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

细菌利用细胞间信号传导来调节许多生理功能。 在大多数情况下，该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、信号检测装置和信号中继的生化机制的变化使得细胞-细胞信号系统能够精确地适应其不同的用途。 最近的研究表明，细菌细胞间的通讯发生在物种内部和物种之间，而且，它在使细菌创造复杂的群落结构方面发挥着重要作用。 请求提供资金，部分支助美国科学家参加由美国微生物学会主办的第二次会议，题为“细菌中的细胞-细胞通讯”，该会议将于2004年7月24日至27日在加拿大阿尔伯塔班夫举行。 主题将包括i）信号的产生和检测，ii）发育过程中的信号，iii）发病机制和共生过程中的信号，iv）属间和王国间的信号，v）来自高等生物的信号主题，以及vi）建模信号网络的理论方法。 邀请研究高等生物的科学家，将使细菌学家熟悉真核生物的化学信号范例，并使他们能够探索所有化学信号系统中存在的共同特征。 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.