# Allan Jacobson

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{{Infobox scientist
| name              = Allan S. Jacobson
| image             = Allan Jacobson signs the book of members at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in October 2018.png
| caption           = Jacobson signs the book of members at the [American Academy of Arts and Sciences](/source/American_Academy_of_Arts_and_Sciences) in October 2018
| image_size        = 280
| birth_place       = 
| fields            = [Molecular genetics](/source/Molecular_genetics), [RNA biology](/source/RNA)
| workplaces        = [University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School](/source/University_of_Massachusetts_Chan_Medical_School)
| education         = [Queens College](/source/Queens_College%2C_City_University_of_New_York) (BA)<br>[Brandeis University](/source/Brandeis_University) (PhD)
| known_for         = Research on [messenger RNA](/source/messenger_RNA) stability and [nonsense-mediated mRNA decay](/source/nonsense-mediated_mRNA_decay)
| awards            = [National Institutes of Health MERIT Award](/source/National_Institutes_of_Health_MERIT_Award)<br>[Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences](/source/Fellow_of_the_American_Academy_of_Arts_and_Sciences)<br>[Gruber Prize in Genetics](/source/Gruber_Prize_in_Genetics)
}}

'''Allan S. Jacobson''' is an American biologist and academic researcher known for his work in molecular genetics and [RNA biology](/source/RNA), particularly the mechanisms of [messenger RNA](/source/messenger_RNA) (mRNA) stability, translation, and [nonsense-mediated mRNA decay](/source/nonsense-mediated_mRNA_decay). He is the Gerald and Zelda Haidak Distinguished Professor of Cell Biology at the [University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School](/source/University_of_Massachusetts_Chan_Medical_School), where he served as chair of the Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems for nearly three decades and currently holds the title of chair emeritus. Jacobson is also a co-founder of the biotechnology company [PTC Therapeutics](/source/PTC_Therapeutics). He is a recipient of the [National Institutes of Health MERIT Award](/source/National_Institutes_of_Health_MERIT_Award) and the [Gruber Prize in Genetics](/source/Gruber_Prize_in_Genetics).

== Education ==
Jacobson graduated from the [Bronx High School of Science](/source/Bronx_High_School_of_Science) in 1962{{Citation needed|date=March 2026}} and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology from [Queens College](/source/Queens_College%2C_City_University_of_New_York) in 1966. He earned a PhD in biology from [Brandeis University](/source/Brandeis_University) in 1971<ref>{{cite web |title=Allan Jacobson {{!}} Profiles RNS |url=https://profiles.umassmed.edu/display/132330 |website=Umassmed.edu}}</ref> and completed postdoctoral training at the [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](/source/Massachusetts_Institute_of_Technology).{{Citation needed|date=March 2026}}

== Career ==
Jacobson joined the founding faculty of the University of Massachusetts Medical School (now UMass Chan Medical School) in 1973.{{Citation needed|date=March 2026}} He served as the Chair of the Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems for nearly three decades, beginning in 1994. During this tenure, in 2012, he was named the Gerald & Zelda Haidak Distinguished Professor of Cell Biology.<ref>{{cite web |last1=O’Reilly |first1=Kristen |title=Two distinguished faculty members receive named professorships - UMass Medical School - Worcester |url=https://www.umassmed.edu/news/news-archives/2012/09/two-distinguished-faculty-members-receive-named-professorships/ |website=UMass Chan Medical School |access-date=24 January 2026 |language=en |date=20 December 2013}}</ref> He concluded his term as chair in 2023 and was appointed chair emeritus in 2024.<ref>{{cite web |title=Allan S Jacobson PhD |url=https://profiles.umassmed.edu/display/132330 |website=UMass Chan Medical School}}</ref>

