Serine proteases in pericellular proteolysis and signaling
Oct. 28–30, 2021

The virtual meeting on Serine Proteases in Pericellular Proteolysis and Signaling continues the tradition of the ASBMB special symposium on membrane-anchored serine proteases with an expanded focus on other related proteases with overlapping substrates and functions in the pericellular environment.

The conference traditionally brings together the leading national and international researchers in the field of pericellular proteolysis and provide them with a forum to present their latest findings, exchange ideas and technologies, and network to form collaborations. Equally important, it also provides a venue for junior investigators at the graduate student and postdoctoral level to discuss their current research, meet with experts in the field and forge new scientific interactions crucial for their future career development. To this end, we plan an interactive poster session and easy access to poster presenters' video recordings to increase the visibility of their work. Holding the meeting virtually provides a unique opportunity to make this conference even more accessible to students as well as to investigators from other fields where pericellular proteolysis is implicated.

Topics covered

Cleavage of proteins in the extracellular environment, including hormones, growth factors and their receptors, ion channels, cell adhesion molecules and structural components of extracellular matrix, plays a key role in the regulation of cell behavior. Among more than 500 proteolytic enzymes encoded by mammalian genomes, membrane-anchored serine proteases, which are expressed on the cell surface in all major organs, are excellently suited to mediate signal transduction across the plasma membrane and are increasingly being recognized as important regulators of organ development and homeostasis. At the same time, unrestrained pericellular proteolysis has been shown to contribute to epithelial and endothelial barrier dysfunction, inflammatory, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases, as well as cancer. Many of the influenza- and coronavirus-type viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, are now known to also use activity of these proteases to gain entry into the target cell, making MASPs a major determinant of cell susceptibility to infection.

In addition to the roles of serine proteases in viral biology, the meeting will cover topics including biosynthesis, trafficking and post-translational modifications, endogenous and pharmacological inhibitors, developmental and other physiological functions, mechanisms of dysregulation and pathological consequences, and molecular mechanisms of protease-mediated signaling.

Organizers

Daniel Kirchhofer
Genentech Inc.

Roman Szabo
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, NIH