FASEB Summer Research Conference on Biological Methylation

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案要求为将于2006年6月24日至29日在佛蒙特州萨克顿河的佛蒙特学院举行的“生物甲基化”会议提供部分资金。 这将是第七届关于这一主题的两年一度的会议，该会议是在美国实验生物学学会联合会（FASEB）的主持下举行的。 “生物甲基化”在其对S-腺苷-L-甲硫氨酸（AMMet）依赖性甲基转移酶、受甲基化影响的生物过程和AMMet代谢的综合治疗方面是独特的。通过应用现代基因组学、蛋白质组学和生物信息学方法，新的甲基转移酶和甲基接受底物正在以加速的速度被鉴定。甲基转移酶的底物现在包括DNA、RNA、广泛的蛋白质、脂质和大量的有机小分子。 由于DNA和染色质甲基化在控制基因表达和染色体稳定性方面的重要性越来越被认识到，大约70%的会议讨论了这些以及密切相关的医学主题，特别是致癌作用。其他会议涉及小分子甲基化，甲基转移酶的结构研究，以及与METHMet代谢相关的基本生物化学和细胞过程。本次会议由来自一系列学术和研究机构的初级和高级科学家组成的多元化小组参加。会议的一个主要目标是促进在分子、细胞和生理水平上研究甲基化反应的科学家之间的互动。 会议形式包括九次全体会议（35位受邀演讲者），两次下午三点左右的“最新进展”小型讨论会（其中12位演讲者将从提交的摘要中选出）和两次下午晚些时候的海报会议。 将为预计的120 - 150名与会者提供充足的时间进行非正式的社交和互动。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal requests partial funding for a conference on "Biological Methylation" to be held from June 24 - 29, 2006, at the Vermont Academy in Saxtons River, Vermont. This will be the 7th biennial conference on this topic, which is held under the auspices of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB). "Biological Methylation" is unique in its integrative treatment of S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet)- dependent methyltransferases, biological processes affected by methylation, and AdoMet metabolism. New methyltransferase enzymes and methyl-accepting substrates are being identified at accelerating rates through the application of modern genomic, proteomic and bioinformatics approaches. Substrates for the methyltransferases now include DNA, RNAs, a wide range of proteins, lipids and a large number of small organic molecules. Because of the increasingly recognized importance of DNA and chromatin methylation in the control of gene expression and chromosomal stability, approximately 70% of the meeting's sessions deal with these, and closely related medical topics, especially carcinogenesis. Other sessions deal with small molecule methylation, structural studies of methyltransferases, and fundamental biochemical and cellular processes related to AdoMet metabolism. This conference is attended by a diverse group of junior and senior scientists from a range of academic and research institutions. A major goal of the meeting is to promote interaction between scientists studying methylation reactions at the molecular, cellular and physiological levels. The conference format includes nine plenary sessions (35 invited speakers), two mid-afternoon "Recent Advances" minisymposia (for which 12 speakers will be selected from submitted abstracts), and two late-afternoon poster sessions. Ample time will be provided for the 120 -150 expected participants to socialize and interact on an informal basis.