Analysis of autophagy regulation: Discussion of recent research and new technologies - 03 October 2013

Thursday, 03 October 2013

London , UK

Meeting Chair: Dr. Gary Warnes, Blizard Institute, Barts & The London School of Medicine & Dentistry, Queen Mary UniversityThis event has CPD accreditation

This meeting will present and discuss current research into autophagy regulation including new flow cytometric and imaging assays and approaches which available to study this regulation

This event is part of the 2013 Flow Cytometry Forum – www.FlowCytometry2013.com

Who Should Attend
Flow cytometry specialists
Biotech and Pharma Industry: CEOs, Chief Scientists, Group Heads, Senior and Junior Scientists, Research Managers
Academic and Research Institutes: Group and Lab Heads, Postdoctoral Scientists and Research Students

The Deadline for abstract submissions for oral presentation is July 10th 2013
Abstracts for poster presentation only can be submitted up to two weeks before the event
There will be a best poster prize.
You can download the instructions for authors at
www.euroscicon.com/AbstractsForOralAndPosterPresentation.pdf

9:00 – 9:45 Registration

9:45 – 10:00 Introduction by the Chair: Dr. Gary Warnes, Blizard Institute, Barts & The London School of Medicine & Dentistry, Queen Mary UniversityThis event has CPD accreditation

10:00 – 10:30 Flow Cytometric Measurement of Cell Organelle Phagy

Dr. Gary Warnes, Blizard Institute, Barts & The London School of Medicine & Dentistry, Queen Mary University

The mechanism of organelle autophagy is little understood. We employed a range of autophagy inducing agents to determine the relative preference for the type of organelle-phagy caused by rapamycin, chloroquine, nutrient and low serum starvation. Organelle autophagy of mitochondria and Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER), termed mitophagy and ER-phagy was determined flow cytometrically by the employment of organelle mass probes, MitoTracker Green (MTG) and ER Tracker Green (ERTG). Relative changes in linear scaled median fluorescence intensity (MFI), were compared to control cells to determine the degree and type of organelle-phagy induced by different inducers of autophagy. These flow cytometric organelle phagy assays can be used by researchers to study the autophagic process further in terms of cell function.

10:30 – 11:00 Talk to be confirmed

Professor David C Rubinsztein, Professor of Molecular Neurogenetics, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, Addenbrooke’s Hospital,Cambridge, UK

11:00 – 11:30 Speakers’ photo then mid-morning break and trade show/poster viewing

Please try to visit all the exhibition stands during your day at this event. Not only do our sponsors enable Euroscicon to keep the registration fees competitive, but they are also here specifically to talk to you

11:30 – 12:00 A role for Rab8 and autophagy in the regulation of synapse growth

Dr Sean T Sweeney, University of York, UK

We have developed a model of Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in Drosophila based on ESCRTIII dysfunction. In a screen for enhancers and suppressors of the FTD phenotype we identified Rab8. Mutations in Rab8 have overgrown neuromuscular synapses by a factor of 100%. Examination of Rab8 mutants revealed endosomal dysfunction and accumulation of autophagosomes. Within the dysfunctional endosome we have identified signaling events organizing the prolonged activation of TGF-beta and JNK/AP-1 signaling generating synapse overgrowth. Autophagic activity is also necessary for the generation of synaptic overgrowth observed. The novel events we describe are likely to be critical to neuronal atrophy in FTD.

12:00 – 12:30 Autophagy as a barrier to viral and non-viral gene delivery

Professor Tom Wileman, University of East Anglia, UK

There is great interest in the development of viral and non-viral gene therapy vectors to replace defective genes associated with specific illnesses. Our work shows that viruses and non-viral gene delivery vectors can activate autophagy resulting in delivery to autophagosomes. Autophagy provides a powerful means of killing intracellular viruses by delivering them to lysosomes for degradation, and at the same time slows release of genes into cells. Authophagy has therefore evolved as an efficient defence against viral infection, but becomes a major barrier to the development of gene therapy vectors.

