The aim of this course is to give the students the basic knowledge of the molecular mechanisms concerning transmission, variation and expression of the genetic information.
-> Genetic information and informational molecules
General introduction and historical hints. The chemical structure of DNA and RNA. Three dimensional structure of DNA. Physico-chemical properties of DNA.
-> DNA, RNA and gene structure
Definition of gene coding and regulatory regions. From genes to proteins; messenger RNA, transfer RNA and ribosomal RNA.
-> Genome organization and evolution
DNA content and number of genes. Mutations, DNA rearrangement and genome evolution. The organelle genomes. Interrupted genes; introns. cDNA. Gene families and duplication. DNA repeats.
-> Transposable elements 1
Transposition mechanisms and control. Transposons.
-> Chromatin and chromosomes
Nucleosomes, histones and their modifications. Higher organization levels of chromatin. Heterochromatin and euchromatin. Eukaryotic chromosomes, telomeres and centromeres.
-> DNA replication
DNA polymerases. Proofreading activity of DNA polymerases. Replication mechanism in bacteria and eukaryotic cells.
-> Introns and RNA splicing
Features of spliceosomal introns. Spliceosome and splicing mechanism. Alternative splicing and trans-splicing. Other kinds of introns: group I and group II introns and tRNA introns. The intron movement. RNA editing. Ribozymes and riboswitch.
-> DNA mutation and repair
Spontaneous mutations and mutations caused by physical and chemical mutagens. Pre- and post-replicative repair systems. Recombination in the immunity system cells. Approaches to homologous recombination.
-> Regulation of gene expression 1
Eukaryotic promoters. Activators, repressors and coactivators. Gene expression and chromatin modifications. Epigenetic mechanisms.
Author | Title | Publisher | Year | ISBN | Note |
WATSON James D., BAKER Tania A., BELL Stephen P., GANN Alexander, LEVINE Michael, LOSICK Richard | Biologia molecolare del gene (Edizione 5) | Zanichelli | 2005 | 978-8808-17890-9 | |
ALLISON Lizabeth A. | Fondamenti di Biologia Molecolare | Zanichelli | 2008 | 978-8808-16622-7 | |
LEWIN Benjamin | IL GENE Edizione compatta | Zanichelli | 2006 | 978-8808-06877-4 | |
LEWIN Benjamin | Il Gene VIII | Zanichelli | 2006 | 978-8808-17902-9 | |
Harvey Lodish, Chris A. Kaiser, Anthony Bretscher, Angelika Amon, Arnold Berk, Monty Krieger, Hidde Ploegh and Matthew P. Scott | Molecular Cell Biology (Edizione 7) | Freeman | 2012 | 1464102325 |
Oral examination
******** CSS e script comuni siti DOL - frase 9957 ********p>