5^th World Congress on Epigenetics and Chromosome November 15-16, 2018 Istanbul, Turkey

Biography:

Samantha Gooden has completed her Graduation in Marketing and Entrepreneurship and Post-Graduation at Harvard University, USA in Sustainability Leadership. She is a serial entrepreneur and the CEO of Scotch Bonnet Ltd., Trinidad and Tobago with over 20 years of experience in marketing, communications, telecommunications and broadcasting throughout over 15 countries. Her background in Medical Technology forms that foundation for her as an author, speaker, lecturer and trainer who enjoys travelling.

Abstract:

Biography:

Indraneel (Neel) Mittra is Ernest Borges Chair in Translational Research and Professor Emeritus Department of Surgical Oncology, Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai. He has obtained his Medical Degree from University of Delhi, is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and holds a PhD degree from University of London. He has completed his Post-doctoral research with Dr. Renato Dulbecco, Nobel Laureate, at the Imperial Cancer Research Laboratories in London. His current research interests are in the area of biology of extracellular nucleic acids and their role in ageing, inflammation, degenerative disorders and initiation and meta-statis of cancer. He has published in high impact journals such as Nature, Cell, Lancet and Br Med J. He is a Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy and Indian Academy of Sciences.

Abstract:

Biography:

Emine KandemiÅŸ has completed her B.Sc. at Haliç University, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics and had her Master’s and PhD degrees at Dokuz Eylül University, Department of Medical Biology and Genetics. He is a Faculty Member at BahçeÅŸehir University, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics since 2017. His research mainly focuses on cancer, stem cells and lncRNAs.

Abstract:

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is a subgroup of non-coding RNAs and lncRNAs can regulate gene expression. LncRNAs have different lengths (≥200 bp). There is limited information about these lncRNAs. Recent studies showed that they play crucial roles during carcinogenesis. LncRNAs regulate gene expression by Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) in various biological processes, such as cell motility, cell proliferation, cell differentiation and cell invasion. PRC2 is composed of enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), suppressor of zetse 12 (SUZ12) and embryonic ectoderm development (Eed) and catalyzes H3K27 trimethylation (H3K27me3). EZH2 is the catalytic component of PRC2 and is frequently overexpressed in human cancers. Some lncRNAs, such as MALAT1, HOTAIR, TUG1, LINC01133 epigenetically regulate gene expression through binding to PRC2 during carcinogenesis. MALAT1 can bind with EZH2 and this interaction promotes gastric cancer cellular migration and invasion. Also MALAT1 promotes osteosarcoma metastasis through interacting with EZH2. HOTAIR interacts with PRC2 and induces breast cancer cell invasion. On the other hand TUG1 could affect cell proliferation by binding to PRC2 in human non-small cell lung cancer and TUG1 positively correlated with gastric cancer invasion. Knockdown of LINC01133 in non-small cell lung cancer cells decreased cell migration and invasion by interacting with PRC2. Carcinogenesis is a very complex phenomenon and is highly affected by epigenetic modifications. Cell invasion is the most common process for cancer development. It is reported that lncRNAs can interact with PRC2 and they can induce cell invasion through epigenetic alterations. We suggest that these lncRNAs can be used for inhibition of cancer cell invasion and thus, they can provide new alternatives to cancer treatment.

Biography:

Berna Demircan has received her PhD Degree from Medical Biochemistry, Ataturk University, Turkey. She has completed her Postdoctoral training in Florida University and New York Columbia University-Cancer Research Center, USA. Her current research interest includes cancer epigenetics, particularly DNA methylation and microRNAs. She has publications and book chapters on her research field. Currently, she has been working as an Associate Professor at Istanbul Medeniyet University in Istanbul, Turkey.

