Support is requested for the Sixth Biannual Gordon Conference on Polyamines. This conference has been increasing in popularity as the polyamine field has expanded and we anticipate the maximum number of participants for the site, 145. Nearly twice that number of applicants is expected and it is intended to select a balanced group of investigators covering a number of disciplines interested in polyamines and comprising both established investigators and other workers wishing to become more involved in polyamine research. The increased research interest in polyamines in the clinical, pharmacological and biochemical fields insures strong interest in this conference. In particular, the irreversible inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase, alpha-difluoromethyl ornithine, is showing promise in several distinct approaches to cancer chemotherapy. The use of inhibitors of polyamine biosynthesis in biological and clinical research will be discussed in two sessions of the conference. Two other sessions will be devoted to recent developments on the molecular genetics of polyamine biosynthesis. Two additional sessions will deal with polyamine interations with nucleic acids and the enzymology and posttranslational regulation of ornithine decarboxylase. Poster sessions will provide opportunities for other participants to present new data. The conference will advance knowledge in the polyamine field and facilitate the continued productive interaction between workers studying basic and applied aspects of polyamines.
