Professor Walter Morgan

Professor Morgan, the centenary member of the Blood Transfusion community, is not with us any longer. Walter Thomas James Morgan C. B. E. FRS, Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry, London University, died on 10 February 2003 at the age of 102. He was an early pioneer in the elucidation of the immunochemistry of bacterial antigens. Of relevance to our field, he made outstanding contributions to our understanding of the biochemical nature and genetic basis of ABO and related blood group specificities.

Walter Morgan was born in Ilford, Essex on 5 October 1900. He was educated at Raynes Foundation School in Ilford where he was interested in chemistry and mechanical engineering but left at 16 during the First World War to work in a government factory producing phenol. He volunteered for the Royal Navy in 1918 and was demobilized towards the end of 1919. He then went to London University and in 1922, he graduated with a BSc in chemistry. He took a post as a junior chemist in the South Metropolitan Gas company laboratories in London. The work of Banting and Best on insulin inspired an interest in chemical research applied to medicine but he realized that he would need higher qualifications. He was allowed bench space at a local technical college in the evenings: in 1925, he was awarded an MSc for his study of amino acid esters. He so impressed Professor (later Sir) Arthur Harden, then professor of Biochemistry at the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine, during his oral examination that he was invited to apply for a research studentship for a doctorate in the Biochemistry department at the Institute. His research career started with this post and the Lister Institute remained his scientific home for 50 very productive years.

Enrolment as a PhD student introduced Professor Morgan to carbohydrate biochemistry. He was awarded his PhD in 1927 and elected to a Beit Memorial Research Fellowship which allowed him to extend his study of carbohydrate metabolism for two more years. In 1929 he was appointed biochemist to the Lister Institute's serum and vaccine laboratories in Elstree, Herts. This appointment introduced him to immunology and to the production and testing of antisera and toxins. He applied his biochemical expertise to the successful purification of bacterial antigens that replaced the crude bacterial suspensions then used for immunization. He characterized the antigens as carbohydrate-lipid-protein molecules. Further, he showed that the specificity resided in the carbohydrate component but the protein part was necessary for induction of antibodies. Also during this period, together with a colleague, he devised methods for estimation of amino sugars found in bacterial antigens: these procedures were in use for the next 40 years.

In 1939, because large scale bacterial cultures in London were considered hazardous, Professor Morgan changed course again to what was to become his major pioneering work on blood group antigens. He applied his knowledge to the study of antigen-antibody reactions responsible for incompatible transfusion reactions. The Emergency Blood Transfusion Service was set up in 1939. Walter Morgan met Dr John Loutit, Director of the South London Transfusion Depot in Sutton and arranged to learn about blood group serology from Barbara Dodd and Kathleen Boorman. He was surprised to learn that, in the 40 years since Landsteiner's discovery of the ABO groups, there was little information about the chemical structure of blood group antigens. He therefore decided to start a programme at the Lister Institute to identify the chemical nature of blood group antigens and to correlate this information with their genetic background. This project was to occupy him, his colleague Winifred Watkins FRS, and his department for 35 years.

In the 1940s, ‘Morgan and Watkins’ encountered difficulties in extracting antigens from red cells, so mucus secretions that carried A/B antigens and substances of animal origin were studied. In order to relate structure to the genetic background, substances from single, human, individuals needed to be studied. He and his colleagues showed that the contents of ovarian cysts were ideal starting substances since their blood group activity corresponded to the red cell phenotype and secretor status of the individual. Some cysts contained several litres of fluid and thus, they provided adequate material for chemical investigation. They showed that the blood group activity was associated with a glycoprotein component. Using simple sugars, monosaccharides, in inhibition tests of antibodies and lectins they showed that the serological activity was associated with the carbohydrate moiety. Chemical degradation was used to systematically isolate and characterize the terminal structures in the macromolecules of each of the blood group specificities. The carbohydrate structures of A, B, H, Le^a and Le^b specificites were determined. Independently, Elvin Kabat and collaborators in New York were carrying out similar work; both laboratories agreed on all structures. Walter Morgan had achieved his aim: he had identified the immunodominant sugars responsible for the A, B, H, Le^a and Le^b antigens.

The above structures were the first mammalian cell surface antigens to be characterized. The carbohydrate nature of these ABH and Lewis antigens meant that they could not be primary gene products. Hence, Morgan and Watkins proposed genetical pathways for the biosynthesis of these antigens. The pathway, deduced from the antigenic structures, was dependent on the sequential action of gene products, glycosyltransferases. Their proposed model was supported by isolation from tissues of donors of glycosyltransferases appropriate to their blood group phenotype by Watkins and colleagues and other biochemistry laboratories.

Walter Morgan ‘retired’ in 1968 but he had too much energy and scientific curiosity to stop working. He continued to do research as a guest worker at the Lister Institute when Professor Watkins took over as Head of the laboratory. With Winifred Watkins he studied the P₁ antigen and characterized a trisaccharide that was responsible for this determinant. His scientific pursuits were interrupted in 1972 when he was recalled as Director of the Lister Institute during a time of financial crisis that was resolved by the sad closure of the Institute in 1975. He then moved as guest worker to Professor Watkins’ laboratory at the MRC Clinical Research Centre at Northwick Park Hospital and continued working productively at the bench until he was 89. He contributed to a project characterizing another carbohydrate determinant, the high incidence Sd^a antigen.

Even when he no longer took part in active research, Professor Morgan maintained an active interest in blood groups, immunochemistry and glycoconjugate science. Even in his 90s, whenever he was invited as honoured guest to a scientific meeting, he attended most of the sessions. His ability to follow and constructively comment on new developments seemed undimmed by passing years. As his zest and energy had inspired effort and affection from his colleagues, so his enthusiasm for research problems must have spurred young investigators to further ideas.

Throughout his long career, Walter Morgan approached problems with originality and dedication. He was a modest but very energetic man, generous with his time to share his expertise with interested junior colleagues. To those of us lucky enough to have worked at the Lister Institute, Morgan and Watkins and their Biochemistry department were inspiring colleagues and a well of information, illuminating complex chemical mysteries.

Walter Morgan received many honours and awards throughout his career and served on many committees for development of biological sciences in the UK:

He married Dorothy Price in 1930, she died in 1993; he is survived by one son and two daughters.

Dr Patricia Tippett, London 2003