=== PTC Therapeutics ===
In 1998, Jacobson co-founded [PTC Therapeutics Inc.](/source/PTC_Therapeutics) with Stuart Peltz. He served as the chairman of the company's Board of Directors from its inception until 2004 and has continued to serve on its board of directors and its Scientific Advisory Board.<ref>{{cite web |title=Allan Jacobson Ph.D. |url=https://ir.ptcbio.com/board-directors/allan-jacobson?mobile=1 |publisher=PTC Therapeutics |access-date=24 January 2026}}</ref> The company's efforts led to the development of drugs such as [ataluren](/source/ataluren) (Translarna), [risdiplam](/source/risdiplam) (Evrysdi), and [sepiapterin](/source/sepiapterin) (Sephience), all designed to treat specific genetic disorders by respectively promoting "read-through" of premature termination codons, modifying the pre-mRNA splicing mechanism, and lowering blood phenylalanine levels.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Inácio |first1=Patricia |title=In DMD, Translarna Bypasses 'Stop' Sign to Create Functional Protein |url=https://musculardystrophynews.com/2016/10/06/translarna-bypasses-stop-sign-to-create-functional-protein-in-dmd/ |publisher=Muscular Dystrophy News |date=5 October 2016}}</ref>

== Research ==
Jacobson’s research has focused on [post-transcriptional regulation](/source/post-transcriptional_regulation) of [gene expression](/source/gene_expression), particularly [mRNA](/source/messenger_RNA) stability, mechanisms of translation termination, and the function of the [poly(A) tail](/source/poly(A)_tail). His work has examined how mRNA structure, translation, and quality-control pathways interact in [eukaryotic](/source/eukaryote) cells.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=He |first1=Feng |last2=Jacobson |first2=Allan |title=Nonsense-Mediated mRNA Decay: Degradation of Defective Transcripts Is Only Part of the Story |journal=Annual Review of Genetics |date=2015 |volume=49 |pages=339–366 |doi=10.1146/annurev-genet-112414-054639 |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26436458/ |issn=1545-2948|pmc=4837945 }}</ref>

Early in his career, Jacobson studied the role of the [poly(A)-binding protein](/source/poly(A)-binding_protein) in [translation initiation](/source/translation_initiation) and mRNA stability.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Jacobson |first1=Allan |last2=Favreau |first2=M. |title=Possible involvement of poly(A) in protein synthesis |journal=Nucleic Acids Research |year=1983 |volume=11 |pages=6353–6368 |doi=10.1093/nar/11.18.6353|pmc=326378 }}</ref> This research contributed to the development of the closed-loop model of [messenger ribonucleoprotein](/source/messenger_ribonucleoprotein) (mRNP) organization, which describes interactions between the 5′ and 3′ ends of mRNA that influence translation and transcript stability.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Munroe |first1=D. |last2=Jacobson |first2=Allan |chapter=Poly(A) is a 3' enhancer of translational initiation |title=Structure, Function, and Evolution of Ribosomes |editor=Hill, W. |publisher=ASM Press |year=1990 |pages=299–305}}</ref>

