The 2002 Lectures in Biology: Cell Signaling in Health and Disease
Molecular and Cell Signaling
On its way to becoming an organism a single cell makes neighbors, then
communities (tissues) and societies (organs). All these progressive
and cascaded transformations and differentiation's of a single genotype
into a multitude of morphological and metabolic phenotypes is the result
of, and depend on a myriad, of molecular and cellular "communications".
The cells receive them from their immediate chemical microenvironment
and from other cells nearby and afar. These communications comprise
the perception of chemical and/or physical perturbations (anthropomorphically
called signals) on or around these cells. And the cells respond to these
signals with signals of their own (by binding the chemical signal, by
production of new molecules, by changing their shape, etc). This signaling
is a dynamic and continuous process and the well being of the organism
is critically dependent on a delicate equilibrium of the "give
and take" of such signals. Departure from that equilibrium brings
various states of disharmony and disease.
Understanding the molecular and cellular basis of signaling is thus
of paramount importance to all aspects of life. This year’s Onassis
Lecture Series will address the phenomenon of signaling at
different levels of complexity reflected in the wide expertise of the
invited speakers.
Issues that will be addressed are:
- What constitutes a “biologically meaningful
signal” ? They come in all forms: Physical and chemical
“spikes” and gradients from temperature and/or pH fluctuations
to inorganic ions (e. g. Ca++) and complex organic molecules (e. g.
hormones).
- What is the first response to the appearance of
a signal ? It can be a binding to a receptor molecule, most
frequently first at the cell surface, but it can also be a re-arrangement
of the organization of an essential “target” macromolecule
(e.g.; the refolding and/or covalent modification of a protein).
- What happens after the initial signal has been “registered”
? Many things can happen! Most cells receive simultaneously
a multitude of signals and they respond with multiple reaction pathways.
Remember, the cell is in a dynamic state of a delicate equilibrium.
A single "push" from that equilibrium will lead to multiple
and diverse attempts to adjust to a new equilibrium.
- How signaling is “terminated” ?
Going through transitions, finally the cell will arrive at that state
of the “new equilibrium” that can either initiate new changes
(cascaded action) or, rarely, be an end state. Such states are reached
by several mechanisms (e.g., protein phosphorylation or glycosylation,
production of a second message, sequestration of the messenger, oligomerization
of effectors and/or targets, etc.).
- How is signaling at the cell surface “wired”
to the gene expression machinery ? If the signal is to change
the type and or level of genes “active” in a cell, it must
be transduced to the nucleus. Hormones and small “second messengers”
initiate and sustain these events. What are the pathways and the ways
of getting the job done?
- How such events influence cell differentiation
processes (e.g., neural development,) cell surface pattern recognition
and cell-cell adhesion. Attempts will be made to present cases of
diseases resulting from “failed signaling” and ways to correct
some of such diseases (e. g., congenital disorders of glycosylation,
etc.).
Ample time for discussions and “work-shop” sessions will be
available for the students to further develop issues that emanated from
the formal presentation; or new ideas that “sparked” in their
minds under the influence of the ambience of Crete, its culture and
its countryside.
Edmond Fischer
Prof. Em., University of Washington
Nobel Prize(1992) in Medicine
Ernesto Carafoli
Prof. Em., ETH Zurich and
Prof., University of Padua
Anastassios Economou
Assist. Prof., University of Crete/FORTH
Hudson Freeze
Prof., University of California San Diego
Director, Burnham Institute
E. N. Moudrianakis
Prof., Johns Hopkins University and
University of Athens
Vassilis Pachnis
Head, Molecular Neurobiology Division
The National Institute for Medical Research,London
Athanassios Papavassiliou
Prof., University of Patras
Jacques Pouyssegur Director, Institute of Signaling ,CNRS,Nice
| Monday 8 July | 09:15 - 9:45 | R e g i s t r a t i o n |
| | 09:45 - 10:00 | Welcome speech
by E.N. Economou |
| |
10:00 - 11:15 |
"Cell regulation by protein
Phosphorylation : A Historical Overview"
by
Eddy
Fischer |
| |
11:15 - 11:30
|
B r e a k |
| |
11:30 - 12:45 |
"Calcium
Signaling : A Tale Without Ends" by
Ernesto
Carafoli |
| |
12:45 - 13:00
|
B r e a k |
| |
13:00 - 14:15 |
"Calcium
Signaling : A Tale Without Ends " continued |
 |
| Tuesday 9 July |
09:30 - 10:45 |
"How Proteins Speak With One Another"
by
Eddy
Fischer |
| |
10:45 - 11:00 |
B r e a k |
| |
11:00 - 12:15
|
"MAP
Kinase Signaling - Fidelity and
Spatio - Temporal Control" by
Jacques
Pouyssegur |
| |
12:15 - 12:30
|
B r e a k |
| |
12:30 - 13:45
|
"Molecular Bases of Angiogenesis
- MAP kinase and Hypoxia Signaling"
by
Jacques
Pouyssegur |
|
| Wednesday 10 July |
09:30 - 10:45
|
"Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases: A Different World" by Eddy Fischer
|
| |
10:45 - 11:00
|
B r e a k |
| |
11:00 - 12:15 |
"regulation of Gene
Expression through Transcription
Factor Phosphorylation" by
Athanasios
Papavassiliou |
| |
12:15 - 12:30
|
B r e a k |
| |
12:30 - 13:45 |
" regulation of Gene Expression
through Transcription Factor Phosphorylation " continued |
| |
20:00
|
"Basic Biomedical research at the
Dawn
of a New Century " by
Eddy
Fischer
PUBLIC LECTURE |
|
| Thursday 11 July |
09:30 - 10:45 |
"Protein Glycosylation and Human
Disease" by Hudson Freeze |
| |
10:45 - 11:00 |
B r e a k |
| |
11:00 - 12:15 |
"Protein Glycosylation and Human
Disease " continued |
| |
12:15 - 12:30 |
B r e a k |
| |
12:30 - 13:45 |
"Trafficking
of Membrane and Secretory Proteins" by
Tassos
> Economou |
| |
13:45 - 14:45 |
L u n c h B r e a k |
| |
14:45 - 16:00 |
"Trafficking of Membrane and Secretory Proteins" continued |
|
| Friday 12 July |
09:30 - 10:45 |
"Cell signaling in the Developing
Nervous System" by
Vassilis
Pachnis |
| |
10:45 - 11:00 |
B r e a k |
| |
11:00 - 12:15 |
"Cell signaling in the Developing
Nervous System" continued |
| | 12:15 - 12:30 | B r e a k |
| |
12:30 - 13:45 |
"Summary of the Lectures-Suggestions" by Van Moudrianakis (+ Audience) |
| |
|
