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Muscle: Excitation-Contraction Coupling

Gordon Research Conference

Advancing Research and Leadership in EC Coupling

May 31 - June 5, 2015
Chairs Robert T. Dirksen and Susan Treves
Vice Chair Isaac N. Pessah
Grand Summit Hotel at Sunday River
97 Summit Road
Newry, Maine, United States
 Venue and Travel Information

Conference Description

The 2015 Gordon Research Conference (GRC) and Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) on Muscle: Excitation/Contraction Coupling (ECC) will once again bring together established leaders and new investigators from around the globe to present their latest unpublished research, as well as engage in meaningful scientific and social interactions. This is the premier meeting of basic and translational scientists interested in the molecular mechanisms of ECC and how defects in this process lead to debilitating and life-threatening muscle disorders.

Scientific sessions will focus on structural studies of the ECC molecular machinery, newly identified components in the molecular mechanism and regulation of ECC, molecular mechanisms of junction formation, the impact redox modifications of ECC proteins on muscle, fatigue, aging, and disease, emerging evidence for the importance of ECC in muscle metabolism and metabolic disease, and the pathophysiological mechanisms and development of novel therapeutic targets for diseases associated with dysfunction of the ECC process.

For the first time, this GRC will be preceded by a two-day GRS for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. In addition, innovative program elements (joining senior and junior investigator as Session Discussion Leaders, "Poster Preview" and "Late-Breaking" Poster Highlight speaker slots) will be used to maximize poster session visibility, as well as enhance the integration and exposure of promising young investigators in the field. In this way, the conference will provide a forum for young and established investigators to meet, interact and exchange opinions on the various topics of the meeting.

By bridging basic science, translational and clinical studies related to the mechanism of muscle diseases, this meeting aims to foster new research directions and scientific collaborations. The outcome of this GRC conference will be to both stimulate new directions in ECC research and to promote the development and advancement of early stage investigators in the field.

Related Meeting

This GRC will be held in conjunction with the "Muscle: Excitation-Contraction Coupling" Gordon Research Seminar (GRS). Those interested in attending both meetings must submit an application for the GRS in addition to an application for the GRC. Refer to the associated GRS program page for more information.

