Cellular responses to DNA damage and other forms of cell stress are frequently mediated though a set of phosphoinositol-3-kinase-related kinases, including ATM, ATR, DNA-PK and mTOR.
Individually and in combination these kinases control cascades of cell signalling that control such diverse processes as mitosis, DNA replication, DNA repair, protein synthesis, protein degradation and apoptosis.
Recent observations have contributed to connect the DNA damage response with non-nuclear events such as metabolic reactions and cytoskeleton dynamics, which are also controlled by phosphoinositol-3-kinase-related kinases.
Although some of these kinases are discussed at meetings on DNA damage or other meetings about protein synthesis and degradation, and still others on apoptosis, these topics are almost never gathered under one umbrella.
This meeting will gather together the leading figures studying different PI3K-related kinases with the aim of forging new connections among these usually separate fields.