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Host-Parasite Interactions, Biology of
June 22-27, 2008
Salve Regina University
Newport, RI
Chair:
Elisabetta Ullu

Vice Chair:
Artur Scherf

The 2008 Host-parasite Interactions GRC conference will focus on the latest findings on the biology of protozoan parasites and their vectors, with special emphasis on human and animal diseases such as (but not limited to) malaria, toxoplasmosis, African and American trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, trichomoniasis, giardiasis and entamoebiasis. The aim of the meeting is to bring together scientists from a variety of disciplines in order to define the current state of this dynamic field and to discuss and set future research agendas. GRCs offer the unique opportunity to get together senior and junior investigators to present their latest findings in a friendly and open atmosphere. The success of this meeting would be considerably strengthened by the participation of students and post-docts who are strongly encouraged to apply. We are making a special effort to obtain funds to provide individuals from endemic countries with travel awards.

Contributors
The Chair and Vice Chair would like to thank the GRC Office for their help in setting up this conference, particularly Lara Mercer, Beth Wheeler, Deborah Luz, Diana McLaughlin, and Holly Tobin, and the local GRC and Salve Regina staff.

This meeting was made possible by the generous support of the following organizations:

GORDON RESEARCH CONFERENCES
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
BURROUGHS WELLCOME FOUNDATION
THE BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION
BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM INTERNATIONAL
THE GRC CARL STORM UNDERRPRESENTED MINORITY FELLOWSHIP
THE GRC CARL STORM INTERNATIONAL DIVERSITY FELLOWSHIP
SCYNEXIS, INC
ELSEVIER B.V.
SANHORIAL INC
SUNDAY
2:00 pm - 11:00 pmArrival and Check-in
6:00 pmDinner
7:30 pm - 7:40 pmWelcome / Introductory Comments by GRC Site Staff
7:40 pm - 9:30 pm HIJACKING THE HOST CELL
Discussion Leader: David Sibley (Washington University, St. Louis, USA)
7:40 pm - 8:00 pmDavid Sibley (Washington University, USA)
"Introduction and invasion and virulence in Toxoplasma"
8:00 pm - 8:05 pm Discussion
8:05 pm - 8:25 pmVictor Nussenzweig (New York University, USA)
"Plasmodium circumsporozoite protein promotes the development of the liver stages of the parasite"
8:25 pm - 8:30 pm Discussion
8:30 pm - 8:50 pmHerb Tanowitz (Albert Einstein College of Medicine, USA)
"Modulation of Trypanosoma cruzi infection by endothelin and thromboxane"
8:50 pm - 8:55 pm Discussion
8:55 pm - 9:05 pm Dirk Dobbelaere (University of Bern, Switzerland)
"Theileira hijacks mitotic kinases to synchronise host and parasite cytokinesis"
9:05 pm - 9:15 pm Vernon Carruthers (Michigan University, USA)
"A perforin-like protein is required for rapid cell egress by Toxoplasma gondii"
9:15 pm - 9:30 pm Discussion
MONDAY
7:30 am - 8:30 amBreakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pm EPIGENETICS AND GENE EXPRESSION
Discussion Leader: Gloria Rudenko (Oxford University, UK)
9:00 am - 9:20 amGloria Rudenko (Oxford University, UK)
"Introduction and control of gene transcription in African trypanosomes"
9:20 am - 9:30 am Discussion
9:30 am - 9:50 amArthur Günzl (University of Connecticut, Farmington, USA)
"The Trypanosoma brucei class I transcription machinery required for the expression of variant surface glycoprotein and procyclin"
9:50 am - 10:00 am Discussion
10:00 am Coffee Break / Group Photo
10:30 am - 10:50 amDavid Mirelman (Weizman Institute, Israel)
"Epigenetic transcriptional silencing of multiple genes in Entamoeba histolytica"
10:50 am - 11:00 am Discussion
11:00 am - 11:20 amKirk Deitsch (Weill Cornell Medical College, NY, USA)
"Cellular memory and mutually exclusive expression of virulence genes in Plasmodium falciparum"
11:20 am - 11:30 am Discussion
11:30 am - 11:40 am Miguel Navarro (Spanish National Research Council)