Abstract:

Epigenetic changes play an important role in the pathogenesis of gliomas and have the potential to become clinically useful biomarkers. The aim of our study was the evaluation of the profile of promoter methylation of RASSF1, MGMT, PTEN and SOCS3 genes based on their expected diagnostic and/or prognostic value. Pyrosequencing (PSQ) was used to assess the methylation status of RASSF1A, MGMT, PTEN and SOCS3 genes in a subset of 40 glioma tumors of different grades. RASSF1A was most frequently methylated (p<0.05), whereas SOCS3 was methylated to a lesser extent. The methylation status of RASSF1 was not correlated with tumor grade of patients. There were no statistically significant differences between the healthy control and patients with respect to promoter methylation levels of MGMT and PTEN. Our results suggested that RASSF1A gene might serve as an epigenetic biomarker in glioma. It also gives us an insight for future glioma medical therapy with a demethylating agent.

Biography:

Ol’ha O Brovarets has received her BSc (2008) and MSs (2009) degrees with honors in Physics at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine. In 2011 year she defended her PhD thesis and in 2015, DrSci thesis. She has obtained a Senior Researcher Academic Title in 2013. She is currently working as a Professor at the Department of Pharmacology, Bogomolets National Medical University. She has received Scopus Award Ukraine 2016 and Leader of the Science in Ukraine Web of Science Award 2016. She has published more than 120 scientific works.

Abstract:

For the first time we have explored the structural diversity of the biologically-important guanine∙cytosine (G∙C) DNA base pairs - reverse Watson-Crick G*∙C*(rWC), Hoogsteen G*_O6∙C*(H) and reverse Hoogsteen G*_O6·C*(rH) mispairs using quantum-mechanical calculations at the MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ//B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level of QM theory in the continuum with ε=1 under normal conditions in combination with Bader's Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules (QTAIM). It was theoretically demonstrated that these rWC/H/rH base mispairs possess unique ability to perform tautomeric transition into the base pairs with wobble (w) geometry and vice versa through the intramolecular single proton transfer along the intermolecular H-bonds accompanied with the mutual shifting of the bases inside the base pair into the minor or major DNA grooves. We have established that rWC/H/rH↔w transitions lead both to the structural, so to the tautomeric changes of the base pairs. In each case these structurally-tautomeric transitions occur through two different pathways via the two transitions states (TSs) as tight G⁺∙C^- ion pairs. In the cases of the reverse Watson-Crick G*∙C*(rWC) and Hoogsteen G*_O6∙C*(H) base mispairs this tautomeric wobbling is preceded by the sequential double proton transfer along the intermolecular H-bonds. Moreover, formed wobble base mispairs are able to convert into their trans-conformers due to the rotation of the non-bonded OH or NH groups. All of the investigated G∙C DNA base pairs are tightly connected with each other through the number of reaction pathways due to the SPT or DPT, rWC/H/rH↔w or cys↔trans transitions.

Biography:

Mazhar Iqbal is a Lecturer of Biology since 20 years. He is delivering the lectures to Pre University students associated with Preston University and Greenwich University, Pakistan. He is also the author of the book Decode Your Brain, published by Amazon and enrolled as Research Scholar at Greenwich University, Pakistan.

Abstract:

Humans are migrating right from their origin. Human’s apparent features like skin, hair color, blood hemoglobin, and some other characteristics remained a hallmark for them before the continental drift. Climatic adaptations are challenging for humans from one part of the world to the other. An Asian woman in the mid-nineteenth century was capable to give birth to at least 18 to 20 children in her entire reproductive cycle. The third generations of those mothers are restricted to one child or nil. This alarming situation is more apparent in those, who moved to Europe from Asia. There is much room to investigate genetically that what made today's females not to have children. What jumping genes are involved in the current selection pressures? What evolutionary mutations took place in the neurons that females are denying their basic instinct.

Biography:

Nehir Ozdemir Ozgenturk has completed her PhD from Justus Liebieg Universitaet. She is currently working in Yildiz Technical University as an Associate Professor.

