91Ó°¿â

O-GlcNAcylation in health and disease

July 10–13, 2025
JB Duke Hotel, Durham, N.C.

2024 marked the 40th anniversary of the discovery of protein O-GlcNAcylation. Since its discovery, the importance of post-translational protein O-GlcNAcylation has been recognized across diverse biomedical research areas. It plays a pivotal role in helping us understand how environmental factors impact signaling pathways and the onset of a range of diseases. This modification of proteins found in the nucleus, mitochondria and cytoplasm has far-reaching implications for governing cellular biology, including epigenetics, cell cycle regulation, proteostasis and more. Additionally, disruptions in O-GlcNAcylation are associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, neurological disorders and various forms of cancer.

Despite 40 years of research and over 15,000 substrates described to date, O-GlcNAcylation remains incompletely understood. Recent breakthroughs in identifying the specific functions of proteins and their connections to many diseases have positioned it as an emerging field with important implications for physiology and disease.

This meeting will draw experts from around the world to discuss the O-GlcNAc cycling enzymes and the O-GlcNAc modification in modulating protein function in basic biological processes as well as in disease states, including diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease and neurological diseases. Additionally, graduate and postdoctoral students will be selected for oral talks and have opportunities to discuss their work at poster sessions.

If you want to learn about O-GlcNAc, have just started working on this modification, want to find a collaborator for your next project, or learn the latest discovery in the field, this meeting is for you!

Important dates

May 12 Early registration deadline
May 23 Oral & poster abstract deadline
June 6 Regular registration deadline

Organizers

Duke University
Medical College of Wisconsin

Speakers

  • Emilyn Alejandro, University of Minnesota
  • John Hanover, National Institutes of Health
  • Olof Lagerlöf,&²Ô²ú²õ±è;±«³¾±ðÃ¥ University
  • Tony Lefebvre, University of Lille  
  • Billy Wai-Lung Ng, Chinese University of Hong Kong
  • Gulcin Pekkurnaz, University of California, San Diego
  • Tai-ping Sun, Duke University
  • Daan Van Aalten, Aarhus University
  • Lance Wells, University of Georgia
  • Melissa Westwood, University of Manchester
  • Xiaoyong Yang, Yale University

Sponsors

Registration

91Ó°¿âmembers will receive a $50 discount on their registration fee which will be applied during checkout. Not a member? Join ASBMB and save!

 
  Early registration
(by May 12)
Regular registration
(by June 6)
PI, industry or equivalent – Single Room $1,750 $1,800
PI, industry or equivalent – Double Room
(shared room with another meeting attendee)
$1,450 $1,500
PI, industry or equivalent – Commuter
(no lodging)
$1,150 $1,200
Trainee: Graduate student or postdoc – Single Room $1,250 $1,300
Trainee: Graduate student or postdoc – Double Room
(shared room with another meeting attendee)
$950 $1,000
Trainee: Graduate student or postdoc – Commuter
(no lodging)
$650 $700

NOTE: Registration is on a first come, first served basis and will remain open until capacity is reached. This may mean that the conference registration closes before the officially posted registration deadline. To secure your spot at the conference, we encourage you to register early.

What’s included

  • All sessions, poster sessions and meeting materials for the O-GlcNAcylation in health and disease conference.
  • Lodging for 3 nights (arriving on July 10, departing on July 13) at the .
    • Lodging can be single or double occupancy.
  • The following meals are included in your registration fee:
    • Daily refreshment breaks
    • Breakfast on July 11, 12 & 13
    • Lunch on July 11 & 12

Note: Lodging is not included in the commuter rates.

Registration changes

Registration changes will be accepted as space allows until June 6, 2025, and can be made by contacting meetings@asbmb.org.

Cancellation policy

Cancellations received in writing on or before June 6, 2025, are subject to a $100 processing fee. No refunds will be issued for cancellations after June 6 due to final guarantee commitments. Email meetings@asbmb.org and attach a copy of your meeting registration receipt/paid invoice to cancel your registration.

Location

The conference will be held at the JB Duke Hotel, 230 Science Drive, Durham, NC 27708.

Visas

All individuals traveling from outside of the United States should apply for a visa as soon as possible and at least four to five months prior to their date of travel.

