Jos A. F. op den Kamp Livres

The meeting on „Molecular Mechanisms of Lipid and Protein Traffic“, sponsored by NATO Scientific Affairs Division as an Advanced Study Institute and by the Federation of European Biochemical Societies as a Lecture Course was held in Cargese, France, in June 1997. The program included introductory lectures, specialized up-to-date contributions, poster sessions, tutorials and workshops. Emphasis was laid on the new developments in the field of membrane dynamics, in particular on the insertion and translocation of proteins; on intracellular protein, lipid and membrane traffic and sorting and on the mutual interactions between the various events occurring during membrane biogenesis. Mitochondrial biogenesis, chloroplast assembly and the insertion of proteins into peroxisomes were highlighted. Much progress in these research areas has been made in recent years and the ASI provided an excellent opportunity to illustrate this progress in comparison with previous meetings on a similar topic. Not only graduate students and postdocs took advantage from this program but also experienced scientists were given the opportunity to obtain a complete overview of recent progress and the remodeling of ideas and concepts.

The Advanced Study Institute on "Molecular Dynamics of Membranes," held in June 1995 in Cargese, Corsica, focused on protein insertion and translocation, intracellular traffic and sorting of membranes, and lipid-protein interactions. Sponsored by NATO and FEBS, this event marked the fifth in a biennial series that began in 1987 at the Institut d'Etudes Scientifiques, which is well-equipped for such scientific gatherings. The success of these courses is attributed to the contributions of renowned scientists and the enthusiastic participation of graduate students and postdocs, establishing a solid reputation for the "Cargese Lectures on Biomembranes." The proceedings go beyond merely summarizing the course content; they include extensive reviews on various topics. Key articles cover mechanisms of protein transport, the role of invariant chains in antigen presentation, protein import/export in E. coli, protein folding and chaperones, and protein import in chloroplasts and mitochondria. Additionally, discussions on membrane traffic during mitosis, lipid domain formation, and the properties of lipases are featured, alongside phospholipase A2, bioactive lipids, phospholipid transfer proteins, and strategies for phospholipid localization and mobility, culminating in new approaches for protein reconstitution.