Biological response to DNA damage
Roscoff (Brittany), France, October 11-15, 2008
Deadline for application: June 10, 2008
- Chairperson: Marco FOIANI,
FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology & University of Milan,
Via Adamello 16, 20139 Milan, Italy
E-mail: marco.foiani@ifom-ieo-campus.it
Phone. +39-02-574303238
-
Vice-Chairperson: Eric GILSON
Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5239,
46 allé d’Italie, F-69364 Lyon 07, France
Phone: 04 ;72 72 84 53 - Fax: 04 72 72 80 00
E-mail: Eric.Gilson@ens-lyon.fr
Chromosomal DNA is frequently exposed to the action of genotoxic events due to exogenous agents such as ionizing radiation or mutagenic chemicals or even arising as a consequence of cellular metabolism. In particular, the chromosome cycle itself, characterized by rounds of chromosome replication and segregation, can be harmful for the integrity of the genome as DNA breaks and mutations may form as a result of faulty DNA synthesis and chromosome missegregation may occur due to aberrant mitosis. Cells are able to respond to DNA damage by promoting a variety of DNA repair mechanisms and by coupling these pathways with other cellular processes such as DNA replication, recombination, transcription, cell cycle, checkpoints and sister chromatid cohesion.
The cellular responses to DNA damage are essential for the maintenance of chromosome integrity thus preventing the accumulation of mutations, genome instability, cell death and cancer. It is in fact clear that genetic alterations in any of the cellular pathways implicated in the DNA damage response have a causative role in cancer development.
The Jacques Monod Conference « Biological responses to DNA damage » aims, to integrate at cellular and organismal levels the consequences of DNA damage. It will gather works performed in quite different fields (replication, recombination, repair, transcription, chromosome dynamics, chromatin, telomere, cell cycle, ageing, repair syndromes, cancer....), disciplines (geneticists, microbiologists, biochemists, molecular and cellular biologists, physical chemists, clinicians, cytologists....) and using various organisms (bacteria, yeasts, filamentous fungi, nematode, Drosophila, plants, animals and humans, single cells...).
The conference is structured in six major topics, which are intimately linked with each other.
SESSION 1: DNA damage signaling.
The emphasis will be on the cellular mechanisms that sense and repair DNA breaks. In particular, the talks will deal with the different pathways of DNA recombination, recent findings unmasking some of the regulatory circuits that modulate the cellular response to DNA damage and the connections between cell cycle control and different DNA repair and recombination processes.
SESSION 2: REPAIR AND REPLICATION.
The talks will deal with the signal transduction processes that sense and deal with stalled and damaged replication forks. Further, they will address the consequences of checkpoint defects, with particular emphasis on those unscheduled biochemical pathways that actively endanger genome stability.
SESSION 3: REPAIR, CHROMATIN AND TRANSCRIPTION
The talks will deal with different types of DNA repair processes and their connections with chromatin remodelling activities and transcription.
SESSION 4: REPAIR AND CHROMOSOME DYNAMICS.
The emphasis will be on mitosis and on those mechanisms that connect repair with the spatial organization of the nucleus, sister chromatid cohesion and chromosome condensation. Further, DNA topological transitions will be addressed.
SESSION 5: MAINTENANCE OF CHROMOSOME STABILITY
The emphasis will be on those cellular mechanisms controlling the repair of double-strand break and that distinguish accidental break from natural chromosome ends (telomeres). The connections with DNA replication, recombination and checkpoints will also be addressed.
SESSION 6: DNA DAMAGE, GENOME INSTABILITY, AND CANCER.
The talks will deal with the consequences of DNA damage with particular emphasis on those inherited human syndromes that cause genome instability and cancer predisposition.
Invited speakers
(Provisional titles)
D'ADDA DI FAGAGNA Fabrizio (Milano, Italy)
Mechanisms of cellular senescenceAGUILERA A. (Sevillia, Spain)
DNA repair and connections with RNA metabolismALMOUZNI Geneviève (Paris, France)
Chromatin, replication and repairBARTEK J. (Copenhagen, Denmark)
DNA damage responseBLASCO M. (Madrid, Spain)
Telomeres, ageing and cancerBRANZEI Dana (Milano, Italy)
Title to be comingCOOPER Julie (London, UK)
Telomere and meiosisDEBATISSE Michelle (Paris, France)
DNA amplification and replicationEgly, Jean-Marc (Strasbourg, France)
DNA repair and transcriptionGasser, Susan (Basel, Switzerland)
Chromosome dynamics and chromatinGeli, V. (Marseille, France)
Yeast telomeresJasin, M. (New York, USA)
Homologous recombination and DSB repair in mammalsHaber, Jim (Boston, USA)
DNA recombination and repairHalazonetis, Thanos (Geneva, Switzerland)
DNA damage response and cancerHerceg, Zdenko (Lyon, France)
Double-strand break repairKanaar, R. (Rotterdam, The Netherlands)
Homologous recombinationDe Lange, T. (New York, USA)
Telomere structure and functionMarcand, Stéphane (Fontenay-aux-Roses, France)
Telomere and recombinationNicolas, Alain (Paris, France)
Homologous recombination and meiosisPasero, P. (Montpellier, France)
Replication checkpointRothstein, Rodney (New-York, USA)
Homologous recombinationSarasin, Alain (Villejuif, France)
DNA repair and human diseaseSmith, Susan (New York, USA)
Telomere and mitosisSung, Patrick (New Haven, USA)
RecombinationTeixeira, Teresa (Lyon, France)
Telomere and senescence in yeastUlrich, Helle (South Mimms, UK)
SUMO and repairDe Villartay, Jean-Pierre (Paris, France)
V(D)J recombination and non homologous end joiningWest, Steve (South Mimms, UK)
DNA recombination
Deadline for application: June 10, 2008
Registration fee (including board and lodging)
- 350 € for PhD students
- 600 € for other participants
Application for registration
The total number of participants is limited to about 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 before the deadline. After it, the Chairperson 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.