Co-Chairs:
David Armstrong, NIEHS

Natcher Conference Center -Conference Room E1/E2

The heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide binding proteins, or G proteins, which link cell surface receptors to intracellular signaling, were discovered at NIH by Marty Rodbell and his colleagues in the nineteen seventies, and NIH scientists continue to make important contributions to this clinically central field of biology. This symposium celebrates some of those discoveries. Lutz Birnbaumer from NIEHS, who was one of the postdoctoral fellows working with Marty in the seventies and went on to make several of his own independent contributions to understanding G protein function and regulation, provides an insider's view of the scientific history of their discoveries. Lee Weinstein from NIDDK then describes his group's more recent work on Gs and its role in metabolism and its regulation by imprinting. Finally John Kehrl from NIAID describes the discovery of RGS proteins and their relevance to immune regulation. This symposium provides an opportunity to go behind the textbook versions of G protein signaling and highlights the contributions of G proteins and physician scientists to improved understanding of human health and disease.

Program:

Historical Review of G-Protein Discovery at NIH
Lutz Birnbaumer, NIEHS

Role of Gs in Metabolism and Its regulation by Genetic Imprinting
Lee Weinstein, NIDDK

Discovery of RG
John Kehrl, NIAID