"RNA Pol II subunit Rpb7 Is required for RNA Pol I mediated transcription in Trypanosoma brucei"
11:40 am - 11:50 am Luisa Figueiredo (The Rockefeller University, NY, USA)
"A histone methyltransferase modulates antigenic variation in African trypanosomes"
11:50 am - 12:00 pm Discussion
12:00 pm -12:10 pm Jose-Juan Lopez-Rubio (Institut Pasteur, Paris, France)
"Genome-wide histone mark analysis reveals a link between the nuclear architecture of P. falciparum and the restricted use of repressive h3k9me3 histone marks to immune escape genes"
12:10 pm - 12:20 pm Sergio Schenkman (Universidade Federal De Sao Paulo, Brazil)
"Nuclear association of acetylated forms of Trypanosoma cruzi histone H4 with transcription, replication and DNA repair machineries"
12:10 pm - 12:20 pm Discussion
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 pm PARASITE DEVELOPMENT
Discussion Leader: Steve Beverley (Washington University, USA
7:30 pm - 7:50 pmStephen Beverley (Washington University, USA)
"Introduction and molecular approaches to differentiation and virulence in Leishmania"
7:50 pm - 8:00 pm Discussion
8:00 pm - 8:20 pmAndrew Waters (Glasgow University, UK)
"The Silence of the Gams"
8:20 pm - 8:30 pm Discussion
8:30 pm - 8:50 pmKeith Matthews (Edinburgh University, UK)
"Regulating the life cycle of African trypanosomes"
8:50 pm - 9:00 pm Discussion
9:00 pm - 9:10 pm Daniella Bartholomeu (Federal University Of Minas Gerais, Brazil)
"Expression profile of mucin-associated surface protein (MASP) gene family of Trypanosoma cruzi"
9:10 pm - 9:20 pm Scott Landfear (Oregon Health & Science University, USA)
"Amplification of an alternate transporter gene suppresses the a virulent phenotype of glucose transporter null mutants in Leishmania Mexicana"
9:20 pm - 9:30 pm Discussion
TUESDAY
7:30 am - 8:30 amBreakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pm INVASION AND ORGANELLE BIOGENESIS
**NOTE**:
Please go to the State Dining Room in the Ochre Court Building for this morning's session ONLY.
Discussion Leader: Dominique Soldati (University of Geneva, Switzerland)
9:00 am - 9:20 amDominique Soldati (University of Geneva, Switzerland)
"Introduction and the role of specialized organelles in establishment of parasitism"
9:20 am - 9:30 am Discussion
9:30 am - 9:50 amKeith Gull (Oxford University, UK)
"The flagellar pocket of trypanosomatids - cellular design for pathogenicity"
9:50 am - 10:00 am Discussion
10:00 am Coffee Break
10:30 am - 10:50 amBoris Striepen (University of Georgia, Athens, USA)
"Biogenesis and function of the apicomplexan plastid"
10:50 am - 11:00 am Discussion
11:00 am - 11:20 amAdrian Hehl (University of Zürich, Switzerland)
"Organelle neogenesis and regulated secretion in Giardia lamblia"
11:20 am - 11:30 am Discussion
11:30 am - 11:40 am Chris De Graffenried (Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Vienna, Austria)
"Polo-like kinase is required for Golgi and bi-lobe biogenesis in Trypanosoma brucei"
11:40 am - 11:50 am Ira Blader (University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, USA)
"Host siRNA screening identifies a critical role for host microtubules in Toxoplasma gondii invasion"
11:50 am - 12:00 pm Discussion
12:00 pm - 12:10 pm Steve Matthews (Imperial College London, UK)
"New structural insights into microneme protein assembly and host cell recognition by apicomplexans"
12:10 pm - 12:20 pm Polya Vutova (Karolinska Institute, Sweden)
"Turning a dendritic cell into a trojan horse - modulation of host cell motility by the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii"
12:20 pm - 12:30 pm Discussion
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 pm THE PARASITE RNA WORLD
Discussion Leader: Shulamit Michaeli (Bar-Ilan University, Israel)
7:30 pm - 7:50 pmShulamit Michaeli (Bar-Ilan University, Israel)
"Introduction and RNA biology in trypanosomes"
7:50 pm - 8:00 pm Discussion
8:00 pm - 8:20 pmIsabel Roditi (University of Bern, Switzerland)
"Posttranscriptional regulation in Trypanosoma brucei: a new role for an ancient protein superfamily?"
