ASM Conference on Cell-Cell Communication in Bacteria, to be held in Alberta, Canada, July 2004

细菌使用细胞-细胞信号来调节许多生理功能。在大多数情况下，这个过程涉及细胞外信号分子的产生、释放和检测。虽然存在普遍的信号主题，但细胞外信号的设计、信号检测设备和信号传递的生化机制的变化使细胞间信号系统能够精致地适应其不同的用途。最近的研究表明，细菌的细胞-细胞通讯发生在物种内和物种之间，而且它在使细菌能够创建复杂的群落结构方面发挥着重要作用。为参加由美国微生物学会主办的题为“细菌中的细胞-细胞通讯”的第二次会议，将于2004年7月24-27日在加拿大艾伯塔省班夫举行的第二次会议，请求提供资金，为参加该会议的美国科学家提供部分支持。主题将包括i)信号的产生和检测，ii)发育过程中的信号，iii)病程和共生过程中的信号，iv)属间和王国间的信号，v)来自高等生物体的信号主题，以及vi)模拟信号网络的理论方法。邀请从事高等生物研究的科学家，将使细菌学家了解真核化学信号范例，并使他们能够探索存在于所有化学信号系统中的共同特征。通过邀请对细胞间通信电路建模感兴趣的理论物理学家和数学家，会议将为实验生物学家和理论家之间急需的互动提供一个场所。

Bacteria use cell-cell signaling to regulate many physiological functions. In most cases the process involves the production, release, and detection of extracellular signaling molecules. While universal signaling themes exist, variations in the design of the extracellular signals, the signal detection apparatuses, and the biochemical mechanisms of signal relay have allowed cell-cell signaling systems to be exquisitely adapted for their varied uses. Recent studies show that bacterial cell-cell communication occurs both within and between species, and furthermore, that it plays a major role in enabling bacteria to create complex community structures. Funding is requested to provide partial support for American scientists participating in the second conference sponsored by the American Society for Microbiology entitled "Cell-Cell Communication in Bacteria," to be held in Banff, Alberta, Canada from July 24-27, 2004. Topics will include i) the production and detection of signals, ii) signaling during development, iii) signaling during pathogenesis and symbioses, iv) inter-generic and inter-kingdom signaling, v) signaling themes from higher organisms, and vi) theoretical approaches to modeling signaling networks. Inviting scientists that work on higher organisms, will aquaint bacteriologists with eukaryotic chemical signaling paradigms, and will allow them to explore common features that exist in all chemical signaling systems. By inviting theoretical physicists and mathematicians interested in modeling cell-cell communication circuits, the meeting will provide a venue for much needed interaction between experimental biologists and theoreticians.