
General
Typescript and research notes.
Box 4, Folder 4
Partial Purification of Alpha-N-Acetylglucosaminidase and Some of its Properties. With Audre W. Loverde
1972 - 1975
General
Typescript, correspondence, and research notes.
Box 4, Folder 5
Binding of Human Liver Beta-Galactosidases to Plant Lectins Insolubilized on Agarose. With Anthony G.W. Norden - Typescript
1973
Box 4, Folder 6
Purification of Human Placental Alpha-L-Fucosidase by Affinity Chromatography. With Jack A. Alhadeff and A.L. Miller
1974
General
Typescript. Published in
Analytical Biochemistry.
Box 4, Folder 7
Human Liver Alpha-L-Fucosidase. With Jack A. Alhadeff, et al
1974 - 1975
General
Typescripts, correspondence, notes, and photographs. Published in
The Journal of Biological Chemistry 250 (8): 1975.
Box 4, Folder 8
Characterization of Canine Liver Acid Beta-D-Galactosidase. With Jeffrey J. Hubert
1975 - 1980
General
Typescript, research notes, and correspondence.
Box 4, Folder 9-10
Adrenoleucodystrophy: Deficiency of Acid Esterase Isozymes. With M. Lois Veath and Linda Tennant
1977 - 1979
General
Typescripts, research notes, and photographs.
Box 4, Folder 11
Electrophoretic Analysis of Glycoprotein Enzymes in the Sialidoses and Mucolipidoses. With D.M. Swallow, et al
1979 - 1981
General
Reference notes, correspondence, annotated proof and photographs.
Box 4, Folder 12
Canine GM1 Gangliosidosis: An Ultrastructural and Biochemical Study. With Moses Rodriguez, et al
1980 - 1982
General
Typescript, research notes, and photographs.
Box 4, Folder 13
Molecular Cloning of a cDNA for Human Alpha-L-Fucosidase. With Hisao Fukushima, et al
1985
General note
Abstract typescript. Published in
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 82: 1262-1265, February 1985.
Box 4, Folder 14
Molecular Biology of the Alpha-L-Fucosidase Gene and Fucosidosis. With Patrick J. Willems, et al
1987 - 1989
General
Typescript, correspondence, notes, reviews, and photograph.
Box 4, Folder 15
Bone Marrow Transplantation in Canine GM1 Gangliosidosis. With Robert Raff, et al
1988 - 1990
General
Typescript, correspondence, and research notes.
Box 5, Folder 1
Characterization of the EcoRI Mutation in Fucosidosis Patients: A Stop Codon in the Open Reading Frame. With Keith A. Kretz,
et al
1989
General
Typescript and annotated reprint. Published in
Journal of Molecular Neuroscience, 1989.
Box 5, Folder 2
Isolation, Characterization, and Mapping of a Human Acid Beta-Galactosidase cDNA. With Yoshimi Yamamoto, et al - Typescript
1989
Box 5, Folder 3
Three Lysosomal Enzymes
1991 - 1996
General
Grant renewal application to the National Institutes of Health.
Box 5, Folder 4
Abstracts of published articles
1996 - 1998
Box 5, Folder 5
Prosaposin, the Saposin Proteins and Prosaptides - Typescript
1998
Box 5, Folder 6
List of abstracts and manuscripts presented or work in progress sponsored by the Myelos Neurosciences Grant
1998 - 1999
Box 5, Folder 7
List of publications submitted by UC San Diego O'Brien Group
1998 - 1999
Box 5, Folder 8
Chromosome 1 Localization of the Human Alpha-L-Fucosidase Structural Gene with a Homologous Site on Chromosome 2. With M.L.
Fowler, et al
General
Typescript. Published in
Cytogenetics and Cell Genetics.
Box 5, Folder 9
Electrophoretic Forms of Human Liver Alpha-L-Fucosidase and Their Relationships to Fucosidosis (Mucopolysaccharidosis F).
With Jack A. Alhadeff, et al - Typescript
Box 5, Folder 10
Fabry's Disease: Retention of an Alpha-Galactosidase Lacking Ceramide Trihexosidase Activity. With Anthony G.W. Norden - Typescript
and notes
Box 5, Folder 11
Prenatal Diagnosis of Tay-Sachs Disease and Generalized Gangliosidosis. With Shintaro Okada - Typescript
Box 5, Folder 13
Cerebral lipidoses - Notes and graphs
1961 - 1963
General
Notes and graphs.
Box 5, Folder 15
Genetics of MLD (Metachromatic leukodystrophy)
General
Compiled by Alfred Knudsen and John O'Brien.
TEACHING
Scope and Content of Series
Series 4) TEACHING: Lecture notes, teaching materials, and visual aids for seminars and course lectures given at UC San Diego
and other institutions. Arranged alphabetically.
Box 5, Folder 16
Folic Acid seminar
1962 - 1963
General
Notes, typescript, and photographs.
