Università degli Studi di Roma "Tor Vergata"

DESCRIPTION OF TEACHING MODULE: The course is oriented towards the description of the structure, function and properties of the main classes of biomolecules: proteins, carbohydrates and lipids.

REFERENCES: Principles of Biochemistry, fifth edition Lehninger, Nelson DL, Cox MM

DESCRIPTION OF TEACHING MODULE: The course is divided in four parts: maintenance of the genome, genome expression, regulation of genome expression and molecular biology methodologies. Maintenance of the genome: Structures of DNA and RNA, genome structure, chromatin and nucleosome, replication of DNA, mutability and repair of DNA, homologous recombination at the molecular level site-specific recombination. Genome expression: Mechanism of transcription, RNA splicing, translation, the genetic code. Regulation of genome expression: Transcriptional regulation in prokaryotes and in eukaryotes, regulatory RNAs. Methods: DNA and RNA electrophoresis, hybridization, restriction enzymes and cloning techniques, oligonucleotides synthesis, PCR, EMSA, chromatin immunoprecipitation, DNA sequencing, gene array.

DIDACTIC MATERIALS: 1) Text book: Molecular Biology of the Gene, Watson, Baker, Bell, Gann, Levine, Losick. Pearson International Edition. 2) Scientific seminars on different molecular biology topics organized every year in which the students are invited.

DESCRIPTION OF TEACHING MODULE: The course is divided in several parts, including: genome expression, translation, genetic code, regulation of genome expression and molecular biology methodologies. In details: 1. Regulation of genome expression: RNA polymerases and the transcription cycle in general; transcription in prokaryotes and in eukaryotes; promoters and responsive elements; transcription mediated by RNApolymerase I and III. The chemistry of RNA splicing; different type of splicing; alternative splicing; exon shuffling; RNA editing and mRNA transport from nucleus to cytosol. 2. Translation and genetic code: tRNA structure; tRNA loading with amino acids; ribosome in eukaryotes and prokaryotes; initiation, elongation and termination of the translation; regulation of translation. Roles that govers the genetic code; degeneration of the code. 3. Regulation of genome expression: transcription regulation in prokaryotes and eukaryotes; conserved mechanisms of transcription regulation from yeast to mammals; transcriptional activators; signal integration and combinatorial control, transcriptional repressors; modifications of histones and DNA; epigenetic regulation. 4. Non-coding RNA and their regulatory functions: regulation by RNAs in bacteria; RNA interference; microRNA biogenesis and their functions; regulatory RNAs and X-inactivation; other non-coding RNA and their regulatory functions (uc.RNA, lncRNA). 5. Methods: DNA and RNA electrophoresis, hybridization, restriction enzymes and cloning techniques, oligonucleotides synthesis, PCR, EMSA, chromatin immunoprecipitation, DNA sequencing, gene array.

DIDACTIC MATERIALS: 1) Text book: Molecular Biology of the Gene, Watson, Baker, Bell, Gann, Levine, Losick. Pearson International Edition. 2) Scientific seminars on different molecular biology topics organized every year in which the students are invited. REFERENCES: Molecular Biology of the Gene, Watson, Baker, Bell, Gann, Levine, Losick. Pearson International Edition.