Conference

The 13th International Congress of Developmental Biology met in Snowbird, Utah in July, and was impressive in the breadth of issues covered and the number of renowned researchers present. Under the guidance of President Janet Rossant and Executive Officer Ida Chow the meeting had its largest attendance in history with over a thousand participants. In addition to the majestic scenery of the surrounding Wasatch peaks, attendees were treated to cutting edge science encompassing diverse topics of developmental and evolutionary biology. The highlight of the meeting was the President's Symposium that included seminars by three recent Nobel laure-ates. Ed Lewis presented a historical perspective of key figures in Drosophila genetics whose contributions have made flies one of the model systems for developmental biology. His classic film on homeotic mutations educated everyone, and reminded us how much he had discovered before many in the audience had finished grammar school. Eric Wieschaus described Drosophila mutants defective in cytoplasmic transport of lipid vesicles demonstrating the increasing role of cell biology in defining developmental defects. Christianne Nüsslein-Volhard gave the audience an overview of large scale genetic screens, revisiting the pioneering Drosophila screen for embryonic lethal mutants, and comparing it to the recently completed Zebrafish mutant screen. The goal for this screen, as in the fly screen, was to generate mutations in critical developmental processes and to dissect pathways of development genetically. Of note was her observation that so far no equivalents of the pair rule genes have been identified in Danio rerio. The well-organized plenary sessions discussed novel approaches and new insights into classic problems in development including establishment of asymmetries and pattern formation. Conservation of mechanisms of asymmetric development in fungi and invertebrates was proposed by Kathryn Swan based on her analysis of cyk1 mutation from C. elegans. Defects in cytokinesis were attributed to cyk1 that appears to be functionally conserved in flies (cappuc-cino), and in yeast (bni1/she5). cyk1 homologues participate in asymmetric development through specific partitioning of factors during cell division. Ira Herskowitz's talk on how S. cerevisiae perform bud site selection provided an excellent link to an earlier talk by Ralph Quatrano on asymmetric division in Fucus. Herskowitz showed a model for how the Bud1p GTPase could regulate bud site selection by switching GAP/GEF partners. Similar types of proteins appear to work in Fucus in polarized growth of the zygote. The work described by Rosa Beddington and several other laboratories redefines the …