European Meeting on Phototransduction 2013

June 19 - 22, 2013

Venue

Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg
Lehmkuhlenbusch 4
27753 Delmenhorst
Germany

Organizers:

  • Prof. Dr. Karl-Wilhelm Koch
    Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg
  • Prof. Dr. Daniele Dell´Orco
    University of Verona, Italy

European Meeting on Phototransduction 2013

June 19 - 22, 2013

Venue

Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg
Lehmkuhlenbusch 4
27753 Delmenhorst
Germany

Organizers:

  • Prof. Dr. Karl-Wilhelm Koch
    Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg
  • Prof. Dr. Daniele Dell´Orco
    University of Verona, Italy

Research on molecular sensing has made significant progress in the past 10 - 15 years to unravel numerous fascinating signaling pathways. Molecular oriented techniques have provided us with a large complexity of signaling building blocks and some of the main players in cell signaling – G-protein-coupled receptors, G-proteins, effectors of G-proteins, ion channels and calcium-binding proteins, to name a few – derive chiefly from a few senses only (usually vision and olfaction). In particular research on phototransduction has significantly developed in the last four decades leading to computational systems biology approaches in order to understand these vision related sensory signaling steps in quantitative terms. However, we still lack detailed knowledge on mechanistic aspects related to the deactivation of the excitation cascade, the recovery of the photoreceptor cell to the dark state and the adaptive properties of the cell. In addition, new trends in the phototransduction field have developed in the last years including differences between rod and cone signaling, transmission of the visual signal to second-order neurons and intracellular protein trafficking, just to name a few. Moreover, recent technological and methodological advances call for some reconsideration of the classical picture evoked to describe the molecular processes and new model organisms have been introduced, which point to unexpected complexity of the signal transduction regulation in different photoreceptor types. Thus, the meeting will focus on the following topics:

  • Crystal clear or unresolved? Current issues in phototransduction
  • Multiscale/ computational approaches to phototransduction
  • Model organisms in phototransduction
  • Novel tools and experimental approaches

Research on molecular sensing has made significant progress in the past 10 - 15 years to unravel numerous fascinating signaling pathways. Molecular oriented techniques have provided us with a large complexity of signaling building blocks and some of the main players in cell signaling – G-protein-coupled receptors, G-proteins, effectors of G-proteins, ion channels and calcium-binding proteins, to name a few – derive chiefly from a few senses only (usually vision and olfaction). In particular research on phototransduction has significantly developed in the last four decades leading to computational systems biology approaches in order to understand these vision related sensory signaling steps in quantitative terms. However, we still lack detailed knowledge on mechanistic aspects related to the deactivation of the excitation cascade, the recovery of the photoreceptor cell to the dark state and the adaptive properties of the cell. In addition, new trends in the phototransduction field have developed in the last years including differences between rod and cone signaling, transmission of the visual signal to second-order neurons and intracellular protein trafficking, just to name a few. Moreover, recent technological and methodological advances call for some reconsideration of the classical picture evoked to describe the molecular processes and new model organisms have been introduced, which point to unexpected complexity of the signal transduction regulation in different photoreceptor types. Thus, the meeting will focus on the following topics:

  • Crystal clear or unresolved? Current issues in phototransduction
  • Multiscale/ computational approaches to phototransduction
  • Model organisms in phototransduction
  • Novel tools and experimental approaches

Preliminary Program

June 19, 2013

18:00                  Arrival, Social reception
19:00                  Dinner

June 20, 2013

09:00                   Welcome
09:05 - 11:50     SESSION 1
                             Crystal clear or unresolved? Current issues in phototransduction 
                             (part I)
09:00 - 09:30     Klaus-Peter Hofmann: Functional modules in vision: 
                             Signal transduction and regeneration in retinal rods
09:30 - 09:55     Monika Gunkel/Ashraf al-Amoudi: Supramolecular organization of 
                             rhodopsin in intact photoreceptors by cryo-electron tomography
09:00 - 10:30     Coffee break
10:30 - 11:00     Michael Firsov: cGMP phosphodiesterase and regulation of 
                             phototransduction
11:00 - 11:25     Alexander Kolesnikov: The rod transducin βγ–complex: The mechanism 
                             of assembly and regulation of phototransduction
11:25 - 11:50     Alexander Dizhoor: Guanylyl cyclase activating proteins: Molecular
                             properties and role in photoresponse and congenital retinal diseases
12:00 - 13:00     Lunch
13:00 - 15:00     Poster session
15:30 - 18:30    SESSION 2
                             Crystal clear or unresolved? Current issues in phototransduction
                             (part II)
15:30 - 16:00     Hugh Matthews: Origin and control of the dominant time constant in
                             salamander and zebrafish cones
16:00 - 16:30     Pere Garriga: Point mutations in visual photoreceptors: New insights into
                              rhodopsin photoactivation
16:30 - 17:00     Coffee break
17:00 - 17:30     Pavel P. Philippov: Photoreceptor calcium sensors: New insight into
                             the regulatory activity
17:30 - 17:55     Giuseppe Facchetti: Restricted illumination of rod photoreceptors 
                             reveals a major role of cGMP diffusion
17:55 - 18:20     Eva Ramon: Visual phototransduction: From visual pigments mutations
                             to retinal disease
18:30                   EXCURSION
                             Social Activity with free evening (bus to Oldenburg guaranteed)