  • The most up-to-date information about traveling to the U.S. can be found at the .
  • Scientists visiting the U.S. may find helpful information at the .
  • .

Please do not wait until you receive your registration confirmation before applying for a visa. We encourage you to apply for your visa right away if you are considering attending to avoid delays and longer than anticipated wait times.

If you need a letter of invitation for your visa process, please email meetings@asbmb.org.

  • Please include ‘LETTER OF INVITATION’ as the subject line of this email.
  • Body of email must include:
    • Your name as it appears on your passport
    • Your affiliation and mailing address
    • Best contact number and email address

Health and safety

Mask-wearing and other health and safety measures will be determined based on local, state and venue guidelines and will be communicated to attendees prior to the conference.

Program schedule

Thursday July 10
Friday July 11
Saturday July 12
Sunday July 13

Thursday agenda

3:00 PM - 7:45 PM

Name badge pickup

5:00 PM - 5:15 PM

Welcome and logistics

Michael Boyce, Duke University
Stephanie Olivier–Van Stichelen, Medical College of Wisconsin
5:15 PM - 6:45 PM

OGT-XLID

OGT-XLID: Then, now and when
Lance Wells, University of Georgia
Neurodevelopmental deficits in OGT-XLID
Daan Van Aalten, Aarhus University
Lived experiences: Patients at the heart of research
Andrey Skripkin, Cure OGT
6:45 PM - 9:30 PM

Welcome reception

Friday agenda

7:30 AM - 6:00 PM

Name badge pickup

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Continental breakfast

9:00 AM - 10:05 AM

O-GlcNAc enzymes I

O-GlcNAc cycling and epigenetics
John Hanover, National Institutes of Health
Multi-domain O-GlcNAcase structures reveal allosteric regulatory mechanisms
Sergio Bartual, Aarhus University
Exploring the effect of O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) variants on tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domain stability and substrate glycosylation
P. Andrew Chong, Hospital for Sick Children
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Coffee break

10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

O-GlcNAcylation in metabolism

O-GlcNAcylation: A crucial regulator of nutrient sensing and beta-cell dysfunction in type 2 diabetes
Emilyn Alejandro, University of Minnesota
Defining a regulatory switch between sugar and lipid metabolism in intestinal stem cells
Thomas Hartley McDermott, Arizona State University Tempe
Mealtime alters daily rhythm in nuclear O-GlcNAc proteome to regulate hepatic gene expression
Yao Cai, University of California, Davis
O-GlcNAcylation modifies AT1R signaling to promote vascular dysfunction in diabetes via ERK1/2 and calcium pathways
Julio Silva–Neto, Duke University
Glutamine metabolism through the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway functions as a metabolic switch controlling mesenchymal progenitor cell fate and heterotopic ossification
Heeseog Kang, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Lunch/Networking

1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

O-GlcNAcylation in cell signaling

TBD
Olof Lagerlöf, Umeå University
The sweet regulation of Ascl1 in neurogenesis
Joana Azevedo, University of Porto
Evolutionarily conserved temperature dependency leads to loss of protein O-GlcNAc in mammalian hypothermia
Divya Upadhyay, University of Helsinki
Dual-specificity RNA aptamers enable manipulation of target-specific O-GlcNAcylation and unveil functions of O-GlcNAc on β-catenin
Yi Zhu, Stanford University
Uncovering the epigenetic cross-talk of O-GlcNAcylation in centromere biology
Chandni Kumar, University of Munich
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM

Coffee break

3:00 PM - 4:35 PM

O-GlcNAc in disease etiology and treatment I

O-GlcNAcylation in metabolic physiology and disease
Xiaoyong Yang, Yale University
GATAD2B O-GlcNAcylation regulates breast cancer stem-like potential
Lauren Ball, Medical University of South Carolina
Investigating the role of O-GlcNAcylation and its associated cellular heterogeneity within Ewing Sarcoma cell lines
Wenchang Zhou, Rice University
Regulation of the pro-oncogenic enzyme Fatty Acid SyNthase (FASN) by O-GlcNAcylation in hepatic cells
Tony Lefebvre, University of Lille
4:45 PM - 6:30 PM

