Chromatin is the physiological form of DNA in eukaryotic cells and thus, serves as template for many basic DNA related processes (e.g. transcription, repair, replication, recombination). Dynamic changes in chromatin structure are essential for the organization and utilization of our genetic information and are mediated by epigenetic mechanisms such as histone/DNA modifications, non-coding RNAs and chromatin remodeling. The establishment, maintenance and plasticity of distinct chromatin states is crucial for embryonic development, cell differentiation and cell type identity, as well as allowing response to environmental cues such as hormones, stress or nutrients. Chromatin dysfunction also significantly contributes to cell transformation and perturbed development. This Keystone meeting will highlight novel findings in mechanisms of dynamic chromatin regulation and their translation into cellular physiology. In particular, we will focus on four fundamental chromatin processes (RNA regulation, transcription and remodeling, DNA damage and repair, DNA replication) in conjunction with normal and perturbed cellular states (cell fate, signal response, cell transformation, epigenetic inheritance). Sessions feature basic and applied research in model systems ranging from plants over fungi to mammals. This open and inclusive program will generate intense discussions, interesting synergies, and a strong bridge connecting basic chromatin research with cellular physiology. This link will be beneficial to further explore the dynamic (mis)-regulation of chromatin based processes in medically relevant research fields investigating complex human disorders or stem cell therapy.
+ show speakers and program
SUNDAY, MARCH 23
16:00—20:00 Arrival and Registration
MONDAY, MARCH 24
07:30—08:30 Breakfast
08:30—11:45 Chromatin Modifications
Registered attendees can view abstracts starting on 02/23/2014
Anjana Rao, La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, USA
5-Hydroxymethylcytosine: Genome-Wide Distribution, Enzymes and Disease
Ali Shilatifard, Stowers Institute for Medical Research, USA
Enhancer Marking and Regulation during Development and in Disease
Henk Stunnenberg, Nijmegen Centre for Molecular Life Sciences (NCMLS), Netherlands
Talk Title to be Determined
Asifa Akhtar, Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Germany
Dosage Compensation in Drosophila
Jörn Walter, Saarland University, Germany
DNA Methylation and Genome-Wide Sequencing
09:50—10:10 Coffee Break
11:45—13:00 Poster Setup
13:00—22:00 Poster Viewing
On Own for Lunch and Recreation
14:30—16:30 Panel: Epigenetic Inheritance
16:30—17:00 Coffee Available
17:00—19:00 Cell Fate
Registered attendees can view abstracts starting on 02/23/2014
Alexander Meissner, Harvard University, Broad Institute, USA
DNA Methylation Dynamics in Stem Cells and Development
M. Azim Surani, University of Cambridge, UK
Germ Cell Specification in Mice
Amanda G. Fisher, MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, UK
Chromatin and Cell Reprogramming
Short Talk Chosen from Abstracts
19:00—20:00 Social Hour w/ Lite Bites
19:30—22:00 Poster Session 1
TUESDAY, MARCH 25
07:30—08:30 Breakfast
08:30—11:30 Transcription and Chromatin Remodeling
Registered attendees can view abstracts starting on 02/23/2014
Bradley R. Cairns, HHMI/University of Utah, USA
The Regulation of Chromatin Remodeling at Promoters
Huck-Hui Ng, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore
Transcriptional Regulatory Networks in Embryonic Stem Cells
Geneviève Almouzni, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France
Nucleosome Dynamics and Histone Variants
Robert E. Kingston, Massachusetts General Hospital, USA
Gene Silencing by Polycomb Group Proteins: Mechanisms and Targeting
Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
09:50—10:10 Coffee Break
11:30—13:00 Poster Setup
13:00—22:00 Poster Viewing
On Own for Lunch and Recreation
16:30—17:00 Coffee Available
17:00—19:00 Signal Response
Registered attendees can view abstracts starting on 02/23/2014
Paolo Sassone-Corsi, University of California, Irvine, USA
Mammalian Circadian Clock and Metabolism: The Epigenetic Link
Katrin Chua, Stanford University Medical Center, USA
Chromatin Regulation and Genome Maintenance by Mammalian Sirtuins
Ari M. Melnick, Weill Cornell Medical College, USA
IDH Mutations in Leukemia
Short Talk Chosen from Abstracts
19:00—20:00 Social Hour w/ Lite Bites
19:30—22:00 Poster Session 2
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26
07:30—08:30 Breakfast
08:30—11:30 RNA Regulation
Registered attendees can view abstracts starting on 02/23/2014
Shiv I. S. Grewal, NCI, National Institutes of Health, USA
RNAi-Dependent Formation of Heterochromatin and its Diverse Functions
David C. Baulcombe, University of Cambridge, UK
RNA Silencing Pathways in Plants
Nicholas J. Proudfoot, University of Oxford, UK
Turnover and Function of Non-Coding RNA Polymerase II Transcripts
Ramin Shiekhattar, Wistar Institute, USA
Long Noncoding RNAs with Enhancer-Like Function in Human Cells
Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
09:50—10:10 Coffee Break
11:30—13:00 Poster Setup
13:00—22:00 Poster Viewing
On Own for Lunch and Recreation
14:30—16:30 Workshop: Epigenetic Therapy/Inhibitors
Short Talks Chosen from Abstracts
16:30—17:00 Coffee Available
17:00—19:00 Cell Transformation
Registered attendees can view abstracts starting on 02/23/2014
Alexander (Sasha) Tarakhovsky, Rockefeller University, USA
Signaling Function of Polycomb
Tony Kouzarides, University of Cambridge, UK
Chromatin Modifying Enzymes: Their Function and Role in Cancer
Toshikazu Ushijima, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Japan
Induction Mechanism of Aberrant Epigenetic Modifications by Chronic Inflammation
Short Talk Chosen from Abstracts
19:00—20:00 Social Hour w/ Lite Bites
19:30—22:00 Poster Session 3
THURSDAY, MARCH 27
07:30—08:30 Breakfast
08:30—11:30 Chromatin Organization
Registered attendees can view abstracts starting on 02/23/2014
Bas van Steensel, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Netherlands
Role of Nuclear Lamina in Genome Organization and Gene Expression
Thomas Jenuwein, Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Germany
Making and Breaking Chromatin
Job Dekker, University of Massachusetts Medical School, USA
The Long Range Landscape of Gene Promoters
Edith Heard, Institut Curie, France
X Inactivation and the Complexities of a Sex Chromosome
Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
09:50—10:10 Coffee Break
On Own for Lunch and Recreation
16:30—17:00 Coffee Available
17:00—19:00 Epigenetic Inheritance
Registered attendees can view abstracts starting on 02/23/2014
Danny F. Reinberg, HHMI/New York University, USA
Molecular Mechanisms of Epigenetic Inheritance
Shelley L. Berger, University of Pennsylvania, USA
Talk Title to be Determined
Minoo Rassoulzadegan, Université de Nice, France
Non-Mendalian Epigenetic Heredity: Gametic RNAs as Epigenetic Regulators and Transgenerational Signals
Short Talk Chosen from Abstracts
19:00—20:00 Social Hour w/ Lite Bites
20:00—23:00 Entertainment
FRIDAY, MARCH 28
Departure