March 20 - 22, 2011 The molecular biology of inflammatory bowel diseases
Durham, UK Further information
Biochemical Society Conference. Significant new advances have been made recently in the understanding of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) pathology at the molecular biology level. This Biochemical Society Focused Meeting has been planned to cover some of the major issues currently being considered. Topics that have been selected relate to; the identification of IBD susceptibility genes and disease markers; innate and adaptive immune systems in IBD pathogenesis; the function of the epithelial protective barrier; interactions of the enteric bacterial flora with the human host leading to normal and pathological regulation of the immune system and links with nutrition and probiotics and finally the value of mouse models of ulcerative colitis in examining molecular disease mechanisms.
Suggested reading: Molecular Biology Books   Bifidobacteria: Genomics and Molecular Aspects   Lactobacillus: From Genomics to Probiotics

Key words: Inflammatory bowel diseases | Inflammatory bowel disease | IBD

December 2 - 4, 2010 Influenza: Translating basic insights
Washington, DC, USA Further information
Organised by Cell Symposia.This meeting aims to bring basic scientists, clinicians, epidemiologists and applied biotechnology and pharmaceutical researchers together to build a translational bridge between basic influenza research and the development of drugs, vaccines and diagnostics for the flu.
Suggested reading: Influenza: Molecular Virology

Key words: Influenza

October 27 - November 1, 2010 Immunological Mechanisms of Vaccination
Seattle, Washington, USA Further information
Immunological Mechanisms of Vaccination will bring together an interdisciplinary group of scientists in immunology, virology, systems biology and vaccinology, to address critical advances in these fields and their implications for vaccinology; The importance of the innate immune system in sensing vaccines and shaping the vaccine immunity; Modulating immune memory to vaccines with innate immunity; Novel approaches to understanding host-pathogen interactions; Deconstructing the mode of action of successful vaccines, vectors adjuvants with innate immunity; Constructing new vaccines and adjuvants with innate immunity; Application of systems biology to predicting vaccine efficacy, and discovering novel immune mechanisms of protection
Suggested reading: Vaccine Design: Innovative Approaches and Novel Strategies

Key words: Mechanisms of Vaccination | Vaccination

I am pleased to provide the following excerpt from a book review of Molecular Phylogeny of Microorganisms:

"Molecular phylogeny, the analysis of gene or protein sequences to unravel the relatedness among microorganisms, plays an important role in microbial taxonomy. One of the most exciting developments in this respect was the discovery of the two domains, Bacteria and Archaea, by Carl Woese in the 1970th. The present book, Molecular Phylogeny of Microorganisms, edited by Aharon Ohren and R. Thane Papke, describes very nicely the different approaches to apply molecular phylogeny, encountering the difficulties with the present phylogenomic species concept. This book ... addresses the most interesting issues in relation to molecular phylogeny ... Anyone, who is interested in microbial phylogeny, surely will enjoy reading this book. The hardcover, format and contents of the book make it a pleasure to read." from Mareike Viebahn (Centocor BV, Leiden, The Netherlands) writing in Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. read more ...

Molecular Phylogeny of Microorganisms Edited by: Aharon Oren and R. Thane Papke ISBN: 978-1-904455-67-7 Publisher: Caister Academic Press Publication Date: July 2010 Cover: hardback "a pleasure to read" (Curr. Issues Mol. Biol.)

Key words: Phylogenetic analysis | Phylogeny

I am pleased to provide the following excerpt from a book review of Pathogenic Fungi: Insights in Molecular Biology:

"The authors present a succinct review of new information on fungal pathogenicity. This new volume on the current research on fungal pathogens is a valuable resource for both scientists and clinicians. These discoveries will clearly lead to new drug discoveries and therapeutic tests that will save the lives of many patients." from Rebecca T. Horvat (University of Kansas Medical Center, USA) writing in Shock (2008) 30: 753. read more ...

Pathogenic Fungi: Insights in Molecular Biology Edited by: Gioconda San-Blas and Richard A. Calderone ISBN: 978-1-904455-32-5 Publisher: Caister Academic Press Publication Date: July 2008 Cover: hardback a valuable resource

Key words: Pathogenic Fungi:

Central Carbon Metabolic Pathways in Streptomyces
from Geertje van Keulen, Jeroen Siebring and Lubbert Dijkhuizen writing in Streptomyces: Molecular Biology and Biotechnology:

Streptomyces and other actinomycetes are fascinating soil bacteria of major economic importance. They produce 70% of antibiotics known to man and numerous other pharmaceuticals for treatment of, e.g. cancer, a range of infections, high cholesterol, or have immunosuppressive activity. It is not surprising that the multitude of gene clusters encoding for the biosynthesis of known and unknown secondary metabolites in genome sequences of a wide range of actinomycetes have received much attention in the last few years. In contrast, there is much less understanding of primary metabolism and its control in actinomycetes, despite its importance as supply pathways of precursors for secondary metabolite production. Streptomyces: Molecular Biology and Biotechnology describes current information on the central carbon metabolic pathways in streptomycetes, focussing on glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway, Entner-Doudoroff pathway, gluconeogenesis, and the source of phosphate for phosphorylation reactions. In addition, recent developments providing a greater insight into links with secondary metabolism in Streptomyces are reviewed.