June 21, 2013

09:00 - 11:45     SESSION 3
                             Multiscale / computational approaches to phototransduction
09:00 - 09:30     Francesca Fanelli: Computational modeling of rhodopsin mutations
                             associated with Retinitis Pigmentosa towards the discovery of
                             therapeutic agents
09:30 - 09:55     Brandon M. Invergo: Exploring the rate limiting steps in visual phototrans-
                             duction recovery by bottom-up kinetic modeling
09:55 - 10:25     Coffee break
10:25 - 10:55     Marius Ueffing: Functional proteomic approaches to understand photo-
                             receptor outer segment formation
10:55 - 11:20     Simona Mariani: Multi-scale simulations of a pathogenic mutation in the
                             G protein transducin unveils structural determinants of visual disease
11:20 - 11:45     Johannes Dietter: Integrating phosducin phosphorylation into a model 
                             of the phototransduction cascade
12:00 - 13:00     Lunch
13:00 - 15:00     Poster session
15:30 - 18:30     SESSION 4
                             Model organisms in phototransduction
15:30 - 16:00     Ana Mendez: New protein interactions and emerging roles of calcium
                             sensors GCAP1 and GCAP2 in rod photoreceptors
16:00 - 16:30     Stephan Neuhauss: Regulation of visual transduction in zebrafish cone
                             photoreceptors
16:30 - 17:00     Coffee break
17:00 - 17:30     Breandan N. Kennedy: Genetic and chemical determinants of vision
                             in zebrafish
17:30 - 17:55      Xesus M. Abalo: Transducin paralogs in the retina and the pineal
                              complex: Different specialisations after the teleost tetraploidisation
17:55 - 18:20     Jingjing Zang: Regulation of the Phototransduction Cascade by
                             Recoverin Genes
18:30                   Dinner at HWK

June 22, 2013

09:00 - 11:45     SESSION 5
                             Novel tools and experimental approaches
09:00 - 09:30     Giorgio Rispoli: Real time modulation of photoresponse by protein and
                             antibody       intracellular perfusion via pressure-polished patch pipettes
09:30 - 09:55     Elvir Becirovic: Peripherin-2, Rhodopsin, and CNG Channels Are Forming
                             a Signlaing complex in Rod Outer Segments
09:55 - 10:30     Coffee break
10:30 - 11:00     Lorenzo Cangiano: Rod-cone coupling in a mammalian retina:
                             How strong can it really be?
11:00 - 11:25     Johannes Schöneberg: Single-particle reaction-diffusion simulation:
                             The first steps of rod cell disc membrane photoactivation
12:00                  Conclusive remarks
                             Lunch and Departure

Abstract Submission

Abstract submission deadline: May 22, 2013.
Please send your abstract (max. one page) via email to emp2013hwk[at]gmail.com, indicating your preference for an oral or poster presentation.

We are pleased to announce that five Travel Awards of 200,- EURO each will be given to PhD students and Postdocs at an early stage of their career. A necessary condition is the submission of an abstract for poster or oral presentation as a first author. If the conditions do not apply to yourself, please encourage young scientists in your lab, who might be qualified. 

Abstract Submission

Abstract submission deadline: May 22, 2013.
Please send your abstract (max. one page) via email to emp2013hwk[at]gmail.com, indicating your preference for an oral or poster presentation.