Poster reception

6:30 PM - 9:00 PM

Dinner on your own

Saturday agenda

7:45 AM - 4:00 PM

Name badge pickup

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Continental breakfast

9:00 AM - 10:05 AM

O-GlcNAc enzymes II

SPINDLY O-fucosylates nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins involved in diverse cellular processes in plants
Tai-ping Sun, Duke University
Photoactivatable O-GlcNAc transferase library enables covalent chemical capture of solvent-exposed TPR domain interactions
Cassandra Joiner, St. Olaf College
Defining the organization and functionality of OGT-containing multi-protein complexes
Melina Brunelli, University of California, San Diego
10:05 AM - 10:30 AM

Coffee break

10:30 AM - 11:55 AM

O-GlcNAc regulation of membrane proteins and organelles

Integrating organelle biogeography and metabolic cues via O-GlcNAcylation to regulate neuronal function
Gulcin Pekkurnaz, University of California, San Diego
Regulation of cardiomyocyte voltage-gated Na+ channels by intracellular O-linked glycosylation and the O-GlcNAc transferase OGT
Andrew Ednie, Wright State University
Temporal changes in protein O-GlcNAc from pressure overload cardiac hypertrophy (POH) within cellular compartments
Aaron Olson, University of Washington
Dynamic regulation of COPII function and collagen transport via site-specific O-GlcNAcylation of Sec24D
Tetsuya Hirata, Duke University
11:55 AM - 1:30 PM

Lunch and posters

1:30 PM - 2:45 PM

O-GlcNAc in disease etiology and treatment II

Abnormal protein O-GlcNAcylation contributes to dysregulated fibroblast function in localized scleroderma
Yan Wang, Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute
O-GlcNAcylation inhibition redirects the response of colon cancer cells to chemotherapy from senescence to apoptosis
Vanessa Dehennaut, University of Lille
Therapeutic targeting of the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway and O-GlcNAcylation in leiomyosarcoma
Joanna Przybyl, McGill University
Rhabdomyosarcoma oncofusion interactome designates O-GlcNAcylation as major contributor to oncogenesis
Seth Zimmerman, Duke University
2:45 PM - 5:00 PM

Best practices in O-GlcNAc workshop

Stephanie OlivierVan Stichelen, Medical College of Wisconsin
Chad SlawsonKansas University School of Medicine

This interactive workshop will focus on establishing and sharing best practices in the study of O-GlcNAcylation, from experimental design to data interpretation and reporting. Topics will include standardization of O-GlcNAc detection methods (Western blot, mass spectrometry and enrichment strategies), considerations for antibody validation and specificity, functional assays, selecting the appropriate models (cellular, animal or in vitro), troubleshooting common experimental pitfalls, ensuring data reproducibility and facilitating cross-lab comparisons, and adhering to publication standards. Participants are encouraged to bring questions, share experiences and discuss challenges they’ve encountered in O-GlcNAc research. The goal is to foster collaborative discussions and work toward community-agreed-upon standards that can enhance the rigor, reproducibility and impact of our collective research.

Outcomes from this workshop will be featured in a special issue of the journal Glycobiology.

5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Reception

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Dinner on your own

Sunday agenda

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Continental breakfast

9:00 AM - 10:15 AM

O-GlcNAc in reproductive health

O-GlcNAcylation at the maternal–fetal interface
Melissa Westwood, University of Manchester
Regulation of placental growth hormone expression by O-GlcNAcylation
Lilyanna Massman, Medical College of Wisconsin
O-GlcNAcylation in the testis: A metabolic checkpoint for male fertility
Martin Estermann, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
O-GlcNAc emerges as a pivotal post-translational modification in human sperm physiology
Karina Flores Montero, Institute of Histology and Embryology of Mendoza
10:15 AM - 10:45 AM

Coffee break

10:45 AM - 11:55 AM

Chemical tools to decipher O-GlcNAc function

Targeted protein O-GlcNAcylation with small molecules
Billy Wai-Lung Ng, Chinese University of Hong Kong
Aberrant glycosylation patterns in hyperglycemic diseases: tools and targets
Charlie Fehl, Wayne State University
Understanding O-GlcNAc biochemistry in human health and disease using synthetic protein chemistry
Matthew Pratt, University of Southern California
11:55 AM - 12:00 PM

Concluding remarks