Cellular and Molecular Control of Direct Cell Interactions

The NATO Advanced Study Institute on "Cellular and Molecular Control of Direct Cell Interactions in Developing System" has been attended by 15 invited main lecturers and 60 participants. According to its purpose senior scientists, postdoctoral trainees and graduate students working in areas like biology, biochemistry, electrophysiology, medicine etc . . . could discuss their common interest in the various structural, ultrastructural, molecular and functional aspects of cell interactions in developing in vivo and in vitro systems. Whereas the topics of the first week have been mostly concerned with the general aspects of cell interactions in embryogenesis (section I and II of this book), the second week has been mainly devoted to the structures and functions of the direct cell contact sites at the membrane level as gap junctions, including electrophysiological aspects, dye coupling and selective cell-cooperation in some model systems as the neuro-muscular junctions (section III-V of this book). A multidisciplinary and stepwise approach, from initial cell contacts in early embryogenesis up to well defined selective cell cooperation, appeared to be an efficient means to provide answers to the question of how cells control, in a dynamic system as given in a differentiating embryo, their multiple temporary and permanent interactions so necessary for ordered cell positioning, cell linking and well established cell-to-cell communication.

Section I.- Cell Encounter: Molecular and Biological Aspects of Initial contacts.- Cellular and Molecular Control of Cell Interactions in Embryogenesis.- Section II.- The Adhesions of Epithelial Cells.- Adhesive Molecules and Their Role During the Ontogeny of the Peripheral Nervous System.- Development of the Peripheral Nervous System from the Neural Crest: Aspects of Cell Line Segregation and Differentiation.- Neuronal Migration in the Hippocampal Lamination Defect (Hld) Mutant Mouse.- Cell Interactions in the Ontogeny of the Hemopoietic System.- Morphological Bases for Cell-to-Cell and Cell-to-Substrate Interaction Studies in Cephalopod Embryos.- Fibronectin, Laminin and Proteolysis in Cellular Interactions.- Cell-Cell and Cell-Substrate Contacts: Investigation by Functionally Active Monoclonal Antibodies.- Mechanisms of Embryonic Limb Bud Intercellular Adhesion: Kinetic Analyses and Characterization of the Molecular Mechanism.- Section III.- Acetylcholine Receptor Clustering and the Formation of the Neuromuscular Junction.- The Interactions between the Cholinergic Receptor, the 43 K (?l) and Cytoskeletal Proteins in the Postsynaptic Domain of Torpedo marmorata Electric Organ.- Cell Surface Components and Differentiation in Neuroblastoma Culture.- Section IV.- The Basics of Electrical Coupling.- Lucifer Dyes as Biological Tracers: A review.- Section V.- The Desmosomal Domain, an Example of Cell-Cell as well as Membrane-Cytoskeleton Interaction.- Membrane Cytoskeleton Interactions, a Model System: the Intestinal Microvilli.- Junctional Communication and Communication Compartments in Development.- Gap Junctional Communication between Cells during Development.- Relation between Structure and Function of Gap Junctions.- Participants Photo.- Participants.- Author Index.