2009 Motile and Contractile Systems Gordon Research Conference

描述(由申请者提供)：请支持将于2009年7月12日至7月17日在新罕布夏州科尔比-索耶学院举行的2009年戈登运动和收缩系统研究会议。这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的想法和信息的交流，该领域长期以来一直被认为是理解基本生物过程的关键。细胞骨架元素是真核生物生命所必需的，对细胞运动、细胞信号传递、膜运输、细胞分裂、细胞极性和多细胞生物体的发育起着重要的作用。肌动蛋白、微管和分子马达蛋白对创伤愈合、病原体-细胞相互作用、细胞免疫和胚胎发育等许多正常生理功能都具有重要作用。此外，细胞骨架缺陷是许多人类病理性疾病的基础，包括肌肉骨骼和神经退行性疾病、肿瘤发生、呼吸系统疾病、不孕不育、先天性失明、耳聋和纤毛疾病。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年的会议将集中讨论活细胞中细胞骨架元素的动力学，以及这些复合体在细胞运动、膜结合的囊泡和mRNAs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性质，移动和收缩的系统戈登会议继续在该领域发挥开创性的作用，尽管次级专业会议激增。大约60名杰出的研究科学家将在八个讲座/讨论环节中作正式陈述。这些报告中约有三分之一将从提交的摘要中挑选出来，以鼓励杰出的新研究人员、博士后和学生参与。不做口头发言的与会者将被鼓励以海报的形式展示他们最近的作品。 公共卫生相关性：细胞骨架是一个复杂的、动态的结构，它影响细胞功能的方方面面，包括细胞分裂、细胞运动、细胞内运输、肌肉收缩和细胞组织的调节。一些重大的人类疾病被发现是由细胞骨架功能的某些方面的改变引起的。运动和收缩系统GRC的目标是通过将一群对基本细胞功能感兴趣的不同和宽广的科学家聚集在一起，对细胞骨架功能和人类疾病产生新的见解。

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.