Conference Program

Sunday
2:00 pm - 9:00 pmArrival and Check-in
6:00 pmDinner
7:30 pm - 7:40 pmWelcome / Introductory Comments by GRC Site Staff
7:40 pm - 9:30 pmStructural Studies of the EC Coupling Apparatus
Discussion Leader: Clara Franzini-Armstrong (University of Pennsylvania Medical School, USA)
7:40 pm - 7:50 pmIntroduction by Discussion Leader
7:50 pm - 8:10 pmMontserrat Samso (Virginia Commonwealth University, USA)
"Structure and Dynamics of the RyR Seen by CryoEM"
8:10 pm - 8:20 pmDiscussion
8:20 pm - 8:40 pmGerhard Meissner (University North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA)
"Determinants of RyR1 Gating and Ion Conductance"
8:40 pm - 8:50 pmDiscussion
8:50 pm - 9:05 pmZhen Yan (School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, China)
"Structure of the Rabbit Ryanodine Receptor Type I at Near-Atomic Resolution"
9:05 pm - 9:10 pmDiscussion
9:10 pm - 9:25 pmRan Zalk (Columbia University, USA)
"Structure of a Mammalian Ryanodine Receptor"
9:25 pm - 9:30 pmDiscussion
Monday
7:30 am - 8:30 amBreakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pmNew Insights into the Molecular Mechanism of Muscle EC Coupling
Discussion Leader: Manfred Grabner (Medical University Innsbruck, Austria)
9:00 am - 9:10 amIntroduction by Discussion Leader
9:10 am - 9:30 amRoger Bannister (University of Colorado, Denver, USA)
"Molecular Transitions in CaV1.1 That Support EC Coupling"
9:30 am - 9:40 amDiscussion
9:40 am - 10:00 amAngela Dulhunty (Australian National University, Australia)
"Functional Interactions Between EC Coupling Proteins and RyR Channels"
10:00 am - 10:10 amDiscussion
10:10 am - 10:30 amPoster Previews
10:30 am - 11:00 amCoffee Break
11:00 am - 11:20 amSymeon Papadopoulos (University Hospital of Cologne, Germany)
"Trafficking and Molecular Organization of Key EC Coupling Proteins"
11:20 am - 11:30 amDiscussion
11:30 am - 11:50 amBernhard Flucher (Medical University Innsbruck, Austria)
"L-Type Calcium Currents During EC Coupling Make You Slow"
11:50 am - 12:00 pmDiscussion
12:00 pm - 12:20 pmJohn Kuwada (University of Michigan, USA)
"STAC3 Regulates EC Coupling and Causes Native American Myopathy and Malignant Hyperthermia"
12:20 pm - 12:30 pmDiscussion
12:30 pmLunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pmFree Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pmPoster Session
6:00 pmDinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pmMolecular Mechanisms of Junction Formation and Maintenance
Discussion Leader: Isabelle Marty (INSERM U836 Grenoble Institut Des Neurosciences, France)
7:30 pm - 7:40 pmIntroduction by Discussion Leader
7:40 pm - 8:00 pmVincenzo Sorrentino (University of Siena, Italy)
"Molecular Basis of Sarcoplasmic Reticulum and Junctional Protein Organization in Skeletal Muscle Fibers"
8:00 pm - 8:10 pmDiscussion
8:10 pm - 8:30 pmJocelyn Laporte (Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology, France)
"Alteration of Triad Formation and Maintenance in Centronuclear Myopathies"
8:30 pm - 8:40 pmDiscussion
8:40 pm - 9:00 pmFeliciano Protasi (University G. D'Annunzio of Chieti, Italy)
"Store-Operated Calcium Entry (SOCE) in Skeletal Muscle: Where?"
9:00 pm - 9:10 pmDiscussion
9:10 pm - 9:25 pmMiyuki Nishi (Kyoto University, Japan)
"Novel SR Membrane Protein Mitsugumin 56"
9:25 pm - 9:30 pmDiscussion
Tuesday
7:30 am - 8:30 amBreakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pmCardiac EC Coupling Disorders: Pathophysiology and Therapeutics
Discussion Leader: Sandor Gyorke (The Ohio State University, USA)
9:00 am - 9:10 amIntroduction by Discussion Leader
9:10 am - 9:30 amNagomi Kurebayashi (Juntendo University, Japan)