Abstract:

There is evidence that Calorie Restriction (CR) retards aging and extends median and maximal life span. In this study, RNA-Seq was performed from MMTV-TGF-α mice thymus tissue which was performed short-term Ad Libitum (AL), Chronic Calorie Restriction (CCR) and Intermittent Calorie Restriction (ICR) feeding patterns. Based on the GO analysis in the MGI, genes related to aging and oxidative stress were identified and gene expression profiles were investigated in AL, CCR and ICR data. In our RNA-Seq data, 150 genes were detected from 292 genes related to aging in the MGI data, while 300 of 380 genes from MGI data related to oxidative stress were detected. The gene expression difference between these three data was found to be significant. When we compare 150 gene expression levels of 292 genes related to aging from MGI data, it was found that the genes related to aging in AL, CCR and ICR RNA-Seq data had quite different expression levels between AL and CCR, CCR and ICR, but similar between AL and ICR. 300 of the 380 genes associated with oxidative stress, the gene expression in the CCR data was mostly different from the gene expression in AL and ICR data.

Biography:

Gülay Bulut has completed her Undergraduate study at Dokuz Eylül University, Department of Biomedical Sciences and had her Master’s and PhD Degrees at Dokuz Eylül University, Department of Medical Biology and Genetics. She had her Post-doctoral training at Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University (2006-2012). He is currently a faculty member at BahçeÅŸehir University (Istanbul, Turkey), Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics since 2012. His research is mainly on identification of novel protein-protein interactions in cellular signaling pathways and development of small molecule inhibitors targeting these protein interactions.

Abstract:

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancer types in the world. The two main subtypes of lung cancer are small cell and Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers (NSCLC). NSCLC accounts for 85-90% of lung cancer. Carcinogenesis is a multiple process including loss of cell-cell adhesion, extracellular matrix invasion, etc. These alterations affect the tumor tissue and tumor cell phenotype. Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is a common process for NSCLC, which is characterized by dramatic changes in epithelial cells. During EMT, expression levels of many transcription factors such as, Snail, Slug, ZEB1/2, Twist, E-cadherin, vimentin are affected. There are several genes that can be modified by epigenetic alterations during NSCLC. Epigenetic regulation can activate or repress gene expression and these dramatical changes affect EMT process of NSCLC. For example, histone acetylation activates SMAD2/3 gene, histone H3K27 methylation represses E-cadherin and some miRNAs, which are involved during the EMT process. Also histone H3K9 and H3K27 deacetylation repress E-cadherin gene expression. These studies showed that epigenetic regulations are very important for EMT in NSCLC. Especially, EMT changes cell phenotype and induces cell migration and invasion. Based on these data, determining epigenetic alterations during EMT can be a new target for therapy.

Biography:

Aslıcan Çakkalkurt is a Medical Doctor and has her expertise in Underwater and Hyperbaric Medicine and is interested primarily in patients and diseases that require increased tissue oxygenation. In addition to the conventional indications of hyperbaric oxygen therapy she has conducted researches about the relationship between cancer and hyperbaric oxygen. She is interested in Integrative Medicine and is experienced in ozonetherapy, phythotherapy, aromatherapy and medical coaching as well. She has many poster and oral presentations in different fields at national or international conferences. She is a yoga instructor and specifically interested in health issues where yoga could be effective. 

Abstract:

Yoga is a Hindu spiritual discipline which includes breath control, meditation, mindfulness and specific body postures. Besides its spiritual aspect, yoga has many beneficial effects on health and has the potential to be defined as a medical tool at the future. In the literature there are many studies and reviews which emphasize yoga’s effect and efficiency on mental health, physical fitness, cardiopulmonary conditions, metabolic, endocrine and musculoskeletal conditions and specific diseases such as epilepsy and cancer. Recently, the medical activity space of yoga has broadened with epigenetics. It is found that an 8 week yoga intervention, requiring at least weekly practice, is associated with some changes in immune protein and DNA methylation biomarkers. The yoga group demonstrated lower DNA methylation of the TNF region as a whole. DNA methylation, which is defined as the addition of methyl groups onto DNA, is an epigenetic mechanism that suppresses the expression of genes. Nowadays stress is often long term and pro-inflammatory gene expression can be persistent and has a great potential to cause physical and psychiatric health problems. So, today it is being mentioned explicitly that health benefits of yoga as a mind-body intervention begin at a molecular level and can change the reading of DNA. While refraining from dislodging this narrative, this paper centers upon the relationship between yoga and epigenetics. In this respect this article explores how yoga could change phenotype without any change in genotype.