2009 Motile and Contractile Systems Gordon Research Conference

描述（由申请人提供）：为2009年7月12日至7月17日在新罕布什尔州科尔比-索耶学院举行的2009年戈登移动和收缩系统研究会议提供支持。本次会议的目的是鼓励在细胞骨架研究前沿工作的科学家社区内交流思想和信息，这一领域长期以来被认为是理解基本生物过程的关键。细胞骨架元件对真核生物的生命至关重要，在细胞运动、细胞信号传导、膜运输、细胞分裂、细胞极性和多细胞生物的发育中起着重要作用。肌动蛋白、微管和分子运动蛋白对伤口愈合、病原体-细胞相互作用、细胞介导免疫和胚胎发生等许多正常生理功能都很重要。此外，细胞骨骼缺陷是许多病理性人类疾病的基础，包括肌肉骨骼和神经退行性疾病、肿瘤、呼吸系统疾病、不育症、先天性失明、耳聋和纤毛病。了解这些疾病状态的分子基础直接源于本次会议讨论的基础研究。2009年会议将重点关注活细胞中细胞骨架元件的动力学，以及这些复合物在细胞运动、膜结合囊泡和mrna的细胞内运输、染色体分离和细胞分裂以及活生物体内细胞运动中的功能。由于其广度和跨学科的性质，尽管次级专业会议激增，但运动和收缩系统戈登会议继续在该领域发挥着开创性的作用。大约60位杰出的研究科学家将在8个讲座/讨论环节中进行正式报告。大约三分之一的报告将从提交的摘要中选出，以鼓励优秀的新研究者、博士后和学生参与。不作口头贡献的与会者将被鼓励以海报的形式展示他们最近的工作。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Support is requested for the 2009 Gordon Research Conference on Motile and Contractile Systems to be held July 12- July 17, 2009 at Colby-Sawyer College in New Hampshire. The purpose of this conference is to encourage the transfer of ideas and information within the community of scientists who work at the forefront of cytoskeletal research, an area that has long been recognized as critical for understanding fundamental biological processes. Cytoskeletal elements are essential for life in eukaryotes, making central contributions to cell motility, cell signaling, membrane trafficking, cell division, cell polarity, and the development of multicellular organisms. Actin, microtubules and molecular motor proteins are important for many normal physiological functions including wound healing, pathogen-cell interactions, cell- mediated immunity and embryogenesis. Moreover, cytoskeletal defects underlie many pathological human conditions including musculoskeletal and neurodegenerative diseases, oncogenesis, respiratory diseases, infertility, congenital blindness, deafness and ciliaopathies. Understanding the molecular basis for these disease states stems directly from basic research discussed at this meeting. The 2009 conference will focus on dynamics of cytoskeletal elements in living cells, and the functions of these complexes in cell locomotion, intracellular transport of membrane-bounded vesicles and mRNAs, chromosome segregation and cell division, and cellular movement within living organism. Because of its breadth and interdisciplinary nature, the Motile and Contractile Systems Gordon Conference has continued to play a seminal role in the field, despite the proliferation of subspecialty meetings. Approximately 60 outstanding research scientists will make formal presentations in eight lecture/discussion sessions. About one-third of these presentations will be selected from the submitted abstracts to encourage participation by outstanding new investigators, postdocs and students. Conferees that do not make oral contributions will be encouraged to present their recent work in a poster format. Public Health Relevance: The cytoskeleton is a complex, dynamic structure that impacts all aspects of cell function including cell division, cell motility, intracellular transport, muscle contractility and regulation of cellular organization. A number of major human diseases have been found to result from alterations in some aspect of cytoskeletal function. It is the goal of the Motile and Contractile Systems GRC to generate new insights into cytoskeletal function and human disease by bringing together a group of diverse and broad-minded scientists interested in basic cellular function.