12: 30 – 13: 30 Lunch and trade show/poster viewing

13:30– 14:30 Question and Answer Session

Delegates will be asked to submit questions to a panel of experts. Questions can be submitted before the event or on the day

14:30 – 15:00 Talk to be confirmed

15:00 – 15:30 Afternoon Tea

15:30– 16:00 Molecular mechanisms of mammalian autophagy

Dr Sharon A. Tooze, London Research Institute, UK

Autophagy, a highly conserved cell survival pathway essential for cell health and homeostasis, is a membrane-mediated lysosomal degradation process that can be acutely induced. Induction by amino-acid starvation has been fundamental in the identification of the 36 autophagy-related (Atg) genes first in yeast, and more recently in mammals. Formation of autophagosomes requires the concerted effort of at least 18 Atg proteins, initiated by the activity of the ULK complex and the PI3-kinase complex including Beclin 1. I will discuss our recent findings about key protein-protein interactions and membrane contributions from a variety of subcellular compartments that drives autophagosome formation.

16:00 – 16:30 Autophagy in host-pathogen interaction

Dr Felix Randow, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK

Cells deploy autophagy to protect their cytosol against infection. For efficient delivery to autophagy invading pathogens are specifically recognized by NDP52 and other cargo receptors. I will discuss the interplay between autophagy and pathogens with special emphasis on how cells restrict the proliferation of bacteria in their cytosol, how professional cytosol-dwelling bacteria avoid such attack, and how viruses even appropriate autophagy.

16:30 – 17:00 Chairman’s summing up

About the Speakers

Gary Warnes interest in flow cytometry started at St. Mary’s in 1986, analyzing T-cell subsets. Then set up a new flow cytometric T-cell subset service at St.Thomas’ Hospital. Completed a PhD investigating the immunosuppression of HIV-ve haemophiliacs at St.Thomas’ Hospital. Post-doctoral position, investigated the regulation of Tissue Factor expression by immune co-stimulatory molecules in sepsis. Then managed the Flow & Imaging Core Facilities at the MRC Clinical Science Centre at Hammersmith Hospital. Worked with Derek Davies at Cancer Research UK. Currently managing the Flow facility at the Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University

Felix Randow, is originally from Germany. He obtained his PhD from Humboldt University Berlin before moving to Boston where he was a post-doc with Brian Seed at Harvard Medical School. In 2003, Felix became Group Leader at LM

Professor David C Rubinsztein
Professor of Molecular Neurogenetics, Cambridge CB2 0XY UK

Sean T Sweeney, gained his PhD in the Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge with Dr Cahir O’Kane. In his PhD he developed tetanus toxin light chain as a tool for the targeted transgenic silencing of neurons. This study also revealed the critical role for synaptobrevin at the synapse. He then studied with Prof. Grae Davis at UCSF as a Wellcome Prize Travelling fellow and published studies on a number of mutants involved in membrane traffic at the synapse. Since setting up as a PI he has focused on membrane traffic and endosome function at the synapse within the context of neurodegeneration, using Drosophila as an experimental system.

Sharon A. Tooze has been interested in understanding organelle biogenesis starting at the European Molecular Biology laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany and continuing at the London Research Institute, Cancer Research UK. Since 2004, her interests have been focused on understanding how cells make autophagosomes, and the process of autophagy, in mammalian cells. Her lab identified several autophagy proteins, and is continuing to reveal their function and regulation. Autophagy is fundamental for cell survival and death. A molecular understanding of the process and how it is regulated will provide insight into the role of the autophagy pathway in human diseases.

Tom Wileman trained in cell biology and immunology at Washington University and Harvard Medical Schools in the USA between 1982 and 1994. He was Assistant Professor at Harvard before moving to the Institute for Animal Health (Pirbright, UK) in 1994 as Head of Immunology to study the cell biology of virus infection. His recent studies have focussed on autophagy and have shown that some viruses activate autophagy during cell entry and that this pathway is also activated by the cationic polymers used as gene delivery vectors. His collaborative work with Kostas Kostarelos at UCL, has shown that non-viral gene delivery vectors are captured within specialised autophagosomes called tubulovesicular autophagosomes that slow gene delivery into cells.

Registration Web Site: www.regonline.co.uk/autophagy2013

Post expires at 8:38am on Thursday October 3rd, 2013

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