"Contribution of Calcium-Induced Calcium Release to Calcium Homeostasis in Cells Expressing RyR2 with Disease-Associated Mutations"
9:30 am - 9:40 amDiscussion
9:40 am - 10:00 amWayne Chen (University of Calgary, Canada)
"Mechanisms and Treatment of Ryanodine Receptor-Linked Muscle Disorders"
10:00 am - 10:10 amDiscussion
10:10 am - 10:25 amErnst Niggli (University of Bern, Switzerland)
"Dystrophic Cardiomyopathy - Role of TRPV2 Channels"
10:25 am - 10:30 amDiscussion
10:30 am - 11:00 amCoffee Break
11:00 am - 11:20 amHector Valdivia (University of Michigan, USA)
"Natural Peptides as Antiarrhythmic Therapy in Ryanodine Receptor Channelopathies"
11:20 am - 11:30 amDiscussion
11:30 am - 11:50 amLong-Sheng Song (University of Iowa, USA)
"Junctophilin-2 Dysregulation and EC Coupling Disorder in Heart Failure"
11:50 am - 12:00 pmDiscussion
12:00 pm - 12:20 pmXander Wehrens (Baylor College of Medicine, USA)
"Ryanodine Receptor Dysregulation in Atrial Fibrillation"
12:20 pm - 12:30 pmDiscussion
12:30 pmLunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pmFree Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pmPoster Session
6:00 pmDinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pmRegulation of Cardiac EC Coupling
Discussion Leader: Heping Cheng (Peking University, China)
7:30 pm - 7:40 pmIntroduction by Discussion Leader
7:40 pm - 8:00 pmHenry Colecraft (Columbia University, USA)
"Molecular Determinants of L-Type Calcium Channel Targeting to Dyads"
8:00 pm - 8:10 pmDiscussion
8:10 pm - 8:30 pmBjorn Knollmann (Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, USA)
"Calmodulin: The Little Guy with a Big Punch in Cardiac Calcium Release"
8:30 pm - 8:40 pmDiscussion
8:40 pm - 9:00 pmDonald Bers (University of California, Davis, USA)
"Microdomain Calcium Signaling in Cardiac Myocytes"
9:00 pm - 9:10 pmDiscussion
9:10 pm - 9:30 pmPoster Previews
Wednesday
7:30 am - 8:30 amBreakfast
8:30 amGroup Photo
9:00 am - 12:30 pmSkeletal Muscle EC Coupling Disorders and Therapeutic Interventions
Discussion Leader: Paul Allen (University of California, Davis, USA)
9:00 am - 9:10 amIntroduction by Discussion Leader
9:10 am - 9:30 amHua Zhu (The Ohio State University Medical Center, USA)
"Regulation of Mitsugumin 29 Expression in Muscle Physiology and Diseases"
9:30 am - 9:40 amDiscussion
9:40 am - 10:00 amJingsong Zhou (Kansas City University, USA)
"The Role of Skeletal Muscle in the Neuromuscular Disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis"
10:00 am - 10:10 amDiscussion
10:10 am - 10:25 amGeorge Rodney (Baylor College of Medicine, USA)
"Targeting Src Kinase for the Treatment of Cardiac and Skeletal Muscle Dysfunction in the Mouse Model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy"
10:25 am - 10:30 amDiscussion
10:30 am - 11:00 amCoffee Break
11:00 am - 11:20 amAndrew Voss (Wright State University, USA)
"Excitation Defects in Huntington’s Disease Skeletal Muscle"
11:20 am - 11:30 amDiscussion
11:30 am - 11:50 amJames Dowling (University of Toronto Hospital for Sick Children, Canada)
"Novel Variant Analysis and Therapeutic Strategies for RyR1-Related Myopathies"
11:50 am - 12:00 pmDiscussion
12:00 pm - 12:20 pmAnna Buj Bello (Genethon, France)
"Therapeutic Approaches for Myotubular Myopathy"
12:20 pm - 12:30 pmDiscussion
12:30 pmLunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pmFree Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pmPoster Session
6:00 pmDinner
7:00 pm - 7:30 pmBusiness Meeting
Nominations for the Next Vice Chair; Fill in Conference Evaluation Forms; Discuss Future Site and Scheduling Preferences; Election of the Next Vice Chair
7:30 pm - 9:30 pmROS and RNS Regulation of EC Coupling
