GENERAL AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY

Single discipline educational activity

Course Sheet

Academic Year of enrolment:

2016/2017

Academic Year of provision:

2016/2017

Type of Course:

Basic

Degree:

Bachelor's Degree Programme in BIOTECHNOLOGIES

Disciplinary Sector:

Applied Biology

Language:

Italian

Grouping type:

Credits:

Programme Year:

Professor and Collaborators:

ZOPPI Nicoletta Professor

Cycle:

First semester

Hours of classroom activity:

Hours of individual study:

Basic know-how in cell and tissue biology

Educational Goals

The students will be acquainted with basic notions on the molecular and cellular structure of living beings which will allow the comprehension of biological mechanisms, with a focus on the genetic information conservation and expression in different embryonic and adult cells. Introduce students to historical experiments which allowed the comprehension of macromolecules function and interactions in biological processes.
Introduce students to the basic experimental methodologies for the analysis of molecules and, in particular, of protein either purified or organized in cellular structures.

Content

General Biology
Cell Biology
Regulation of gene expression
Cell Development
The biology central dogma. DNA, RNA, Proteins structure and function.
* RNA synthesis. The transcription unit: transcriptional start and stop sites for mRNA, tRNA and rRNA synthesis. DNA-Proteins interactions.Processing of mRNA: capping, splicing, polyadenilation.
* The genetic code: deciferation and properties. Point mutations and their impact on the codons information and on the protein.Protein synthesis. Role of ribosome and tRNAs in the protein synthesis. Start and stop translation signals.Molecular structure of the gene in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. 5' and 3' UTR.
* Semiconservative DNA replication (the Meselson e Stahl experiment): the biosynthesis of DNA. RNA primases, DNA polymerases, topoisomerases and ligases. Extension of telomers. Introduction to DNA repair mechanisms.DNA organization:from chromatin to chromosome.
* The cells: prokaryote, eukaryote, animal and vegetal: structural and functional diversity.Molecular structure and function of the cytoplamic organelles (eukaryote cells): Mitochondria,nucleous and nuclear membrane, cytoskeleton and plasma membrane. Mechanism of action of plasma membrane receptors. The signal transduction.Cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix adhesion. Fibronectin, collagens and integrins.
* Cell division: mitosis and meiosis.The cell cycle and its regulation in check-points.The programmed cell death.
* Cancer cells: in vitro growth behaviour. Proto-oncogenes and onco-suppressor genes.
* Viruses: structure and interaction with the cells. Phages and animal viruses.
* Gene expression control in prokaryotes. Gene expression regulation in eukaryotes: signals, mechanisms and levels. Mechanisms: plasma membrane and cytoplamic receptors. Levels: 1. DNA structure (methylation, gene amplification, somatic mutation, somatic recombination and immunoglobulin genes); 2. transcription (chromatin structure, regulation of the beginning and the end of transcription, enhancers, silencers, cis- and trans-acting elements); 3. transcripts processing (splicing); alternative splicing (calcitonin, fibronectin, troponin T, alpha-tropomyosin); 4. transcripts stability; 5. post-translational modifications. Protein folding and degradation.
* Cell differentiation in embryogenesis and in the adult life. Mintz and Gurdon experiments. Morphogens: gradient distribution in the egg celland transcription factors cascades. Maternal, segmentation and homeotic genes. Maintenance of the adult differentiated state. Stem cells examples: bone marrow and keratinocytes.
* Principles of animal cell in vitro growth: medium composition, establishment of a primary culture; primary cell culture propagation and storage.Monoclonal antibodies.Polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies allow the study of cell structures and protein components by immunofluorescence and immunoblotting analyses.Nucleic acids purification.The RNA analysis methods: Northen blotting, in situ hybridization, RT-PCR.

Extended Syllabus

Contests
* The biology central dogma. DNA, RNA, Proteins structure and function.
* RNA synthesis. The transcription unit: transcriptional start and stop sites for mRNA, tRNA and rRNA synthesis. DNA-Proteins interactions.Processing of mRNA: capping, splicing, polyadenilation.
* The genetic code: deciferation and properties. Point mutations and their impact on the codons information and on the protein.Protein synthesis. Role of ribosome and tRNAs in the protein synthesis. Start and stop translation signals.Molecular structure of the gene in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. 5' and 3' UTR.
* Semiconservative DNA replication (the Meselson e Stahl experiment): the biosynthesis of DNA. RNA primases, DNA polymerases, topoisomerases and ligases. Extension of telomers. Introduction to DNA repair mechanisms.DNA organization:from chromatin to chromosome.
* The cells: prokaryote, eukaryote, animal and vegetal: structural and functional diversity.Molecular structure and function of the cytoplamic organelles (eukaryote cells): Mitochondria,nucleous and nuclear membrane, cytoskeleton and plasma membrane. Mechanism of action of plasma membrane receptors. The signal transduction.Cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix adhesion. Fibronectin, collagens and integrins.
* Cell division: mitosis and meiosis.The cell cycle and its regulation in check-points.The programmed cell death.
* Cancer cells: in vitro growth behaviour. Proto-oncogenes and onco-suppressor genes.
* Viruses: structure and interaction with the cells. Phages and animal viruses.
* Gene expression control in prokaryotes. Gene expression regulation in eukaryotes: signals, mechanisms and levels. Mechanisms: plasma membrane and cytoplamic receptors. Levels: 1. DNA structure (methylation, gene amplification, somatic mutation, somatic recombination and immunoglobulin genes); 2. transcription (chromatin structure, regulation of the beginning and the end of transcription, enhancers, silencers, cis- and trans-acting elements); 3. transcripts processing (splicing); alternative splicing (calcitonin, fibronectin, troponin T, alpha-tropomyosin); 4. transcripts stability; 5. post-translational modifications. Protein folding and degradation.
* Cell differentiation in embryogenesis and in the adult life. Mintz and Gurdon experiments. Morphogens: gradient distribution in the egg celland transcription factors cascades. Maternal, segmentation and homeotic genes. Maintenance of the adult differentiated state. Stem cells examples: bone marrow and keratinocytes.
* Principles of animal cell in vitro growth: medium composition, establishment of a primary culture; primary cell culture propagation and storage.Monoclonal antibodies.Polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies allow the study of cell structures and protein components by immunofluorescence and immunoblotting analyses.Nucleic acids purification.The RNA analysis methods: Northen blotting, in situ hybridization, RT-PCR.

Recommended Bibliography

¨ Fantoni et al. Biologia cellulare e genetica Piccin
¨ Solomon et al. Fondamenti di Biologia Edises, Napoli
¨ Lodish et al. Biologia molecolare della cellula Zanichelli
¨ Becker et al. Il mondo della cellula Pearson
¨ Alberts et al. L'essenziale della biologia molecolare della cellula Zanichelli

Methods of Provision

Conventional

Teaching Methods

Ex cathedra lectures
Theoretical and practical exercises in the laboratory

Assessment Methods

Test in the first session in february.
Test or oral examination in the other sessions.

Assessment:

Final Mark

Programme of Educational Activities

Start date of teaching period:

Monday, October 3, 2016

End date of teaching period:

Friday, January 27, 2017

Other Information

The course will be held during the first year in the first half.
The course will be organized in lectures, and the part of the program concerning the basic principles for the preparation and propagation of in vitro cell cultures will be explained with demonstrations and laboratory exercises.

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Other Courses of the Study Programme

Course year: 1

Course year: 2

Course year: 3

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