The Scope of this Workshop
The International Workshop Dynein 2009 will be held for the second time this year following the original workshop in 2005. Dynein was first identified in cilia and eukaryotic flagella as the first microtubule-based force-generating ATPase to be discovered. The 2009 workshop will continue to focus on the mechanism and regulation of dyneins and the role of dyneins is ciliary / flagellar motility.
Dyneins are now known to share a common core motor structure and this is adapted to produce a functionally diverse protein family whose members are essential for various, vital cell functions. Recent structural and biophysical innovations have greatly advanced our understanding of dynein substructure and the mechanism underlying its force generation. Indeed, in 2008, the atomic coordinates of the force generating microtubule-binding domain that characterize dynein's unique structure were revealed. Molecular genetic manipulations are addressing the functional significance of the multiple ATP-binding motifs present in dynein. Based on genetic analysis in many organisms and structural advances using cryo-EM and 3D tomography, significant progress has been made in the understanding of how the multiple axonemal dyneins contribute to the oscillatory bending of cilia and eukaryotic flagella. Furthermore, we have recently recognized the essential role of cilia in development and function of most tissues and organ systems: failure in dynein - driven motility or ciliary assembly can result in a wide range human diseases. Indeed, the history of dynein research stems from the cilia and flagella research tradition, a field in which Japanese researchers have always played an active role.
Today, we are in an excellent position to predict future research on dynein. We are organizing a second international workshop on molecular mechanism of axonemal and cytoplasmic dyneins. The focus of this workshop is on the structure, mechanics and regulation of individual dynein molecules, and the ensemble properties of dyneins in axonemes. The workshop will address the following questions:
- How are dynein molecules structured?
- How do dyneins convert the chemical energy of ATP hydrolysis into mechanical work?
- How are multiple dyneins, and the regulatory machinery, organized in the 9+2 axoneme?
- How is the activity of each dynein integrated and regulated in axonemes to generate force to drive oscillatory movements of cilia and flagella?
The sessions will be organized so as to maximize opportunities for interdisciplinary group discussion and will be complemented by organized poster sessions for detailed presentation of experimental work. Participants will be selected on the basis of their contributions to the themes of this workshop, and preference will be given to young researchers, for whom we believe this experience will be of special career significance.