In the human red blood cell, the individual components of the cytoskeleton all are tightly interwoven within about 100A of the lipid bilayer, a configuration which has given rise to the term """"""""membrane skeleton."""""""" The association of cytoskeletal proteins with plasma membranes is thought to play a crucial regulatory role in a wide variety of important cellular functions, such as endocytosis, cell division, amoeboid movement and the regulation of membrane protein and receptor distribution. Molecular defects in membrane skeleton contacts, such as may occur in certain hereditary blood cell disorders and in cellular transformation, may have profound effects on all of these phenomena. Recent work in this area has provided insight into the molecular basis of several hereditary disorders, including the common hemolyhtic anemias, spherocytosis and elliptocytosis. Moreover, a recent explosion of knowledge has led to the realization that all of the major red cell membrane skeletal proteins have analogues in a wide array of non-erythroid cells. The distribution and function of these proteins is currently a matter of intese interest. Cell shape, particularly in normal and abnormal erythrocytes, is known to be regulated by the membrane skeleton. Exciting recent evidence suggests that retrovirally- induced alterations in proteins, such as vinculin, that participate in cytoskeletal membrane attachment may result in the transformed phenotype. The conference is designed to provide a maximum of intermixing and interchange between scientists working on diverse cell systems to enhance the possibilities of cross fertilization. We think that the merging of knowledge between these groups will provide tremendous catalytic impetus to this field which is so central to many fundamental problems in cell biology, especially inherited blood cell disorders and cellular transformation.
