BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
Academic year and teacher
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- Versione italiana
- Academic year
- 2022/2023
- Teacher
- NICOLETTA BIANCHI
- Credits
- 10
- Didactic period
- Primo Semestre
Training objectives
- The main objectives are to provide students with the basis for understanding the chemical nature and structure of the constituents of living matter, the transformations of biomolecules, and the energy changes associated with them.
In the discussion of some topics of the program, the principles of the scientific method and of translational research will be presented.
Some topics will be updated according to the sex/gender approach.
The student will acquire the skills to understand and be able to describe the biochemical bases of biological systems and processes, the mechanisms and the different levels of control; the main metabolic pathways and their integrations:
- the metabolic role of the main biomolecules (sugars, lipids, amino acids, proteins, nucleic acids, and their derivatives);
- the mechanisms of metabolic energy production and the energetic and structural homeostasis of the living;
- metabolic interrelationships;
- the clinical relevance of metabolic abnormalities;
- the control mechanisms of gene expression in relation to the onset of pathologies. Prerequisites
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Modulo: 28122 - BIOLOGIA MOLECOLARE
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The students must have passed the exams in: Medical chemistry and Biochemisty 1.
Basic knowledge of biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, histology.
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Modulo: 47368 - BIOCHIMICA II
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The students must have passed the exams in: Medical chemistry and Biochemisty 1.
Basic knowledge of biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, histology Course programme
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Modulo: 28122 - BIOLOGIA MOLECOLARE
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NUCLEIC ACIDS: DNA replication and repair, genetic recombination (notes); transcription and maturation of RNA. Gene expression control in eukaryotes and prokaryotes (notes). Non-coding RNAs and ribozymes (notes).
PROTEINS: mechanism and regulation of protein synthesis; protein degradation.
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Modulo: 47368 - BIOCHIMICA II
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BIOENERGY: biological reactions, catabolism and anabolism. High energy compounds and ATP production mechanisms. Redox systems. Gradients across the membrane and transport mechanisms, cell signaling.
METABOLISM OF CARBOHYDRATES: metabolism of glucose and other sugars; glucose transporters and glucose control systems, glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, glycogenolysis and glycogenosynthesis, pentose phosphate pathway; fate of pyruvate, synthesis of Acetyl-CoA: the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. Cori cycle; Citric acid cycle. Oncometabolites: molecular basis of metabolic reprogramming of tumors (notes).
ELECTRON TRANSPORT AND OXIDATIVE PHOSPHORILATION: complexes of the respiratory chain; the mitochondrion: mitochondrial pathologies; ATP synthase, ATP and ADP transport. Shuttle systems. Thermogenin or uncoupling protein.
LIPID METABOLISM: intestinal transport and plasma lipid homeostasis. Mechanisms and biological significance of lipoprotein oxidation. Fatty acid oxidation. Ketone bodies. Biosynthesis of lipid and cholesterol (systems of genomic and non-genomic regulation); the LDL receptor. Pathologies associated with lipoprotein metabolism disorders (notes).
METABOLISM OF AMINO ACIDS: nitrogen metabolism; urea cycle and regulation; transamination; degradation and biosynthesis of amino acids and heme. Amino acid derivatives. Clinical significance (diagnostic and prognostic) of transaminases.
METABOLISM OF NUCLEOTIDES: purine and pyrimidine nucleotides: biosynthesis, degradation and regulation. Synthesis of deoxyribonucleotids
PROTEINS: mechanism and regulation of protein synthesis; protein degradation. Post-translational modifications. Molecular chaperons. Proteases. Immunoglobulins. The extracellular matrix. The coagulation cascade. Enzymatic methods used for diagnosis, enzyme deficiencies (notes). Abzymes.
METABOLISM INTEGRATION (CELLULAR AND TISSUE LEVELS): tissue-specific metabolism and metabolic interrelationships. Hormonal regulation. Mechanism of action of protein and steroid hormones. The meaning of the second messengers. Fasting-feeding cycle.
Topics will be treated with particular attention to sex and gender differences Didactic methods
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Modulo: 28122 - BIOLOGIA MOLECOLARE
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The course provides frontal lectures and online assisted teaching. The on-line teaching hours of moodle platform certification service consist in the deepening of some topics presented during the frontal lessons.
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Modulo: 47368 - BIOCHIMICA II
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The course provides frontal lectures and online assisted teaching. The on-line teaching hours of moodle platform certification service consist in the deepening of some topics presented during the frontal lessons. Learning assessment procedures
- The exam of the integrated course will be carried out through a written test consisting of 50 questions and lasting 60 minutes in the presence of teachers, the use of notes or books or multimedia supports is forbidden. Each question is formulated as multiple choice (5 options) regarding every educational goal as defined above.
Each question has the same score, and no penalty will be applied for wrong or missing answers. The exam mark is assigned in a scale out of thirty: 18/30 is the minimum for passing the exam, achieved by correctly answering to 27 questions out of 50, while 45 corrected answers are required to achieve 30/30; finally, the maximum mark 30 cum laude will be obtained by correctly answering to more than 45 questions.
Reference texts
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Modulo: 28122 - BIOLOGIA MOLECOLARE
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"I principi di Biochimica di Lehninger" di Nelson-Cox, Zanichelli
"Fondamenti di Biochimica" di Voet-Voet-Pratt, Zanichelli
"Biochimica" di Mathews, Van Holde, Appling, Anthony-Cahill, Piccin
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Modulo: 47368 - BIOCHIMICA II
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"I principi di Biochimica di Lehninger" di Nelson-Cox, Zanichelli
"Fondamenti di Biochimica" di Voet-Voet-Pratt, Zanichelli
"Biochimica" di Mathews, Van Holde, Appling, Anthony-Cahill, Piccin
