Since the discovery of splicing some ten years ago, RNA has become a molecule of major research focus. In addition to unraveling the machinery involved in nuclear pre-mRNA splicing, the last four years have seen the major discovery of RNA as a catalyst. This remarkable finding led to speculation, now widely accepted, of RNA as the primordial nucleic acid. Almost concurrently developed the notion of horizontal transfer of certain classes of introns. The debate therefore rages as to whether introns in modern genes represent evolutionary relics, or whether they are recent invaders of the genome. This meeting will bring together leading scientists working on these aspects of RNA: catalysis, splicing, and evolution. The conference, the fifth in a series coordinated by the non-profit Nucleic Acid Technologies Foundation of Albany, NY, will be held on September 22 through September 25, 1988. There will be six sessions over the three day period devoted to the following areas: 1. Catalytic RNA I: Group I and Group II Introns 2. Catalytic RNA II: RNase P and Viroids 3. The Spliceosome 4. Alternative and Trans Splicing - Regulation 5. Introns as Mobile Elements 6. RNA in Evolution Twenty-eight invited speakers will participate in the scientific presentations. There will also be a poster session. The role of RNA processing in genetic, viral, and parasitic disease states will be emphasized. The speakers will be invited to submit a paper to a dedicated issue of the journal GENE, as a means of publishing the Conference Proceedings.