8:20 pm - 8:30 pm Discussion
8:30 pm - 8:50 pmBarbara Papadopoulou (Laval University, Canada)
"Stage-regulated gene expression in the protozoan parasite Leishmania"
8:50 pm - 9:00 pm Discussion
9:00 pm - 9:10 pm Vivian Bellofatto (New Jersey Medical School-Umdnj, USA)
"A novel HIT- domain protein hydroylzes m7Gpppm662’A, which Is a trypanosome-specific hypermethylated cap structure"
9:10 pm - 9:20 pm Kristin Patrick (Yale University, New Haven, USA)
"A nuclear Dicer-Like protein (Dcl2) processes repeat-derived siRNAs in the Trypanosoma brucei RNA interference pathway"
9:20 pm - 9:30 pm Discussion
WEDNESDAY
7:30 am - 8:30 amBreakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pm BIOCHEMISTRY AND DRUG DISCOVERY
Discussion Leader: Margaret Phillips (University of Texas South Western, USA)
9:00 am - 9:20 amMargaret Phillips (University of Texas South Western, USA)
"Introduction and targeting novel parasite biochemistry for drug discovery"
9:20 am - 9:30 am Discussion
9:30 am - 9:50 amDan Goldberg (Washington University, USA)
"Determining essentiality and function of a plasmodium protein"
9:50 am - 10:00 am Discussion
10:00 am Coffee Break
10:30 am - 10:50 amPaul Wyatt (Dundee University, UK)
"Discovery of drugs for African sleeping sickness in an academic setting"
10:50 am - 11:00 am Discussion
11:00 am - 11:20 amRobert Jacobs (SCYNEXIS)
"Advanced screening and drug discovery methodologies applied to human African trypanosomiasis"
11:20 pm - 11:30 am Discussion
11:30 am - 11:40 amAbdoulaye Djimde (Malaria Research Centre, Bamako, Mali)
"Host determinants of the clearance of drug resistant malaria parasites"
11:40 am - 11:50 am Discussion
11:50 am - 12:00 pm Utpal Tatu (Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India)
"Molecular chaperones in Plasmodium falciparum: heat-shock protein 90"
12:00 pm - 12:10 pm Alberto Gimenez (Institute for Pharmaceutical and Biochemical Research, La Paz, Bolivia)
"Traditional medicine a reliable source for new natural antiparasitic agents"
12:10 pm - 12:20 pm Enock Matovu (Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda)
"Difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) relapses amongst late-stage T. b. gambiense patients treated at Omugo Health Center, Northwest Uganda"
12:20 pm - 12:30 pm Discussion
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 out Conference Evaluation Forms; Discuss future Site & Scheduling preferences; Election of the next Vice Chair)
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm INTERFACING FUNCTION AND GENOMICS
Discussion Leader: David Roos (Pennsylvania University, Philadelphia, USA)
7:30 pm - 7:50 pmDavid Roos (Pennsylvania University, Philadelphia, USA)
"Introduction and integrating ‘Omics’ datasets"
7:50 pm - 8:00 pm Discussion
8:00 pm - 8:20 pmDyann Wirth (Harward University, USA)
"Genetic diversity in Plasmodium falciparum: role in parasite biology and drug resistance"
8:20 pm - 8:30 pm Discussion
8:30 pm - 8:50 pmMichael Barrett (Glasgow University, UK)
"Trypanosome metabolomics"
8:50 pm - 9:00 pm Discussion
9:00 pm - 9:10 pm Gerald Spaeth (Pasteur Institute, Paris, France)
"Identification of a foldosome complex in Leishmania donovani by quantitative phosphoproteomics and 2D blue native PAGE"
