This grant is for support of participants at a winter Gordon Conference on Sensory Transduction in Microorganisms. The conference, which is anticipated to have 110-135 attendees, will permit scientists from the United States and abroad to discuss recent developments and ideas regarding molecular mechanisms of sensory transduction in simple unicellular systems including bacteria, yeast, flagellates, and Dictyostelium. Sessions will emphasize the emerging generalizations regarding chemosensory and photosensory receptors, intramolecular transduction, intracellular signal processing, and the response processes, ranging from flagellar or pseudopod modulation in tactic cells to gene expression in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. Homologies between microbial and higher animal signal transduction components will be emphasized. Sensory signal transduction is the key to the ability of an organism to perceive and respond appropriately to its environment. The mechanisms by which microbes perceive and respond to environmental stimuli are fascinating in their own right, and crucial to the survival of microbial species. In addition, they provide important clues to mechanims whereby higher organisms, both plant and animal, likewise perceive and respond appropriately to environmental stimuli.
