Physiological Adaptations of the Endo-Lysosomal System

The Lysosomes and Endocytosis Gordon Research Conference began in 1967, chaired by Christian de Duve, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for his discovery of the lysosome and its role in the turnover of cellular macromolecules. Today, the lysosome is recognized as a central node within signaling networks that regulate cellular metabolism, growth, and interactions with pathogens. Accordingly, as knowledge of the lysosome and the regulatory pathways that converge on it have grown over the years, the focus of the conference has evolved beyond the core topics of lysosome biogenesis and lysosome-mediated degradation, to include broader perspectives regarding the roles of the endo-lysosomal system in cell and organismal physiology and development, in protection from pathogens, and of adaptations that confer specialized roles in neurons, immune cells, pigmented cells, polarized epithelial cells and other cell types. This conference will bring to bear research into the mechanisms of inter-organelle trafficking pathways leading to the lysosome toward an appreciation of the adaptations of the endo-lysosomal system that confer specialized physiological functions.