Support for the IDP Subgroup Annual Symposium

描述(申请人提供)：生物物理学会固有无序蛋白质(IDP)亚组第四届年度研讨会将于2010年2月20日在加利福尼亚州旧金山的旧金山会议中心举行。研讨会的主题是体内蛋白质紊乱的调节和利用。该项目的联合主席Elisar Barbar(俄勒冈州立大学)和黄翔周(佛罗里达州立大学)制定了一个出色的项目，其中包括来自美国、加拿大、英国和以色列的9名特邀演讲者。发言者包括境内流离失所者领域的高级领导人以及在该领域有很大影响的初级科学家。此外，还将选出两名博士后研究奖获得者在研讨会上发言。 传统的蛋白质结构-功能关系理论认为，蛋白质的功能需要一个明确的三维结构。然而，现在人们很好地认识到，许多生物学功能是由高度动态的蛋白质或蛋白质结构域执行的，这些蛋白质或蛋白质结构域在分离时缺乏生理条件下的二级和/或三级结构。这些蛋白质被称为固有无序蛋白(IDPs)，存在于所有生命界的生物体中，在真核生物中最为普遍。在哺乳动物中，IDPs调节多种细胞过程，包括运动、新陈代谢和生物合成、分裂和基因转录。与国立卫生研究院特别相关的一点是，国内流离失所者与癌症和神经退行性疾病等许多人类疾病的比例过高。 传统上用于确定刚性蛋白质结构的工具通常不适用于国内流离失所者的研究，因为它们具有高度动态和无序的性质。然而，允许研究动态蛋白质系综的核磁共振技术已经被用于研究IDPs，其他技术如小角X射线散射和单分子技术也是如此。此外，各种各样的计算方法已成为研究境内流离失所者的有力工具。国内流离失所者分组年度专题讨论会已成为讨论最适合对境内流离失所者进行详细研究的方法的主要论坛。 与美国蛋白质结构倡议等项目的成果相比，对无序蛋白质的研究步伐一直较慢，该项目专注于高度有序(折叠)的蛋白质。这在数以千计的境内流离失所者(人类)的结构和动态特性与调节其生物功能的机制之间的关系方面造成了知识鸿沟。国内流离失所者分组通过其年度专题讨论会，力求发展和扩大对与境内流离失所者有关的新知识和描述其结构、动态和生物功能的新技术的认识。对这次研讨会的支持将缩小上述知识差距，并促进每个人改善癌症和其他与国内流离失所者相关的疾病患者的治疗选择的长期目标。 与申请R13资金有关的一个主要目标是支持青年科学家参加国内流离失所者分组年度研讨会，其中包括两名研究生和四名博士后研究人员。国内流离失所者分组和生物物理学会鼓励妇女、种族/少数民族、残疾人和其他传统上在科学界代表性不足的个人参与。 公共卫生相关性：国内流离失所者参与了许多人类疾病的发病，包括癌症和神经退行性疾病。因此，通过支持国内流离失所者分组年度专题讨论会，扩大我们对国内流离失所者结构特征和作用机制的了解，将有助于我们深入了解不同的生物过程。对国内流离失所者的进一步研究还将推动关于与毁灭性人类疾病相关的分子机制的新发现，并为治疗方法抗击这些疾病提供新的方向。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The 4th Annual Symposium of the Intrinsically Disordered Proteins (IDP) Subgroup of the Biophysical Society will be held February 20, 2010, at the San Francisco Convention Center, San Francisco, California. The theme of the Symposium is Regulation and Utilization of Protein Disorder In Vivo. The program Co-Chairs, Elisar Barbar (Oregon State University) and Huang-Xiang Zhou (Florida State University) have developed an outstanding program, which includes nine invited speakers from the US, Canada, England, and Israel. Speakers include senior leaders in the field of IDPs as well as junior scientists who are having high impact in the field. In addition, two postdoctoral research awardees will be selected to speak at the Symposium. The traditional view of protein structure-function relationships posits a well-defined three-dimensional (3D) structure is required for function. However, it is now well appreciated that many biological functions are performed by highly dynamic proteins or protein domains that, in isolation, lack secondary and/or tertiary structure under physiological conditions. These proteins, termed intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), exist in organisms from all kingdoms of life and are most prevalent in eukaryotes. In mammals, IDPs mediate diverse cellular processes, including motility, metabolism and biosynthesis, division, and gene transcription. A point of special relevance to NIH is that IDPs are overrepresented in association with numerous human diseases such as cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. The tools traditionally used for determination of rigid protein structures are generally unsuitable in studies of IDPs due to their highly dynamic and disordered nature. However, NMR techniques which allow studies of dynamic protein ensembles have been adapted for studies of IDPs, as have other techniques such as small- angle X-ray scattering and single-molecule techniques. In addition, a wide variety of computational methods have emerged as powerful tools in studies of IDPs. The IDP Subgroup Annual Symposium has emerged as a leading forum for discussion of methodologies best suited for detailed studies of IDPs. The pace of studies of disordered proteins has been slow relative to output from projects such as the Protein Structure Initiative in the US, which is focused on highly ordered (folded) proteins. This has created a knowledge gap with respect to relationships between the structural and dynamic properties of thousands of IDPs (in humans) and the mechanisms that mediate their biological functions. Through its Annual Symposium, the IDP Subgroup seeks to develop and broaden awareness of new knowledge related to IDPs and new techniques for the characterization of their structure, dynamics, and biological functions. Support for this Symposium will reduce the knowledge gap noted above and promote everyone's long-range goal of improving treatment options for patients with cancer and other IDP-associated diseases. A major goal associated with this request for R13 funding is to provide support for young scientists to participate in the IDP Subgroup Annual Symposium, including two graduate students and four postdoctoral researchers. The IDP Subgroup and the Biophysical Society encourage participation of women, racial/ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, and other individuals who traditionally have been underrepresented in science. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: IDPs are involved in the pathogenesis of many human diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, expanding our knowledge of the structural features and functional mechanisms of IDPs through support of the IDP Subgroup Annual Symposium will provide insights into diverse biological processes. Furthering studies of IDPs will also drive new discoveries regarding the molecular mechanisms associated with devastating human diseases and provide new directions for therapeutics to combat these diseases.