David Herman MacLennan (July 3, 1937 - June 24, 2020) was a Canadian biochemist and geneticist known for his basic work on proteins that regulate calcium flux through the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), thereby regulating muscle contraction and relaxation, and for his discoveries in the field of muscle diseases caused by genetic defects in calcium regulatory proteins. Born in

Swan River, Manitoba Swan River is a town in Manitoba, Canada. It is surrounded by the Municipality of Swan Valley West in the Swan River Valley region. According to the 2021 Canadian Census, Swan River had a population of 4,049, making it Manitoba's 18th largest in ...

, to Douglas MacLennan and Sigriður Sigurðardóttir, he received a BSA from the

University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba.Purdue University Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...

under Harry Beevers, and was then a postdoctoral fellow (1963–1964) under

David E. Green David Ezra Green (August 5, 1910 – July 8, 1983) was an American biochemist who made significant contributions to the study of enzymes, particularly the electron transport chain and oxidative phosphorylation. Life and career Green was born i ...

and an assistant professor (1964–1968) at the

University of Wisconsin–Madison A university () is an educational institution, institution of higher education, higher (or Tertiary education, tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. Universities ty ...

. In 1969, he was appointed associate professor in the Banting and Best Department of Medical Research and, later, professor (1974), chair (1978–1990), J. W. Billes Professor of Medical Research (1987–2007) and university professor (1993–2015). MacLennan made fundamental contributions to our understanding of the mechanism of ion transport by SR calcium pumps, the storage of calcium in the SR by acidic lumenal proteins and the release of calcium from the SR by calcium release channels. He led teams that defined the genetic basis for the human

skeletal muscle Skeletal muscles (commonly referred to as muscles) are organs of the vertebrate muscular system and typically are attached by tendons to bones of a skeleton. The muscle cells of skeletal muscles are much longer than in the other types of muscl ...

diseases,

malignant hyperthermia Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a type of severe reaction that occurs in response to particular medications used during General anaesthesia, general anesthesia, among those who are susceptible. Symptoms include tetany, muscle rigidity, hyperthermia ...

, central core disease and Brody disease and was part of the team that demonstrated that mutations in

phospholamban Phospholamban, also known as PLN or PLB, is a micropeptide protein that in humans is encoded by the ''PLN'' gene. Phospholamban is a 52-amino acid integral membrane protein that regulates the calcium (Ca2+) pump in cardiac muscle cells. Funct ...

, a regulator of the calcium pump, can cause cardiomyopathy. His identification of a calcium release channel mutation that causes

porcine stress syndrome Porcine stress syndrome, also known as malignant hyperthermia or PSS, is a condition in pigs. It is characterised by hyperthermia triggered by stress, anaesthesia with halothane or intense exercise. PSS may appear as sudden death in pigs, often afte ...

resulted in a diagnostic test that has decreased the incidence of the disease dramatically, with substantial economic benefits to the swine industry.

Honours and awards

*1974 Ayerst Award of the Canadian Biochemical Society *1985 Fellow of the

Royal Society of Canada The Royal Society of Canada (RSC; french: Société royale du Canada, SRC), also known as the Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada (French: ''Académies des arts, des lettres et des sciences du Canada''), is the senior national, bil ...

*1990 National Lecturer Award of the Biophysical Society *1991

Gairdner Foundation International Award The Canada Gairdner International Award is given annually by the Gairdner Foundation at a special dinner to five individuals for outstanding discoveries or contributions to medical science. Receipt of the Gairdner is traditionally considered a p ...

*1994 Fellow of the

Royal Society of London The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

*1997

Killam Prize The Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Prize was established according to the will of Dorothy J. Killam to honour the memory of her husband Izaak Walton Killam. Five Killam Prizes, each having a value of $100,000, are annually awarded by the Canada Cou ...

(Health Sciences) of the Canada Council for the Arts *2000 Royal Society Glaxo Wellcome Prize, Medal and Lecture *2001 Fellow of the

International Society for Heart Research The International Society for Heart Research began as an "International Study Group for Research in Cardiac Metabolism" in Dubrovnik in 1968; at the 1976 World Congress in Tokyo, it adopted the name "International Society for Heart Research". It c ...

*2001 Foreign Associate of the

National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Nati ...

USA *2001 Honorary Doctor of Science, University of Manitoba *2001

Officer of the Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...

*2004 Honorary Member of the Japanese Biochemical Society *2009 Member of the

Order of Ontario The Order of Ontario () is the most prestigious official honour in the Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier David Peterson, the civilian order is adm ...

*2013 Member of the

Canadian Medical Hall of Fame __NOTOC__ The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame is a Canadian charitable organization, founded in 1994, that honours Canadians who have contributed to the understanding of disease and improving the health of people. It has an exhibit hall in London, O ...

*2015 Foreign Honorary Member

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and ...

Notes

External links

Home Page for David MacLennan’s LaboratoryISI Highly Cited ResearchersUniversity of Manitoba Distinguished Graduates

Journal of Biological Chemistry
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maclennan, David 1937 births 2020 deaths Foreign associates of the National Academy of Sciences Canadian medical researchers Canadian Fellows of the Royal Society Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada Officers of the Order of Canada Members of the Order of Ontario Academic staff of the University of Toronto