We are pleased to announce that five Travel Awards of 200,- EURO each will be given to PhD students and Postdocs at an early stage of their career. A necessary condition is the submission of an abstract for poster or oral presentation as a first author. If the conditions do not apply to yourself, please encourage young scientists in your lab, who might be qualified

Size of the poster boards:

Width:   1,18 m
Height: 1,40 m

Size of the poster boards:

Width:   1,18 m
Height: 1,40 m

Preliminary Program

June 19, 2013

18:00                  Arrival, Social reception
19:00                  Dinner

June 20, 2013

09:00                   Welcome
09:05 - 11:50     SESSION 1
                             Crystal clear or unresolved? Current issues in phototransduction 
                             (part I)
09:00 - 09:30     Klaus-Peter Hofmann: Functional modules in vision: 
                             Signal transduction and regeneration in retinal rods
09:30 - 09:55     Monika Gunkel/Ashraf al-Amoudi: Supramolecular organization of 
                             rhodopsin in intact photoreceptors by cryo-electron tomography
09:00 - 10:30     Coffee break
10:30 - 11:00     Michael Firsov: cGMP phosphodiesterase and regulation of 
                             phototransduction
11:00 - 11:25     Alexander Kolesnikov: The rod transducin βγ–complex: The mechanism 
                             of assembly and regulation of phototransduction
11:25 - 11:50     Alexander Dizhoor: Guanylyl cyclase activating proteins: Molecular
                             properties and role in photoresponse and congenital retinal diseases
12:00 - 13:00     Lunch
13:00 - 15:00     Poster session
15:30 - 18:30    SESSION 2
                             Crystal clear or unresolved? Current issues in phototransduction
                             (part II)
15:30 - 16:00     Hugh Matthews: Origin and control of the dominant time constant in
                             salamander and zebrafish cones
16:00 - 16:30     Pere Garriga: Point mutations in visual photoreceptors: New insights into
                              rhodopsin photoactivation
16:30 - 17:00     Coffee break
17:00 - 17:30     Pavel P. Philippov: Photoreceptor calcium sensors: New insight into
                             the regulatory activity
17:30 - 17:55     Giuseppe Facchetti: Restricted illumination of rod photoreceptors 
                             reveals a major role of cGMP diffusion
17:55 - 18:20     Eva Ramon: Visual phototransduction: From visual pigments mutations
                             to retinal disease
18:30                   EXCURSION
                             Social Activity with free evening (bus to Oldenburg guaranteed)

June 21, 2013

09:00 - 11:45     SESSION 3
                             Multiscale / computational approaches to phototransduction
09:00 - 09:30     Francesca Fanelli: Computational modeling of rhodopsin mutations
                             associated with Retinitis Pigmentosa towards the discovery of
                             therapeutic agents
09:30 - 09:55     Brandon M. Invergo: Exploring the rate limiting steps in visual phototrans-
                             duction recovery by bottom-up kinetic modeling
09:55 - 10:25     Coffee break
10:25 - 10:55     Marius Ueffing: Functional proteomic approaches to understand photo-
                             receptor outer segment formation
10:55 - 11:20     Simona Mariani: Multi-scale simulations of a pathogenic mutation in the
                             G protein transducin unveils structural determinants of visual disease
11:20 - 11:45     Johannes Dietter: Integrating phosducin phosphorylation into a model 
                             of the phototransduction cascade
12:00 - 13:00     Lunch
13:00 - 15:00     Poster session
15:30 - 18:30     SESSION 4
                             Model organisms in phototransduction
15:30 - 16:00     Ana Mendez: New protein interactions and emerging roles of calcium
                             sensors GCAP1 and GCAP2 in rod photoreceptors
16:00 - 16:30     Stephan Neuhauss: Regulation of visual transduction in zebrafish cone
                             photoreceptors
16:30 - 17:00     Coffee break
17:00 - 17:30     Breandan N. Kennedy: Genetic and chemical determinants of vision
                             in zebrafish
17:30 - 17:55      Xesus M. Abalo: Transducin paralogs in the retina and the pineal
                              complex: Different specialisations after the teleost tetraploidisation
17:55 - 18:20     Jingjing Zang: Regulation of the Phototransduction Cascade by
                             Recoverin Genes
18:30                   Dinner at HWK

June 22, 2013

09:00 - 11:45     SESSION 5
                             Novel tools and experimental approaches
09:00 - 09:30     Giorgio Rispoli: Real time modulation of photoresponse by protein and
                             antibody       intracellular perfusion via pressure-polished patch pipettes
09:30 - 09:55     Elvir Becirovic: Peripherin-2, Rhodopsin, and CNG Channels Are Forming
                             a Signlaing complex in Rod Outer Segments
09:55 - 10:30     Coffee break
10:30 - 11:00     Lorenzo Cangiano: Rod-cone coupling in a mammalian retina:
                             How strong can it really be?
11:00 - 11:25     Johannes Schöneberg: Single-particle reaction-diffusion simulation:
                             The first steps of rod cell disc membrane photoactivation
12:00                  Conclusive remarks
                             Lunch and Departure

Travel

Please click here for detailed travel information: http://www.h-w-k.de/1a.html?&L=1

Travel

Please click here for detailed travel information: http://www.h-w-k.de/1a.html?&L=1