Box 5, Folder 17
Lecture notes
1961 - 1973
Box 5, Folder 18
Seminar talks and course lectures - Notes
1963 - 1970
Box 5, Folder 19
UC San Diego Neurosciences 234: Molecular and Cellular Neurochemistry and UC San Diego Basic Neurology: Molecular Anatomy
of Myelin - Lecture notes
1969 - 1989
TAY-SACHS
Scope and Content of Series
Series 5) TAY-SACHS: Newspaper articles, press releases, correspondence, manuscript drafts, proposals, and pamphlets documenting
O'Brien's discovery of the genetic cause of Tay-Sachs disease and his role in the establishment of widespread genetic screening,
education, and counseling. Arranged alphabetically.
Box 5, Folder 20
California Tay-Sachs disease prevention program
1977 - 1978
Box 5, Folder 21
Cost benefit analysis of Tay-Sachs disease
1971 March
General
Typescript by O'Brien.
Box 5, Folder 22
Donation letter
General
Form letter requesting donations for Tay-Sachs research.
Box 5, Folder 23
National Tay-Sachs and Allied Diseases Association
1970 - 1977
General
Correspondence, meeting minutes, pamphlets, and directory.
Box 6, Folder 1
Newspaper articles, press releases and correspondence
1969 - 1971
Box 6, Folder 2
Progress in Tay-Sachs Disease to October 1969
1969
General
Typescript by O'Brien.
Box 6, Folder 3
San Diego Tay-Sachs screening program
1971 - 1974
General
Correspondence, pamphlets, notes, and news clippings.
Box 6, Folder 4
Tay-Sachs disease
1961 - 1972
General
Notes, annotated reprints, and correspondence.
RESEARCH
Scope and Content of Series
Series 6) RESEARCH: Research notes, correspondence, and photographs relating to O'Brien's laboratory research on Tay-Sachs
disease and other genetic disorders in humans and animals. Arranged alphabetically.
Box 6, Folder 5
4MU-Neuraminidase fibroblast assay - Research notes
1978
Box 6, Folder 6
Adrenoleucodystrophy - Cholesterol lignocerate assays. Research notes
1976 - 1977
Box 6, Folder 7
Alpha-galactosaminidase - Research notes
1971
Box 6, Folder 8
Alpha-L-fucosidase purification - Research notes
1981
Box 6, Folder 9
Antibody PPTN of beta-gal
1975
General
Research notes and slides.
Box 6, Folder 10
Beagle beta-gal normal
1978 - 1994
General
Research notes and photograph.
Box 6, Folder 11-12
Beta-gal purification 2 - Research notes
1974 - 1979
Box 7, Folder 1
Beta-gal structural study - Research notes
1982 - 1984
Box 7, Folder 2
Biochemical processes - Diagrams and charts
Box 7, Folder 3
Brain biopsy - Proposal
1965
Box 7, Folder 4
Canine fucosidosis
1982 - 1987
General
Correspondence and research notes.
Box 7, Folder 5
Cerebroside-beta-galatosidase and lactosylceramide galactosidase assays
1972 - 1974
General
Research notes, correspondence, and photograph.
Box 7, Folder 6
Cerebroside SO4
1959 - 1965
General
Research notes, graph, and annotated reprints.
Box 7, Folder 7
Cloning alpha-fucosidase
1982 - 1991
General
Correspondence and research notes.
Box 7, Folder 8-9
Cloning alpha-hexosaminidase - Research notes
1983 - 1984
Box 7, Folder 10
Cloning beta-galactosidase
1982 - 1993
General
Research notes and correspondence.
Box 7, Folder 11
Cloning beta-galactosidase cDNA - Research notes
1986 - 1989
Box 7, Folder 12
Cloning human ASA
1983 - 1987
General
Research notes and correspondence.
Box 8, Folder 1
Cloning human beta-gal
1982 - 1985
General
Research notes, photographs, and correspondence.
Box 8, Folder 2
Construction of
E. coli beta-gal vector - Helinski's lab
1982
General
Research notes and correspondence.
Box 8, Folder 3
Cystic fibrosis - Lab experiments
1969 - 1978
General
Research notes and photographs.
Box 8, Folder 4
D1 goia sud leuk
1965 - 1974
General
Research notes and photographs.
Box 8, Folder 5
DNA sequences - Alpha fuc sapl glu-cer 'ase
1985
General
Research notes and correspondence.
Box 8, Folder 6
Fat study - Research notes
1960 - 1961
Box 8, Folder 7
Fetal newborn livers vs. isoenzyme patterns
1970 - 1971
General
Research notes and photographs.
Box 8, Folder 8
Florisil cols for cer SO4 - Research notes
1963
Box 8, Folder 9
Frozen tissue - Diseased
1962 - 1968
General
Correspondence, research notes, and photographs.
Box 8, Folder 10
Frozen tissue - Normal
1962 - 1963
General
Research notes and photographs.
Box 8, Folder 11
Fucosidosis - Lipids, etc. Research notes
1987
Box 9, Folder 1
Fucosidosis - Northern studies
1985 - 1987
General
Research notes, proposal, correspondence, and photograph.
Box 9, Folder 2
GA2, globoside labeling, GM2, and assays
1972-1980
General
Research notes and photographs.
