BIOLOGIA MOLECOLARE
Academic Year 2024/2025 - Teacher: NUNZIO IRACIExpected Learning Outcomes
The main purpose, of this teaching course, is to provide students with the knowledge and stimulate the ability to understand the topics concerning macromolecules and the biological mechanisms that characterize them. Macromolecules, nucleic acids and proteins, will be studied from a structural and functional point of view. The biological mechanisms of DNA duplication, RNA transcription, protein translation and their associated regulatory mechanisms will be studied with the goal of understanding the flow of genetic information and the importance of its maintenance and control in the cell. The ability to apply the knowledge and understanding of students will emerge from the ability to discuss and participate in lectures dedicated to exercises and in-depth studies on the topics covered. In this context, thanks to the discussion with colleagues and with the teacher, students will be stimulated in their autonomy of judgment and communication skills. The ability to learn will be assessed through the discussion of students with the teacher during the lessons, the exercises and the final examination.
Course Structure
Frontal lectures.
Should teaching be carried out in mixed mode or remotely, it may be necessary to introduce changes with respect to previous statements, in line with the programme planned and outlined in the syllabus.
Required Prerequisites
Attendance of Lessons
Attendance of at least 70% of the lectures is mandatory, as required by the degree course in which the course is included.
Detailed Course Content
BIOLOGICAL ORGANIZATION. Cell structure and function. Difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. CELL ORGANIZATION. Structure and function of plasma membrane: membrane transport and cells communication. Cell compartmentalization: organization in specialized organells function as mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, peroxisomes, lysosomes. Cell structure and mobility: cytoskeleton and organization in microfilamentes, microtubules, intermediate filaments. CELL CYCLE. Mitosis and meiosis. Control system of cell cyle. Mechanisms of cell death. MACROMOLECULES STRUCTURE. Physico-chemical properties of nucleic acid. Structure, topology and conformation of DNA helix. Structure, function and RNA classification. Protein structure and post-translation. Macromolecules interactions. Carbohydrates and lipid biological role. GENOME AND GENE ORGANIZATION. DNA organization inside a cell. Eukaryotic chromatin structure. Biological significance of coding and non coding sequences of the genome. Features of prokaryotic and eukaryotic genes. DNA REPLICATION. General features. Specialization of DNA polymerases. Replication fork and DNA synthesis. Replication initiation, termination and regulation: comparison between prokaryotes and eukaryotes. DNA MUTATION AND DNA REPAIR. DNA damage, replication errors and repair mechanisms. DNA TRANSCRIPTION. Specialization of RNA polymerase. Transcription factors and promoters. Transcription initiation and termination: comparison between prokaryotes and eukaryotes. RNA processing: caping, polyA generation, splicing, editing. Spliceosome. SYNTHESIS OF PROTEINS. General features. The genetic code. Aminoacids and tRNA binding. Translation machinery: structure and function of tRNA and ribosome. Protein synthesis initiation, elongation and termination: comparison between prokaryotes and eukaryotes. GENE EXPRESSION REGULATION. Gene transcription initiation control by positive and negative regulators. Gene regulation mediated by RNAs. Prokaryotic gene regulation: operons, regulation of lysis/lysogeny in lambda phage. Eukaryotic gene regulation: enhancer, insulator, silencer, hystone modification, nucleosomes remodelling. MOLECULAR BIOLOGY TECHNIQUES. Electrophoresis. Cloning. PCR and real-time PCR, microarray, sequencing.
Textbook Information
1) Watson et al., Biologia molecolare del gene, 7 ed, Zanichelli
2) Alberts et al., Molecular Biology of the Cells, Garland Science.
Course Planning
| Subjects | Text References | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Componenti chimici della cellula: Importanza dei legami deboli e forti nei sistemi biologici | “Watson et al., Biologia molecolare del gene, 7 ed, Zanichelli |
| 2 | La struttura del DNA e dell’RNA: denaturazione e rinaturazione - struttura secondaria - topologia – le topoisomerasi | Watson et al., Biologia molecolare del gene, 7 ed, Zanichelli |
| 3 | Organizzazione del genoma procariotico | Watson et al., Biologia molecolare del gene, 7 ed, Zanichelli |
| 4 | Organizzazione dei genomi eucariotici: sequenze uniche e ripetute - esoni ed introni - livelli strutturali della cromatina (dal nucleosoma al cromosoma) e sua regolazione – assemblaggio dei nucleosomi - Duplicazione e segregazione dei cromosomi ( | Watson et al., Biologia molecolare del gene, 7 ed, Zanichelli |
| 5 | Replicazione del DNA: le DNA polimerasi - meccanismi della sintesi discontinua del DNA – selezione delle origini - terminazione della replicazione - differenze fra procarioti ed eucarioti | Watson et al., Biologia molecolare del gene, 7 ed, Zanichelli |
| 6 | Mutabilità e riparazione: i danni al DNA e i principali meccanismi di riparazione | Watson et al., Biologia molecolare del gene, 7 ed, Zanichelli |
| 7 | La trascrizione: le RNA polimerasi – la trascrizione nei procarioti – la trascrizione negli eucarioti - modalità di controllo della trascrizione - trasporto dell’RNA | Watson et al., Biologia molecolare del gene, 7 ed, Zanichelli |
| 8 | Lo splicing dell’RNA: la reazione di splicing – lo spliceosoma – lo splicing alternativo | Watson et al., Biologia molecolare del gene, 7 ed, Zanichelli |
| 9 | La traduzione: gli RNA messaggeri – gli RNA transfer (struttura e basi modificate) – le amminoacil-tRNA sintetasi – il ribosoma – inizio della traduzione – allungamento – terminazione – i fattori di trascrizione - differenze fra eucarioti e procarioti | Watson et al., Biologia molecolare del gene, 7 ed, Zanichelli |
| 10 | Il codice genetico: la degenerazione – l’universalità – mutazioni puntiformi – mutazioni soppressore | Watson et al., Biologia molecolare del gene, 7 ed, Zanichelli |
| 11 | Principali meccanismi di regolazione dell’espressione genica nei procarioti e negli eucarioti | Watson et al., Biologia molecolare del gene, 7 ed, Zanichelli |
| 12 | Principali tecniche di biologia molecolare | Watson et al., Biologia molecolare del gene, 7 ed, Zanichelli |
Learning Assessment
Learning Assessment Procedures
Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises
What is protein synthesis?
How is DNA replicated?