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DNA methylation and demethylation

Roscoff (Brittany), France, September 14-18, 2013

 

Deadline for application: May 15, 2013

 

Chairperson: Pierre-Antoine DEFOSSEZ

CNRS UMR7216, Université Paris 7, Bâtiment Lamarck, case 7042, 35 rue Hélène Brion, 75205 Paris cedex13, France
Phone: +33 (0) 1 57 27 89 26 – Fax : +33 1 57 27 89 11
Mail: pierre-antoine.defossez@univ-paris-diderot.fr

 

Vice-Chairperson: Heinrich LEONHARDT

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, BioCenter, Department of Biology II, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried/München, Germany
Phone: +49 89 / 2180-74232 – Fax: +49 89 / 2180-74236
Mail : H.Leonhardt@lmu.de

 

The sequence of the human genome was published in 2003, at a cost of 3 billion dollars. Since then, successive technological advances have brought down the cost of sequencing to a few thousand dollars per human genome. This ease of access to genomic data has ushered a new era in biology. In parallel, experiments on cloning and reprogramming have given ample support to previous notions that the DNA in a cell is somehow « marked ». The nucleus of a differentiated cell can be reprogrammed towards totipotency, but this is a slow and very inefficient process. In contrast, the nucleus of an embryonic stem cell is more amenable to reprogramming. Yet, the two genomes are absolutely identical. The difference, as we know, lies in the epigenetic information carried by the different nuclei. DNA methylation is one of these crucial epigenetic marks. There is irrefutable evidence that DNA methylation controls gene expression, cell fate and is altered in disease.

A number of groundbreaking advances have been made in the field in the past few years:

  • single-base resolution methylome of human ES cells and fibroblasts (2009)
  • single-base resolution methylome of mouse ES cells and neuronal cells (2011)
  • single-base resolution hydroxymethylome of mouse ES cells (2012)
  • discovery of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine and its generation by TET enzymes (2009)
  • discovery of 5-formylcytosine and 5-carboxycytosine, further derivatives of 5-mC (2011)
  • role of TET enzymes in pluripotency (2010-2011)
  • evidence for DNA methylation as a block to reprogramming (2009)
  • evidence for DNA repair as a reprogramming mechanism in mammals (2010)

 

We want to discuss advances that have appeared in the past couple of years in the field of DNA methylation, with contributions from molecular biologists, cell biologists, developmentalists and chemists.

 

Invited speakers

(provisional titles)

 

ARIMONDO Paola B. (Toulouse, France)
New families of DNA methylation inhibitors

BAYLIN Stephen B. (Baltimore, USA)
DNA methylation in cancer

BECK Stephen (London, United Kingdom)
Medical epigenomics

BOURCHIS Deborah (Paris, France)
Small RNAs and DNA methylation in the oocyte

CARELL Thomas (Munich, Germany)
Chemistry of DNA demethylation

CLARK Susan (Sydney, Australia)
The cancer epigenome

DANDOLO Luisa (Paris, France)
DNA methylation, Methyl-binding proteins and imprinting

DEFOSSEZ Pierre-Antoine (Montpellier, France)
Methyl-CpG binding proteins and disease

FRANCASTEL Claire (Paris, France)
ICF, a disease with DNA demethylation

GRUMMT Ingrid (Heidelberg, Germany)
DNA methylation in the control of rRNA genes

HAJKOVA Petra (London, United Kingdom)
DNA demethylation in primordial germ cells

ISSA Jean-Pierre (Philadelphia, USA)
Use of DNA methylation inhibitors in clinics

JELTSCH Albert (Bremen, Germany)
Enzymology of DNA methylation

JONES Peter (Los Angeles, USA)
DNA methylation, Polycomb proteins and cancer

KREBS Arnaud (Basel, Switzerland)
High-throughput editing of a mammalian genome identifies building principles of methylation states at CG rich regions

KRIAUCIONIS Skirmantas (Oxford, United Kingdom)
Roles of 5-hmC in the brain

MAI Antonello (Roma, Italy)
Targeting histone demethylases

MEEHAN Richard (Edinburgh, United Kingdom)
DNA Methylation Shapes the Polycomb Landscape

PATEL Dinshaw (New-York, USA)
Structural analysis of DNA methylation

RADVANYI François (Paris, France)
Large hypermethylated domains in cancer

RAO Anjana (La Jolla, USA)
Function of the TET Enzymes in DNA demethylation

SALBERT Gilles (Rennes, France)
5-hmC and enhancers

STANCHEVA Irina (Edinburgh, Scotland)
Establishing DNA methylation in the embryo

TOST Jörg (Evry, France)
DNA methylomes as diagnostic tools

USHIJIMA Toshikazu (Tokyo, Japan)
DNA hypermethylation caused by H. pylori

VERMEULEN Michiel (Utrecht, the Netherlands)
Exploring DNA methylation and demethylation by proteomics

WEBER Michael (Strasbourg, France)
Dynamics of DNA methylation in the mouse

 

Deadline for application: May 15, 2013

 

Registration fee (including board and lodging)

450 € for PhD students
650 € for other participants

 

Application for registration

The total number of participants is limited to 115 and all participants are expected to attend for the whole duration of the conference. Selection is made on the basis of the affinity of potential participants with the topics of the conference. Scientists and PhD Students interested in the meeting should send:

  • their curriculum vitae
  • the list of their main publications for the 3 last years
  • the abstract of their presentation

 

to the Chairperson of the conference (pierre-antoine.defossez@univ-paris-diderot.fr) before the deadline. After it, the chairman will select the participants. Except in some particular cases approved by the Chairperson, it is recommended that all selected participants present their work during the conference, either in poster form or by a brief in- session talk. The organizers choose the form in which the presentations are made. No payment will be sent with application. Information on how and when to pay will be mailed in due time to those selected.