Box 9, Folder 3
GA2 hexosaminidase preparation of GA2H3 and assays - Research notes
1974 - 1975
Box 9, Folder 4
Ganglioside assays - Research notes
Box 9, Folder 5
GLC hex and hexoseam - Research notes
1963
Box 9, Folder 6
GM1 - Animal models
1973 - 1980
General
Research notes and correspondence.
Box 9, Folder 7
GM1 - Labeling, assays and ASF. Research notes
1973 - 1988
Box 9, Folder 8
GM2 activator - Correspondence and notes
1980
Box 10, Folder 1
GM2 assays #2
1974 - 1981
General
Research notes and correspondence.
Box 10, Folder 2
GM2 gangliosidosis (types)
1964 - 1970
General
Research notes, correspondence, and photographs.
Box 10, Folder 3
GM2H3 hexosaminidase - Research notes
1974 - 1975
Box 10, Folder 4
GM3 neuraminidase - Research notes
1978
Box 10, Folder 5
Hexosaminidase in serum - Research notes
1969 - 1972
Box 10, Folder 6
Hexosaminidase isol - Research notes
1982 July
Box 10, Folder 7
HPLC galactosyl ligosaccharides - Research notes
1978
Box 10, Folder 8
I-cell disease research
1968 - 1976
General
Research notes and photographs.
Box 10, Folder 9
Leukodystrophy cat, Washington State University, Pullman
1973 - 1976
General
Correspondence, research notes, and photographs.
Box 10, Folder 10
Lipid separation methods - Research notes
1958 - 1963
Box 10, Folder 11
Lipidosis bonnet macaque
1982
General
Research notes and photographs.
Box 10, Folder 12-13
Micrographs
1971 and undated
General
Photomicrographs of cells affected by Tay-Sachs and other disorders.
Box 10, Folder 14
MPS - Gel electrophoresis. Research notes
1978
Box 10, Folder 15
mRNA isolation - Research notes
1982
Box 10, Folder 16
NANA assays - CMP-NANA synthetase preparation
1971 - 1975
General
Research notes and correspondence.
Box 10, Folder 17
Neuraminidase assays - Research notes
1977 - 1978
Box 11, Folder 1
Neurometabolic disorders (general)
1972
General
Diagnosis of lipidoses and leucodystrophies chart.
Box 11, Folder 2
Normal human beta-gal isolation - Research notes
1979 - 1983
Box 11, Folder 3
Oligosaccharide purification
1978
General
Research notes, photograph, and annotated reprint.
Box 11, Folder 4
Phospholipase assay - Research notes
1980
Box 11, Folder 5
Portuguese water dogs - Storage disease
1980 - 1990
General
Research notes and correspondence.
Box 11, Folder 6-7
Refsum's disease myelin
1967
General
Research notes, photographs, and correspondence.
Box 11, Folder 8
Sandhoff's disease
1969 - 1978
General
Research notes, correspondence, and photographs.
Box 11, Folder 9
Sanfilippo type B - Enzyme replacement
1973
General
Research notes and photographs.
Box 11, Folder 10
Skin biopsies enzyme assays
1969 - 1971
General
Research notes and correspondence.
Box 11, Folder 11
Sphingomyelinase and phosphodiesterase exps. and P32 turnovers
1975 - 1976
General
Research notes and correspondence.
Box 11, Folder 12
Sphingomyelinase assay
1973 - 1974
General
Correspondence and research notes.
Box 12, Folder 1
Standard preparation methods - Research notes
1962 - 1964
Box 12, Folder 2
Studies on hex A and B - TS vs. normal liver
1974 - 1975
General
Research notes and correspondence.
Box 12, Folder 3
Tay-Sachs - 1554 lipids. Research notes
1962 - 1963
Box 12, Folder 4
TLC densitometry - Research notes
Box 12, Folder 5
Transfection - Beta-gal histo. Research notes
1978 - 1982
Box 12, Folder 6
Unusual beta-gal mutants
1974 - 1976
General
Research notes and correspondence.
ORGANIZATIONS
Scope and Content of Series
Series 7) ORGANIZATIONS: Minutes, correspondence, reports, and contracts regarding the Neurosciences Education and Research
Foundation, a nonprofit organization of which O'Brien was president, and of Myelos Neurosciences, Inc. The corporation was
founded by O'Brien to exploit research discoveries of the saposin proteins done at O'Brien's laboratory for treatment of pain
associated with post-polio syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, and central nervous system disorders.
Box 12, Folder 7-8
Myelos Neurosciences - Consulting - Cytokine Derived Peptides as Therapeutics
1993 - 2000
General
Contracts, financial reports, and correspondence.
Box 12, Folder 9
Neurosciences Education and Research Foundation
1994 - 1999
General
Correspondence, minutes, and financial status reports.
Box 12, Folder 10
UC San Diego Technology Transfer Office - Invention and technology disclosure - Myelos Neurosciences
1995 - 1998
General
Correspondence, disclosure forms, budget reports, and notes.