Further reading: Streptomyces: Molecular Biology and Biotechnology

Key words: Biochemical pathways | Entner-Doudoroff pathway | Streptomyces | Carbon Metabolic Pathways | Central Carbon Metabolic Pathways

Protein Secretion in Streptomyces
from Tracy Palmer and Matthew I. Hutchings writing in Streptomyces: Molecular Biology and Biotechnology:

The saprophytic lifestyle of Streptomyces requires them to secrete prolific numbers of proteins. For example, inspection of the genome sequence of Streptomyces coelicolor indicates it encodes some 819 proteins with predicted signal peptides. This represents more than 10% of the protein coding genes and is most likely an underestimate. Many secreted proteins are required for nutrient capture, and there is an abundance of secreted hydrolases for the breakdown of complex carbohydrates (including cellulose and chitin), peptides and phospho-compounds. In addition to proteins that are secreted into the milieu, many proteins are covalently anchored to the cell surface by means of either a lipid anchor to the membrane or by covalent attachment to the cell wall through the sortase system. Here we summarise what is known about the different protein secretion systems utilised by Streptomyces, and the mechanisms by which proteins are anchored to the extracellular surface.

Further reading: Streptomyces: Molecular Biology and Biotechnology

Key words: Streptomyces

Differentiation in Streptomyces: The Properties and Programming of Diverse Cell-types
from Keith F. Chater writing in Streptomyces: Molecular Biology and Biotechnology:

Streptomyces colonies are complex differentiated organisms, generated from a single ovoid spore by filamentous growth and branching. Eventually, much of this biomass is converted to large numbers of spores in long chains on specialised aerial hyphae. During colony development, different cellular compartments have different physiology and metabolism, and exoskeletal and cytoskeletal elements bring about different morphological changes. These cellular differentiating processes are underpinned by a large number of regulatory genes, often operating in cascades. During the transition from biomass accumulation to reproductive development, antibiotics are made, sometimes under the control of developmental regulators.

Further reading: Streptomyces: Molecular Biology and Biotechnology

Key words: Streptomyces | Spore | Spores | Aerial hyphae

Streptomyces Conjugative Genetic Elements
from Jutta Vogelmann, Wolfgang Wohlleben and Günther Muth writing in Streptomyces: Molecular Biology and Biotechnology:

Antibiotic producing actinomycetes contain a huge variety of different plasmids, distinguished in size, topology, replication mechanism and copy number. Some are able to integrate into the chromosome by site specific recombination. With the exception of the huge linear plasmids, Streptomyces plasmids encode only functions involved in replication, stable maintenance and conjugative transfer. The Streptomyces conjugation system is unique, requiring a single plasmid-encoded protein, TraB. TraB is a hexameric ring ATPase with similarity to the septal DNA translocator proteins FtsK/SpoIIIE which are involved in chromosome segregation during cell division and sporulation. TraB binds non-covalently to 8bp TRS repeats present in the clt locus and transfers double stranded plasmid DNA from the donor to the recipient. Presence of clt-like sequences in the chromosome of S. coelicolor suggests that chromosomal genes are mobilized independently from the plasmid. Following primary transfer from the donor into the recipient, the plasmid is translocated via septal crosswalls resulting in intramycelial plasmid spreading. Plasmid spreading involves five to seven plasmid-encoded Spd-proteins. Protein-protein interaction studies with Spd-proteins of the conjugative plasmid pSVH1 suggest formation of a large DNA-translocation apparatus. One component, the integral membrane protein SpdB2 was shown to form pore structures in lipid bilayers.

Further reading: Streptomyces: Molecular Biology and Biotechnology

Key words: Conjugative Genetic Elements | Streptomyces | SpdB2 | Spd-proteins

Genome Architecture
from Ralph Kirby and Carton W. Chen writing in Streptomyces: Molecular Biology and Biotechnology

Linear replicons are relatively uncommon among bacteria and their preponderance among the Actinomycetales, and within the Streptomyces in particular, poses some interesting questions. These novel bacterial replicons are capped by terminal proteins that are covalently bound to the 5' ends of the linear DNA and these terminal structures are directly involved in replicating and protecting the ends of the linear genome. In addition and perhaps related to their linear nature, these genomes are among the largest bacterial chromosomes. As far as can be ascertained at present, these large genomes have a specific organizational structure in terms of their genes. The genome structure can be divided into a core region that is present syntenously in most Actinomycetales, two terminal regions that are highly variable throughout the explored Streptomyces and two regions to the left and right of the core region that contain many syntenous genes specific to the Streptomyces and not found in other Actinomycetales. Genome dynamics seems to be important to the Streptomyces with plasmid-chromosome interactions, horizontal gene transfer and interspecific recombination probably playing important roles in how these genomes to adapt to the diverse environment they reside in. Exploring the genome architecture of the Streptomyces helps our understanding of how and why the genus Streptomyces has a unique place in the evolution of the bacteria.

Further reading: Streptomyces: Molecular Biology and Biotechnology

Key words: Streptomyces | Linear replicons | Actinomycetales