Meeting No 664, University of Reading, 15-17 December 1997

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• Pre- and post-partum nutrition and metabolism (Dedicated to Professor Ray Dills ( Reading)
• Exocytosis and Clostridial Toxins
• Capturing the light energy: the role of the protein
• How can we afford to teach molecular biology?
• Intracellular and Extracellular Lectins
• The gut as a modulatory site in macronutrient metabolism
• Brain Lipids and Mental Disorders
• Enzymology of Cell Wall Degradation

Colworth Medal Lecture -
DNA-PK: A paradigm for DNA damage sensing systems

Host/Regulation in Metabolism Group/Nutrition Society Macronutrient Group
Pre- and post-partum nutrition and metabolism (Dedicated to Professor Ray Dills ( Reading))

Sponsors:

Phoretix International & SmithKline Beecham

Organizers:

P. Quant (London) and C. Skidmore (Reading) Biochemical Society

J. Morgan (Surrey) and C.Williams (Reading) Nutrition Society

Day 1

Session 1: Perinatal biochemistry and nutrition

Speakers:

08.45 J. Girard (Paris) Introduction

09.00 J. Girard (Paris) An overview

09.40 B. Hay jr (Denver) Nutrient and metabolic needs of the fetus and very small infant: a comparative approach

10.20 M. Sugden (London) Fuel selection

11.00 Coffee

Session 2: Fetal/placental biochemistry/nutrition

Speakers:

11.45 F. Stewart (Cambridge) The fetal drive to placental development

12.25 Lunch

13.45 T. Chard (London) Biochemical assessment of placental function

14.25 J. Golding (Bristol) Placenta, nutrition and growth of the infant

15.05 C. Sibley (Manchester) Mechanisms of maternofetal exchange across the placenta

15.45 M. Symonds (Reading/Nottingham) Epilogue

16.00 Close and posters

Day 2

Part I: Lactation

Speakers:

09.00 M. Hamosh (Georgetown) Longchain PUFA - who needs them?

09.40 M. Peaker (Ayr) Milk: integrative signalling between mother and offspring

10.20 P. Darbre ( Reading) Environmental contaminants in milk

11.00 Tea/Coffee

Part II: Neonatal biochemistry and nutrition

Speakers:

11.45 H. Büller (Rotterdam) Lactase expression during early life

12.25 Lunch

13.30 M. Lentze (Bonn) Pre and postnatal development of intestinal digestion and hydrolysis

14.10 A. Aynsley-Green (London) Neonatal insulin secretion - from ion channels to programming

14.50 J-P. Pégorier (France) Development and regulation of hepatic fatty acid oxidation and ketogenesis at birth

15.30 D. Ricquier (France) Noenatal brown adipose tissue

16.10 Close and posters

Day 3

Clinical aspects - impaired nutrition and metabolism

Speakers:

09.15 J. Wyatt (London) Cerebral energy metabolism following perinatal asphyxia

09.55 J. Hawdon (London) Neonatal metabolic adaption after preterm delivery or intrauterine growth retardation

10.35 Tea/Coffee and posters

11.35 P. Quant (London) Impaired neonatal ketone body metabolism

12.15 A. Pierro (London) Total parental nutrition in surgical infants

12.55 Lunch

14.15 Chair: G. Mitchell (Canada) Introduction

Speakers:

14.30 G. Mitchell (Canada) Inborn errors of ketogenesis

15.10 J-P. Mazat ( France) Inborn errors of metabolism in the light of MCA

15.50 K. Bartlett (Newcastle) Recent developments in the detection of inherited disorders of mitochondrial -oxidation

16.30 Close

Neurochemical Group
Exocytosis and Clostridal Toxins

Sponsors:

Allergan Inc.