Jacobson later developed experimental systems in the yeast ''[Saccharomyces cerevisiae](/source/Saccharomyces_cerevisiae)'' to investigate the regulation of mRNA decay.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Herrick |first1=D. |last2=Parker |first2=R. |last3=Jacobson |first3=Allan |title=Identification and comparison of stable and unstable mRNAs in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae |journal=Molecular and Cellular Biology |year=1990 |volume=10 |pages=2269–2284 |doi=10.1128/mcb.10.5.2269-2284.1990}}</ref> Using these approaches, he sought to understand the molecular basis for the accelerated decay of mRNAs that contain premature termination codons (PTCs). Jacobson identified several genes that regulate this process.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Leeds |first1=P. |last2=Peltz |first2=S.W. |last3=Jacobson |first3=Allan |last4=Culbertson |first4=M.R. |title=The product of the yeast UPF1 gene is required for rapid turnover of mRNAs containing a premature translational termination codon |journal=Genes & Development |year=1991 |volume=5 |pages=2303–2314 |doi=10.1101/gad.5.12a.2303|doi-access=free }}</ref> and dubbed their collective effect as the nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) pathway.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=He |first1=F |last2=Peltz |first2=S W |last3=Donahue |first3=J L |last4=Rosbash |first4=M |last5=Jacobson |first5=A |title=Stabilization and ribosome association of unspliced pre-mRNAs in a yeast upf1- mutant. |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |date=August 1993 |volume=90 |issue=15 |pages=7034–7038 |doi=10.1073/pnas.90.15.7034|pmc=47070 }}</ref> He characterized endogenous NMD substrates,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=He |first1=Feng |last2=Li |first2=Xiangrui |last3=Spatrick |first3=Phyllis |last4=Casillo |first4=Ryan |last5=Dong |first5=Shuyun |last6=Jacobson |first6=Allan |title=Genome-wide analysis of mRNAs regulated by the nonsense-mediated and 5' to 3' mRNA decay pathways in yeast |journal=Molecular Cell |year=2003 |volume=12 |pages=1439–1452 |doi=10.1016/s1097-2765(03)00446-5}}</ref> including pre-mRNAs that enter the cytoplasm, and examined the interactions and mRNA surveillance roles of conserved NMD pathway proteins including UPF1, UPF2, UPF3, and DCP2.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=He |first1=F. |last2=Brown |first2=A.H. |last3=Jacobson |first3=Allan |title=Upf1p, Nmd2p, and Upf3p are interacting components of the yeast nonsense-mediated mRNA decay pathway |journal=Molecular and Cellular Biology |year=1997 |volume=17 |pages=1580–1594 |doi=10.1128/MCB.17.3.1580|pmc=231884 }}</ref>

To study the relationship between translation and NMD, Jacobson analyzed translation termination at [premature termination codons](/source/premature_stop_codon) and proposed the “faux-UTR” model to explain how aberrant termination events can activate NMD.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Amrani |first1=Nadia |last2=Ganesan |first2=Robin |last3=Kervestin |first3=Stephanie |last4=Mangus |first4=David |last5=Ghosh |first5=Shubhendu |last6=Jacobson |first6=Allan |title=A faux 3'-UTR promotes aberrant termination and triggers nonsense-mediated mRNA decay |journal=Nature |year=2004 |volume=432 |pages=112–118 |doi=10.1038/nature03060}}</ref> This work contributed to understanding of translational fidelity and mRNA quality control.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Wu |first1=C. |last2=Roy |first2=B. |last3=He |first3=F. |last4=Yan |first4=K. |last5=Jacobson |first5=Allan |title=Poly(A)-binding protein regulates the efficiency of translation termination |journal=Cell Reports |year=2020 |volume=33 |article-number=108399 |doi=10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108399|pmc=7717110 }}</ref>

In subsequent research, Jacobson examined the molecular basis of nonsense suppression, showing that near-cognate [tRNA](/source/transfer_RNA) mispairing at specific codon positions affects suppression efficiency.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Roy |first1=B. |last2=Leszyk |first2=J. |last3=Mangus |first3=D.A. |last4=Jacobson |first4=Allan |title=Nonsense suppression by near cognate tRNAs employs alternative base pairing at codon positions 1 and 3 |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |year=2015 |volume=112 |pages=3038–3043 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1424127112}}</ref> He also identified sequence contexts that influence translation termination efficiency.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mangkalaphiban |first1=K. |last2=Fu |first2=L. |last3=Du |first3=M. |last4=Thrasher |first4=K. |last5=Keeling |first5=K.M. |last6=Bedwell |first6=D.M. |last7=Jacobson |first7=Allan |title=Extended stop codon context predicts nonsense codon readthrough efficiency in human cells |journal=Nature Communications |year=2024 |volume=15 |pages=2486 |doi=10.1038/s41467-024-46703-z|doi-access=free }}</ref> He also reported that NMD functions as a probabilistic quality-control mechanism during translation elongation.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Celik |first1=A. |last2=Baker |first2=R. |last3=He |first3=F. |last4=Jacobson |first4=Allan |title=High resolution profiling of NMD substrates in yeast reveals translational fidelity as a basis for substrate selection |journal=RNA |year=2017 |volume=23 |pages=735–748 |doi=10.1261/rna.060541.116}}</ref> Additional studies addressed the regulation of [mRNA decapping](/source/Messenger_RNA_decapping), including interactions between UPF1 and other decapping activators and the [DCP1](/source/DCP1A)/[DCP2](/source/DCP2) enzyme complex.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=He |first1=F. |last2=Celik |first2=A. |last3=Jacobson |first3=Allan |title=General decapping activators target different subsets of inefficiently translated mRNAs |journal=eLife |year=2018 |volume=7 |article-number=e34409 |doi=10.7554/eLife.34409 |doi-access=free|pmc=6300357 }}</ref>

