The 2019 FASEB Science Research Conference on Smooth Muscle, July 14–19, 2019, Palm Beach Florida, USA

Abstract

Each year, a series of ScienceResearchConferences (SRCs) are sponsored by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), a nonprofit federation of 29 research societies representing 130,000 scientists. These meetings allow experimental biologists to meet in a relaxing, collegial atmosphere and explore new approaches to current research areas. The Smooth Muscle Conference was held in Palm Beach, Florida, July 14–19, 2019 at the West Palm Beach Marriott Hotel (Fig. 1). This conference continued a tradition of FASEB SRCs focused on smoothmuscle research that began in 1982. This year’s conference was the 13th in this highly successful series and focused on physiologic functions and pathologic alterations in smooth muscle cells. Goals were to explore physiological signaling and functions of smooth muscle cells, to examine pathologic alterations in smooth muscle function, and to develop novel approaches to target signaling networks in smooth muscle cells to alleviate diseases. Presenters discussed research into a variety of different types of smooth muscle cells, including those in the vasculature, airways, bladder, gastrointestinal tract, uterus, and lymphatic system. There was 1 keynote speaker, 32 invited speakers, 4 new and notable/young investigator talks, 8 short talks, and 45 poster presentations over the course of the five and a half days. Sessions were divided into the following foci: ion channels, intracellular signaling, intercellular communication, phenotypic modulation, mechanosensing and regulation of contractility, pathophysiology and disease, microRNAs/long noncoding RNAs/novel regulators, and circulation. The conference also included a CareerOriented Workshop and a “Meet the Expert” session for trainees to meet speakers. A group photograph of the conference attendees is provided with this summary. Dr. John G. McCarron (University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland) set the stage for the conference with his keynote lecture,which tookplace on the first eveningof the conference. Dr. McCarron described studies in which his laboratory had used novel approaches to measure the properties, structure, and dynamics of mitochondria in differentiated and dedifferentiated arterial smooth muscle cells in health and disease. He illustrated how mitochondria size, shape, density, positioning, clustering, and motility can alter associated calcium signaling and function. He also described how hypertension and aging are associated with changes in the properties of mitochondria in smooth muscle cells. On the first full day, Dr. Fernando Santana (University ofCalifornia,Davis,Davis, CA,USA) explained studies in his laboratory that have used superresolutionmicroscopy and modeling to examine ion channel cluster formation. Their data revealed that voltage-dependent calcium (Ca, CaV1.2), transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4), and large-conductance Ca-activated potassium (BK) channels are randomly inserted in the plasma membrane, where they form homogeneous clusters of steady-state size. This clustering mechanism is common to a wide range of cell types, including smooth muscle cells. Dr. ScottEarley (University ofNevada,Reno,Reno,NV, USA)gavea talkon the seconddaydescribingmechanisms that regulatebrain regionalblood flow.Heoutlinedstudies which concluded that reactive oxygen species–dependent activationof transient receptorpotential ankyrin1 (TRPA1) channels in cerebral capillary endothelial cells leads to the stimulation of small-conductance (SK) and intermediateconductance (IK) channels that contributes to functional hyperemia in the brain. The importance of the histone acetyltransferases p300 and cAMP-response element-binding protein–binding protein (CBP) in the regulation of smooth muscle cell plasticitywas presented ingreat detail byDr. KathleenMartin (YaleUniversity,NewHaven,CT,USA). She showed that CBP and p300 perform opposite functions in regulating ABBREVIATIONS: Cas9, CRISPR-associated protein 9; CaV1.2, voltagedependent calcium; CBP, cAMP-response element binding protein; CRISPR, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats; Panx1, pannexin 1; RhoBTB1, Rho-related BTB domain-containing protein 1; SRC, Science Research Conference; TRP, transient receptor potential