Ateneo - UPO

Introduction to Molecular Biology: timeline and main areas of application. The structure of nucleic acids and the organisation of the genomes. Molecular details of genomes replication and maintenance, with a particular emphasis on the repair of genetic material. Description of fundamental mechanisms required to express the genetic information: transcription and its regulation, processing of different classes of RNA, protein synthesis and its control, post-translational modifications of proteins, and basic concepts of cell signalling. Basic approaches and techniques in the study of the molecular biology of the cell.

Zlatanova J et al. "Biologia Molecolare"; Ed. Zanichelli; ISBN 978-88-08-92089-8
Amaldi F et al. "Biologia Molecolare"; Casa Editrice Ambrosiana; ISBN 978-88-08-18567-9
- Selected Scientific full-papers and Reviews
In the absence of copyright issues, the presentations used during the lectures will be made available to the students at the end of each section of the course, as "read-only" files; they are intended for triggering student's further independent study on the taught subjects.

The Molecular Biology course aims to provide the student with an up-to-date view of a topic that, perhaps more than others, represents as an area of ​​integration of knowledge in the biology field, with deep medical and biotechnological implications. By the end of the course the student will have achieved a detailed and integrated knowledge of the molecular mechanisms that are responsible for the proper flow and expression of the genetic information in biological systems, under physiological and pathological conditions.

An adequate knowledge of cell biology and general biochemistry is required.

Standard lessons

Publicly accessible audio/video material (in English) will also be used during the lessons.

Written exam. The first section consists of 12 questions, each containing 3 statements that must be judged "true" or "false"; 3 correct answers to the 3 statements=1 pt; each correct answer to the single statement=0.25 pt. A short justification to each "false" choice must be given (max. 12 pts). In the second section students are asked to briefly describe a molecular mechanism involved in a biological/biotechnological process (e.g., a recombination pathway or the mechanism of an enzyme) (max. 6 points). The third section is an open question, aimed at verifying the student's ability to process and integrate the notions learned (max. 13 pts). The test must be carried out in its entirety, obtaining at least the following scores: 1st section = 5/12 pt.; 2nd section = 3/6 pt.; open question = 6/12 pt.

Nucleic acids structure. The structure of nucleosomes and chromatin. DNA topology and topoisomerases. Genes and genomes. An overview of transposable elements and the mechanisms for transposition. The mitochondrial DNA. DNA replication: a molecular view. The replication machinery: analogies and differences between prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Mechanism of action and role of telomerases. Integration and control of replication during the cell cycle progression. Mutations and mutagenic stress. DNA repair mechanisms: an overview. Direct DNA damage repair. DNA repair pathways with emphasis on: Base Excision Repair (BER), Nucleotide Excision Repair (Global Genome, GG-NER and Transcription-Coupled, TC-NER), Mismatch-repair (MMR) in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Double strand break (DSB) repair by homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). ATR/ATRIP and ATM signalling. An overview of RNA synthesis in prokaryotes and in eukaryotes. RNA polymerases. Transcription initiation and regulation of the transcription machinery. The "histone code" and the regulation of gene expression. The maturation of rRNA, tRNA, miRNA. The mRNAs processing: molecular mechanisms of capping, polyadenylation and splicing. The spliceosome assembling and functioning. Alternative Splicing. The nuclear/cytoplasm traffic of macromolecules. Protein synthesis: molecular mechanisms of translation. Protein synthesis control. Nonsense mediated decay and Non-stop mediated decay phenomena. Modulation of gene expression based on mRNA distribution. Post-translational modifications: molecular mechanisms of ubiquitination and sumoylation. The molecular basis of signal integration. Four 2-hr lessons will focus on recombinant DNA and other molecular techniques used in the study of the molecular biology of the cell.

Upon the successful completion the course, the students will have acquired knowledge and understanding of the topics covered and developed the ability to apply such knowledge autonomously, in addressing new topics, focused on the molecular aspects of cell biology. In detail, the student will know and understand: a) the composition, distribution and structural organisation of nucleic acids and genomes; b) the molecular mechanisms responsible for the transmission of genetic information and for gene expression in the correct time and space; c) the main levels of integration of these phenomena; and d) the main consequences of a malfunctioning of these phenomena and/or their de-regulation. The student will be able to apply the acquired knowledge to other areas such as a) the understanding of the molecular basis of diseases, b) the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of drugs action targeting genome maintenance and gene expression, and c) the understanding of bio-analytical/molecular diagnostics methods. During the course the students will be also trained to integrate and re-evaluate the notions previously acquired in other courses (e.g. Biochemistry) in the context and from the standpoint of molecular biology, in order to be able to apply the same method to studying other disciplines (e.g. Pharmacology) that the students will subsequently encounter. Finally, the student will be able to communicate the learned notions and concepts using the appropriate terminology.