Jacobson’s research on translation termination and NMD has informed translational studies in genetic disease, including work contributing to the development of [ataluren](/source/ataluren) (Translarna).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Welch |first1=E.M. |last2=Barton |first2=E.R. |title=PTC124 targets genetic disorders caused by nonsense mutations |journal=Nature |year=2007 |volume=447 |pages=87–91 |doi=10.1038/nature05756}}</ref> The compound promotes readthrough of premature stop codons in certain inherited disorders such as [Duchenne muscular dystrophy](/source/Duchenne_muscular_dystrophy).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Peltz |first1=S.W. |last2=Welch |first2=E.M. |last3=Morsy |first3=M. |last4=Jacobson |first4=Allan |title=Ataluren as an agent for therapeutic nonsense suppression |journal=Annual Review of Medicine |year=2013 |volume=64 |pages=407–425 |doi=10.1146/annurev-med-120611-144851}}</ref>

== Honors and awards ==
* [National Institutes of Health MERIT Award](/source/National_Institutes_of_Health_MERIT_Award) (2005–2015)<ref>{{cite web |title=UMMS Investigator receives NIH MERIT award |url=https://www.umassmed.edu/news/articles/2010/zamore_merit/ |website=UMass Chan Medical School |access-date=24 January 2026 |language=en |date=11 February 2014}}</ref>
* Fellow, [American Academy of Microbiology](/source/American_Academy_of_Microbiology) (2011)<ref>{{cite web |title=ASM Directory Search Results |url=https://myasm.asm.org/eweb/DynamicPage.aspx?Site=ASM&WebKey=abbcf18d-3f11-46a6-95d7-956eed2a9cf3&type=acfellows&FromSearchControl=Yes |website=ASM |access-date=24 January 2026}}</ref>
* Chancellor's Medal for Distinguished Scholarship, [UMass Medical School](/source/University_of_Massachusetts_Chan_Medical_School) (2014)<ref>{{cite web |title=Chancellor's Medals |url=https://www.umassmed.edu/chancellor/office/chancellors-medals/ |website=UMass Chan Medical School |language=en |date=31 March 2014}}</ref>
* Dean's Award for Outstanding Contribution to Graduate Education, [UMass Medical School](/source/University_of_Massachusetts_Chan_Medical_School) (2016)<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bard |first1=Megan |title=Educational Recognition Awards highlight excellence among UMMS faculty |url=https://www.umassmed.edu/news/news-archives/2016/04/educational-recognition-awards-highlight-excellence-among-umms-faculty/ |website=UMass Chan Medical School |language=en |date=27 April 2016}}</ref>
* [Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences](/source/Fellow_of_the_American_Academy_of_Arts_and_Sciences) (2018)<ref>{{cite web |title=Allan S. Jacobson |url=https://www.amacad.org/person/allan-s-jacobson |website=American Academy of Arts and Sciences |access-date=24 January 2026 |language=en |date=22 January 2026}}</ref>
* [Gruber Prize in Genetics](/source/Gruber_Prize_in_Genetics) (2023)<ref>{{cite web |title=2023 Gruber Genetics Prize |url=https://gruber.yale.edu/prize/2023-gruber-genetics-prize|website=Gruber Foundation |access-date=24 January 2026}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jacobson, Allan}}
Category:Living people
Category:American molecular biologists
Category:American microbiologists
Category:American geneticists
Category:UMass Chan Medical School faculty
Category:Brandeis University alumni
Category:Queens College, City University of New York alumni
Category:Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Category:American academic administrators
Category:Fellows of the American Academy of Microbiology
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Allan Jacobson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Jacobson) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Jacobson?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.