9:10 pm - 9:20 pm Igor Almeida (University of Texas at El Paso, USA)
"GPIomics of Trypanosoma cruzi reveals the cell surface complexity"
9:20 pm - 9:30 pm Discussion
THURSDAY
7:30 am - 8:30 amBreakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pm VECTOR BIOLOGY
Discussion Leader: José Ribeiro (National Institutes of Health, USA)
9:00 am - 9:20 amJosé Ribeiro (National Institutes of Health, USA)
"Vector parasite relationship in the post genome era: perspectives and challenges"
9:20 am - 9:30 am Discussion
9:30 am - 9:50 amSerap Aksoy (Yale University, USA)
"Tsetse reproductive fitness compromised by immunogenic trypanosome infections and its potential impact on disease dynamics"
9:50 am - 10:00 am Discussion
10:00 am Coffee Break
10:30 am - 10:50 amJesus Valenzuela (National Institutes of Health, USA)
"A multidisciplinary approach to understand the role of vector proteins in pathogen transmission"
10:50 am - 11:00 am Discussion
11:00 am - 11:20 amKenneth Vernick (Pasteur Institute, France)
"Genome-wide functional dissection of natural pathogen resistance in Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes"
11:20 am - 11:30 am Discussion
11:30 am - 11:40 amMamadou Coulibaly (Malaria Research Center, Bamako, Mali)
"Impact of Plasmodium falciparum infection on reproduction in M and S molecular forms of Anopheles gambiae"
11:40 am - 11:50 am Discussion
11:50 am - 12:00 pm Felipe Lopes (Federal University Rio De Janeiro, Brazil)
"Parasite-derived glycoconjugates down-regulate insect nitric oxide synthase expression and salivary antihemostatic activities"
12:00 pm - 12:10 pm Anil Ghosh (Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA)
"What a peptide taught us about Plasmodium invasion of the mosquito midgut"
12:10 pm - 12:30 pm Discussion
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 pm FRONTIERS IN PARASITE IMAGING
Discussion Leader: Markus Engstler (Darmstadt University of Technology, Germany)
7:30 pm - 7:50 pmMarkus Engstler (Darmstadt University of Technology, Germany)
"Expensive details: does parasitology really benefit from cutting-edge imaging?"
7:50 pm - 8:00 pm Discussion
8:00 pm - 8:20 pmUte Frevert (New York University, USA)
"From the skin via the liver to the brain: imaging Plasmodium in the vertebrate host"
8:20 pm - 8:30 pm Discussion
8:30 pm - 8:50 pmThomas Cremer (Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Martinsried, Germany)
"Chromosome territories and nuclear organization: structural, functional and evolutionary aspects"
8:50 pm - 9:00 pm Discussion
9:00 pm - 9:10 pm Bamini Jayabalasingham (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA)
"Plasmodium sporozoites on the verge of an organellar breakdown"
9:10 pm - 9:20 pm Pascale Gueirard (Pasteur Institute, Paris, France)
"Complete development of mammal-infecting plasmodia in the skin of the host"
9:20 pm - 9:30 pm Discussion
FRIDAY
7:30 am - 8:30 amBreakfast
9:00 amDeparture
The project described was supported by Grant Number R13AI078543 from the National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases or the National Institutes of Health.
 
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