APPW2025

Oranizers :Wataru Otsu (Department of Biomedical Research Laboratory, Gifu Pharmaceutical University) and Junko Nio-Koybayashi (National Research Center for the Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases, Nagasaki University)

The cell membrane forms a fundamental part of all living cells and participates in a variety of physiological processes. The cell contains membrane-enclosed subcellular organelles such as the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi apparatus, as well as endocytic organelles. The asymmetry between the inner and outer lipid bilayers is involved in cell physiology and cell death. Membrane proteins such as receptors, transporters, and channels exist at the cholesterol- and glycosphingolipids-enriched microdomains so-called lipid rafts, which function as signal transduction and vesicular transport platforms. The stabilization of lipid rafts is regulated by various molecules including galectins. The link between defects of ER proteostasis and pathological conditions, especially in neurodegenerative diseases, has recently attracted much attention. The aim of this symposium is to review membrane homeostasis and its molecular mechanisms, such as the organization of membrane microdomains, the quality control of membrane proteins, and the regulatory factors driving membrane dynamics. We also will discuss their pathophysiological roles and potential as novel therapeutic targets.