Merck Sharp + Dohme

Glaxo Wellcome

Warner Lambert

Prior Lab Supplies

Organizer:

J. Dolly (London)

Speakers:

09.00 J Molgo (France) Characteristics of the inhibition of neuro-exocytosis by the different toxins

09.45 J O Dolly (UK) Exploitation of the multiple activities of botulinum and tetanus toxins

10.30 H Niemann (Germany) Perturbation of SNARE complexes with toxins

11.15 Coffee

11.45 T Söllner (USA) Assembly and disassembly of SNARE intermediates

12.30 H Betz (Germany) Transmitter release at the squid giant synapse

13.15 Lunch

14.15 C Montecucco (Italy) Molecular basis of the toxins' interactions with SNAREs

16.00 Posters

Tuesday 16 December

09.00 R. Burgoyne (UK) NSF and SNAPS in exocytosis

09.45 W Almers (Germany) Find steps of exocytosis

10.30 T Martin (USA) Dissecting the phases of exocytosis with botulinum toxins

11.15 Coffee

11.45 E Neher (Germany) Clostridial toxins and secretion control in chromaffin cells

12.30 J M Trifaro (Canada) Cytoskeleton and neurosecretion

13.15 Lunch

14.15 T Sudhof (USA) Ca²⁺-triggers

15.00 F Darchen (France) Roole of Rab 3 probed with toxins

16.00 Posters

Bioenergetics Group
Capturing the light energy: the role of the protein

Organizers:

M.C.W. Evans (London)

P. Heathcote (London)

Session 1: Type I reaction centres

Chairman:

M.C.W. Evans (London)

10.00 Introduction

10.05 P. Fromme (Berlin) Crystallization and structural model of photosystem l

10.45 Coffee

11.10 P. Heathcote (London) Does the Photosystem l reaction centre protein enable the phylloquinone A l to reduce Fe-SX

11.50 K. Redding (Geneva) A survey of conserved histidine ligands in the photosystem l core reveals the likely axial ligands of P700

12.30 Lunch

Session 2: Light harvesting pigment proteins

Chairman:

J.H.A. Nugent (London)

13.30 S. M. Prince (Glasgow) Structure and mechanism of purple bacterial antenna complexes

14.10 C. N. Hunter (Sheffield) Probing protein-protein interactions in bacterial light harvesting complexes by site directed mutagenesis

14.50 Coffee

15.10 R. van Grondelle (Amsterdam) Early events in plant and bacterial light harvesting

15.50 W. Kuhlbrandt (Frankfurt) Structure of photosynthetic membrane proteins determined by electron crystallography

Session 3: Pre- and Post- doctoral Short Talks

Chairman:

P. Heathcote (London)

Session 4: Type II reaction centres

Chairman:

M. Jones (Sheffield)

13.30 J. P. Allen (Tempe) Modelling of the electron transfer properties of bacterial reaction centres

14.20 P. Nixon (London) Pigment-protein interactions within the photosystem II complex

15.00 C. Berthomieu (C.E. Saclay) Cofactor-protein interactions in photosystem II studied by FTIR spectroscopy

Education Group
How can we afford to teach molecular biology?

Organizer:

J. Walker (Hertfordshire)

Speakers:

09.30 B. Curran ( London) Dry projects: their design and implementation

10.00 N. Hughes (Manchester) Affording Molecular Biology: practical projects and problems

10.30 Coffee

11.00 B Moffett (London) "Dances with phage" - the production of a teaching video

11.45 P. Gacesa (Lancashire) Molecular biology - affordable practicals and final year projects

12.15 Lunch

13.00 P. Turner (Liverpool) The Liverpool experience

13.30 L. Jones (Kingston) The role of CAL in teaching molecular biology

14.00 D. Veal (Bristol) Teaching Molecular Biology: the UWE experience

Membrane Group/Glycobiology Group
Intracellular and Extracellular Lectins

Organizer:

S. High (Manchester)

Sponsors: Ciba-Geigy PLC, Pfizer Ltd, Smithkline Beecham, Glaxo Wellcome

Speakers:

09.00 A. Helenius (Connetticut): Calnexin, calrecticulin and the folding of glycoproteins

09.45 S. High (Manchester): Glycosylation dependant interactions in the ER lumen

10.30 Coffee

11.00 H-P. Hauri (Basal): Molecular sorting and function of the mannose-lectin ERGIC-53 in the secretory pathway

11.45 P. Scheiffele (Heidelberg): N-glycans as sorting signals in the intracellular transport

12.30 Lunch

14.00 K. Drickamer (Oxford): Cell surface recognition mediated by animal lectins

14.45 P. Crocker (Oxford): Sialoadhesin: the rainforest model and sialic acid recognition

16.00 Close and Posters

Nutrition Society Macronutriant Group
The gut as a modulatory site in macronutrient metabolism

