Portale di Ateneo - En.Unibs.it

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.