Discussion Leader: Cecilia Hidalgo (Universidad de Chile, Chile)
7:30 pm - 7:40 pmIntroduction by Discussion Leader
7:40 pm - 8:00 pmNatalia Shirokova (New Jersey Medical School / Rutgers University, USA)
"Origins and Consequences of Oxidative Stress in Dystrophic Cardiomyopathy"
8:00 pm - 8:10 pmDiscussion
8:10 pm - 8:30 pmChristopher Ward (University of Maryland School of Medicine, USA)
"The Cytoskeleton Is at Crossroads of X-ROS and RNS Signaling in Striated Muscle"
8:30 pm - 8:40 pmDiscussion
8:40 pm - 9:00 pmAna Ferreiro (Inserm, France)
"ROS and RNS Regulation of EC Coupling: On the Rocky Road to Translation"
9:00 pm - 9:10 pmDiscussion
9:10 pm - 9:25 pmBenjamin Prosser (University of Pennsylvania, USA)
"Detyrosinated Microtubules Bear Load and Transmit Mechanical Force in Cardiomyocytes"
9:25 pm - 9:30 pmDiscussion
Thursday
7:30 am - 8:30 amBreakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pmImpact of EC Coupling on Muscle Metabolism
Discussion Leader: Martin Schneider (University of Maryland School of Medicine, USA)
9:00 am - 9:10 amIntroduction by Discussion Leader
9:10 am - 9:30 amWang Wang (University of Washington, USA)
"Metabolic Regulation in Single Mitochondria of the Cardiac Muscle"
9:30 am - 9:40 amDiscussion
9:40 am - 10:00 amJohanna Lanner (Karolinska Institute, Sweden)
"Ca2+ and Oxidative Stress in Arthritis-Induced Muscle Weakness"
10:00 am - 10:10 amDiscussion
10:10 am - 10:25 amFilip Van Petegem (University of British Columbia, Canada)
"High-Resolution Crystal Structures of Ryanodine Receptor SPRY Domains Reveal a Critical Binding Determinant for FKBPs"
10:25 am - 10:30 amDiscussion
10:30 am - 11:00 amCoffee Break
11:00 am - 11:20 amMuthu Periasamy (The Ohio State University College of Medicine, USA)
"Sarcolipin Regulates Thermogenesis and Metabolism in Muscle"
11:20 am - 11:30 amDiscussion
11:30 am - 11:50 amSusan Hamilton (Baylor College of Medicine, USA)
"The Role of FKBP12 in Muscle Function and Energy Expenditure"
11:50 am - 12:00 pmDiscussion
12:00 pm - 12:20 pmKaryn Esser (University of Kentucky, USA)
"Circadian Rhythms and Molecular Clocks in Skeletal Muscle: Important Role in System Homeostasis"
12:20 pm - 12:30 pmDiscussion
12:30 pmLunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pmFree Time
4:00 pm - 5:30 pmPoster Session
5:30 pm - 7:30 pmKeynote Session: Mechanisms of Muscle Fatigue and Sarcopenia
Discussion Leader: Graham Lamb (La Trobe University, Australia)
5:30 pm - 5:40 pmIntroduction by Discussion Leader
5:40 pm - 6:00 pmBradley Launikonis (University of Queensland, Australia)
"Calcium Regulation at the Junctional Membranes of Fast- and Slow-Twitch Fibers"
6:00 pm - 6:10 pmDiscussion
6:10 pm - 6:30 pmLaszlo Csernoch (University of Debrecen, Hungary)
"How Alterations in SOCE Affect SR Calcium Release in Sarcopenia"
6:30 pm - 6:40 pmDiscussion
6:40 pm - 6:55 pmMarco Brotto (University of Missouri - Kansas City, USA)
"[Ca2+]o via SOCE Contributes to Mouse Skeletal Muscle Contractility: Influence of Age, Sex, and Muscle-Types"
6:55 pm - 7:00 pmDiscussion
7:00 pm - 7:20 pmDavid Glass (Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, USA)
"Signaling Changes Modulating Skeletal Muscle Mass and Function"
7:20 pm - 7:30 pmDiscussion
8:00 pmDinner
Friday
7:30 am - 8:30 amBreakfast
9:00 amDeparture

Contributors

Conference Links

Conference History Muscle: Excitation-Contraction Coupling (GRS)
Additional Fee Info

Calcium Signaling
June 30 - July 5, 2024
Cardiac Regulatory Mechanisms
June 23 - 28, 2024
Muscle: Excitation-Contraction Coupling (GRS)
May 31 - June 1, 2025
Myogenesis
June 8 - 13, 2025
Tissue Microstructure Imaging
July 13 - 18, 2025


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