Prof. Giuseppe Prota passed away on January 10, 2003, surrounded by his beloved Francesco, Paolo and Laura. He was a volcanic personality, a unique example of scientific talent and passion who left an indelible mark on the history of pigment cell research. A bibliographic review has appeared in Pigment Cell Research (283; 13; 2000) and the interested reader may find there a detailed account of his career and main research achievements in his own words. Here, I would like to provide a brief sketch of his scientific and political careers for those who did not know him personally. Prof. Prota was born in Naples in 1938 and obtained his degree in Chemistry at the University of Naples in 1962 under the inspired guidance of his mentor, Prof. Rodolfo A. Nicolaus. He became Professor of Natural Products in 1975, when his interest in melanin structure and biogenesis was already well consolidated. In 1977, during the X International Pigment Cell Conference (IPCC) in Boston, Prof. Prota was awarded the Myron Gordon Award for his seminal studies on the structure and biogenesis of pheomelanins and trichochromes. In those years he was also collaborating with research groups at the Zoological Station in Naples working with Anna Palumbo, Giovanna Nardi and his wife, Giovanna Misuraca, on melanogenesis in Sepia officinalis and other issues in marine biology (with Lucio Cariello). In the 1980s he tackled the challenging issue of the mechanism of polymerization of 5,6-dihydroxyindoles providing the first detailed picture of this elusive process critical for eumelanin biosynthesis. Other important achievements were the elucidation of the role of metal ions in melanogenesis and the mechanism of rearrangement of dopachrome, an important control point in the process. These contributions were recognized in 1986 at the XIII IPCC held in Tucson Arizona, when he was selected to present the Makoto Seiji Memorial Lecture. In those years he founded the European Society for Pigment Cell Research (ESPCR) together with Pat Riley and Natale Cascinelli. In the 1990s he dedicated considerable attention to the functional significance of colorless melanin precursors, which he viewed as a new class of endogenous antioxidants and potential determinants of different susceptibilities of skins to sunburn and cancer. In the early 1990s he became President of the International Federation of Pigment Cell Societies (1993), and Editor of the international journal Melanoma Research. In 1996 at the IPCC in Anaheim he was awarded the Raper Medal. In 2001 at the International Conference on Melanoma in Venice he received the WHO Melanoma Award. When I first entered Prof. Prota's office in 1981, I had just obtained my degree in Chemistry, and I was soon impressed by his charisma and engaging manners. He adopted me as his fourth son, spending a lot of time in discussing scientific questions ranging from the oxidative polymerization of 5,6-dihydroxyindoles, to the rearrangement of dopachrome, to the control of melanogenesis and the role of sulfhydryl compounds, the hot themes at that time. After some 10 h in his office, at 6 pm he used to come and begin working in the lab, when most common people, including myself, after a hard work, would have been inclined to conclude ongoing experiments and go home. And, certainly not by chance, that happened to be the most profitable time of the day for unexpected discoveries! In those years his peculiar perspectives of science and life became apparent to me. Prof. Prota was a free spirit, an inspired scientist that liked to go against all trends, to pursue scientific truth. His approach to problems was guided by his acute criticism aimed at dispelling immediately any inconsistencies or misconceptions. Then, his intuition tracked the path to the new findings. He had an unusual capacity to exert his influence on fields that were beyond his doctoral expertise, as witnessed by his solid liaison with dermatologic and cosmetic circles, and his frequent involvement in meetings with biologists and biochemists. I still have vivid memories of the many evenings spent together in his smoky office trying to write the ESPCR constitution, with the generous advice of Pat Riley on the phone (e-mail was not available at that time and Pat had the privilege of being consulted whenever it was felt necessary, regardless of whether it was Sunday or midnight). Another landmark event was the organization of the First ESPCR meeting in Sorrento (1987). This required a long gestation through a series of meetings at his home with Anna Palumbo and Giovanna Misuraca. Of course, circular announcements and travel agencies were rigorously banned, each of the invited speakers and chairpersons was to receive a personal letter, travel and accommodation were to be organized and booked by Anna Palumbo. Even minor particulars were controlled personally by him, and nothing could be delegated to people out of his entourage. It is difficult to describe the general excitement generated by his scientific leadership in those years. Prof. Prota's interests were almost entirely in cutaneous melanins and melanogenesis, and, in the later years, in melanoma, photoprotection and cosmetic applications. He had however a special eye for extracutaneous melanins, e.g. neuromelanin and ocular melanins, and in 1993 he decided to organize the International Colloquium on Neuromelanin and Parkinson's disease. His love for pigment cell research was reinforced by his strong links of friendship with most of the leading personalities in the field. The pigment cell community was his great family. He was a charming, pleasant personality, but suffered rules badly. He could not tolerate compromises, hypocrital modesty, conventionality, mere technology, narrow-mindedness, idleness, and fools. He used to work hard and often entered a state of feverish creativity, for example when he wrote his book Melanins and Melanogenesis (1992). His presence at a scientific meeting never passed unnoticed, he had always critical questions for speakers, and his peculiar way of chairing sessions was often more attractive than the presentations. Many of his brilliant lectures are still vividly remembered by those who attended the pigment cell meetings. Prof. Prota and Giovanna Misuraca were splendid and elegant hosts. Dinners at their beautiful home demonstrated their abilities as brilliant entertainers, their warm hospitality and their uncommon verve. Of course, lively scientific discussions prevailed over circumstantial conversations, but very often a good glass of wine at the end of the dinner helped overcome formalities and paved the way to a singing night with him playing piano or inviting guests to do so. Following the sudden loss of Giovanna Misuraca in 1999, his life changed dramatically. During the last years, he confessed that his only regret was that he had lived his life too frenetically and gazing at the future, which prevented him from having a full consciousness of the present. He taught us how to pursue ideals with enthusiasm and strong motivations, never yielding to mediocrity. He was authoritative but also extraordinarily fatherly. In the words of some of his many colleagues, disciples and friends, he was ‘a strong and likable, even charismatic, leader’ (Vince Hearing), ‘a fine man, and a staunch friend’ (Pat Riley); ‘an old and respected friend, and one of the more important pigmentation researchers of our time’ (Joe Bagnara); ‘his enthusiasm for science and life has guided my first steps in the field of research’ (Anna Palumbo); ‘he was my teacher in science’ (Sho Ito); ‘he certainly was shaping a significant part of my own life’ (Martin G Peter); ‘the hallmark of human beings is fantasy and he had an unrestrainable fantasy’ (Michele Miranda); and ‘the world will be smaller now’ (Hans Rorsman). I would like to close this ideal journey through the memories of my 20 yrs with Prof. Prota by thanking him heartedly for his powerful educational force and his precious scientific legacy, which will make him live forever with us.
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