Organizer:

C Williams (Reading)

Morning

9.20-10.00 Dr J Higgins - University of Sheffield

"Molecular Processes in Chylomicron synthesis, assembly and secretion"

Poster session 10.00-11.00

11.00-11.40 Dr S Wootton - University of Southampton

"Physiological and Nutritional factors influencing digestion and absorption of individual fatty acids"

11.40-12.20 Dr L Morgan - University of Surrey

"Effects of GIP and GLP1 on circulating carbohydrate and lipid homeostasis"

12.20- 13.00 Dr S Shirazi Beechy - University of Aberyswyth

"Molecular mechanism involved in intestinal sugar transport"

Lunch

14.00-14.40 Dr G Gibson - IFR, Reading

"Modification of gut microflora by dietary means"

14.40-15.20 Dr N Delzenne - University of Louvain, Brussels

"Effects of Non-digestible fermentable carbohydrates on hepatic fatty acid metabolism"

15.20-16.00 Professor A Jackson - University of Southampton

"Urea salvage in the large bowel - functional significance in metabolic control and adaptation"

16.00-14.40 Dr B Singh - University of Bristol

"Interactive effects of butyrate and glucose in the colon : implications for apoptosis and growth control"

Lipid Group
Brain Lipids and Mental Disorders

Organizers:

E. Skinner (Aberdeen)

A. Postle (Southampton)

Sponsors: Scotia Pharmaceuticals

Speakers:

09.10 M. Crawford (London): The effect of nutrition on lipids during neurodevelopment

09.50 A. Farooqui(Ohio) : The cytosolic phospholipase A2 specific for nervous tissue with substrate preference for ethanolamine plasmalogens. A possible role in Alzheimer's disease.

10.30 Coffee

11.00 G. Burdge (Southampton): The role of docosahexaenoic acid in fetal brain development and fetal alcohol syndrome

11.40 J. Forsyth (Dundee): Do long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids influence infant cognitive behaviour?

12.20 R. Pitas (California): Structure and function of apolipoprotein E: clues to its role in Alzheimer's disease

13.00 Lunch

14.00 M. Dannik (Quebec): Apolipoprotein E and neuronal plasticity following experimental deafferentation in Alzheimer's disease

14.40 R. Pertwee (Aberdeen): Pharmacological, physiological and clinical implications of the discovery of cannabinoid receptors

15.20 R. F. Itzhaki (Manchester): Herpes simplex type I virus in brain and apolipoprotein E4 combined are a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease

16.30 Close and Posters

Molecular Enzymology Group
Enzymology of cell wall degredation

Organizers:

R. Pickersgill

M. Crabbe (Reading)

Speakers:

08.55 Programme Introduction

09.00 Professor Louise Johnson FRS (UK): Structure & mechanism of lysozyme

09.45 Dr. Bernard Henrisat (France): Glycosidase families

10.30 Coffee

11.00 Professor Stephen Withers (Canada): Kinetics & mechanism of xylanases & cellulases

11.45 Professor Michael Sinnott (UK): The mechanism and in vitro evolution of glycosidases

12.30 Lunch

13.45 Dr M. Schlein (Denmark): Kinetics of fungal cellulases

14.30 Dr. Gideon Davies (UK): Cellulase structures

15.15 Professor T. T. Teeri (Sweden): Trichoderma reesei cellobiohydrolases: why so efficient on crystaline cellulose?

16.00 Posters

08.30 Professor Pierre Beguin (France): The cellulosome of Clostridium thermocellum

09.15 Professor Harry Gilbert (UK): Cellulases & hemicellulases

10.00 Posters

11.00 J. Visser (The Netherlands): The pectinolytic spectrum of Aspergillus niger: a complex story

11.45 Dr. Richard Pickersgill, Gillian Harris & John Jenkins (UK): Structure & specificity of hemicellulases & pectinolytic enzymes

12.30 Lunch

13.30 Professor S. Larsen (Denmark): Rhamnogalacturon degrading enzymes

14.15 Dr B. Svensson (Denmark): Structure, Function and Protein Engineering of starch degrading Enzymes

15.00 Dr G. Williamson ( Norwich): Ferulic acid esterases