The 58th Naito Conference
 “Frontiers of microtubule and its related motors: structures, mechanics, functions and diseases”

Masahide KIKKAWA 
Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo

Microtubules, a central component of the cytoskeleton, together with motor proteins such as kinesin and dynein, underpin a wide array of fundamental biological processes. These include intracellular transport, cell division, ciliary and flagellar motility, neurite outgrowth, and cell polarization.

Recent breakthroughs in technologies and the life sciences have driven remarkable advances in this field. Breakthroughs in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET), for instance, now allow high-resolution structural characterization of microtubules and motor proteins in near-native states. Concurrently, innovations in single-molecule imaging and high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM) have uncovered the precise mechanical workings of motor proteins at the molecular level—revealing how they step against mechanical loads and convert chemical energy into directional movement.

Research is now moving beyond individual molecular behaviors toward understanding higher-order regulatory networks. Current efforts focus on how microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) and post-translational modifications of tubulin systematically coordinate microtubule dynamics and the selective trafficking of motor proteins. Importantly, these insights directly contribute to elucidating the pathogenesis of diverse human disorders—including neurodegenerative diseases like ALS and Alzheimer’s, ciliopathies, cancers, and developmental disorders—opening new avenues for targeted therapeutic strategies.

The 58th Naito Conference will bring together leading international and domestic researchers in the field of microtubules and molecular motors for three days of deep, focused discussion. We sincerely hope this conference will serve as a catalyst for interdisciplinary synergy across basic biology, pathobiochemistry, and biophysics, opening new frontiers in microtubule and motor protein research.