Ateneo - UPO

- Proteins
- Lipids
- Carbohydrates
- Enzymes
- Basic thermodynamic concepts in metabolism
- Carbohydrates metabolism
- Biological oxidation
- Lipids metabolism
- Amino-acids metabolism
- Nucleotides metabolism

- Donald Voet, Judith G. Voet
Charlotte W. Pratt

FONDAMENTI DI BIOCHIMICA
Terza edizione Italiana
2013, Zanichelli Editore
ISBN 9788808175441

- David L. Nelson, Michael M. Cox

I PRINCIPI DI BIOCHIMICA DI LEHNINGER

2006, Zanichelli Editore
ISBN 978-8808-19774-0

- Thomas M: Devlin
BIOCHIMICA con aspetti clinico-farmaceutici
2013, EdiSES srl
ISBN: 978 8879 597 807

The Course aims at providing the necessary knowledge to understand: (1) the structure, the function and the structure-function relationship of biological macro-molecules and (2) the metabolic pathways. The core of the course consists of the in depth description and analysis, in different contexts, of the major metabolic pathways to develop the capacity to see the metabolism as a highly integrated network with a particular attention to the regulatory and energetic aspects. Moreover, the detailed description of the mechanism sustaining protein functions, provides an atomic view of a specific biochemical event as a requisite to understand the molecular/atomic bases of diseases for their pharmacological treatment. Overall, the course aims to develop in the student both a specific knowledge of the chemistry behind biochemical events, essential in the process of drug design, and the capacity to frame the effect of a pharmacological intervention on a specific target, at the level of the whole cell/organ/organism. This to allow understanding the complex process of drug discovery, with critical thinking. Attention is also dedicated to nomenclature and “biochemistry language”, to develop the essential communication skills required to efficiently operates in the highly multidisciplinary field of drug development

The knowledge of the basic principles of general biology, physical-chemistry, inorganic and organic chemistry is essential. It is therefore highly recommended that the student has passed the exams of General Biology and Inorganic Chemistry and have attended the Course of Organic Chemistry , before taking the course of Biochemistry.

Ex-cathedra lectures. During the Course, after a specific topic has been covered in the lectures, a discussion with the students is conducted to allow both the teacher and the students to assess the extent to which the different concepts (and not specific information) have been understood and received always trying to stimulate and develop a critical thinking attitude.

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Written and oral exams. The written exam is based on twenty open questions and one open question spanning the whole program with the open question specifically addressing topics related to metabolism. Metabolites chemical formula, enzymatic reactions and regulation of metabolic pathways are requested. Only the students that pass the written exam (i.e. that received a mark equal or higher than 18/30) can proceed to the oral part during which, starting from the questions asked in the written exam, the capacity of the student to link different topics with critical thinking in both pathological and/or physiological states, will be assessed together with the communication skills.

- Proteins: amino-acids: structure, properties, function. The peptide bonds. Structural organization of proteins: amino-acid sequence, secondary structures; overall structure: fold type; quaternary structure. The process of protein folding. Chaperonines. Oxygen transport. Myoglobin and Hemoglobin: structure and function; allostery and allosteric factors; hemoglobin variants; the theory of co-operativity: sequential model and concerted model
- Lipids: structure, properties and functions
- Carbohydrates: structure, properties and functions; glycoproteins
- Enzymes: classification; coenzymes; Theory of catalysis; Enzyme kinetics; mechanisms of irreversible and reversible enzyme inhibition; regulation of enzyme activity; examples of enzyme catalysis (serine proteinases).
-Basic thermodynamic concept in metabolism: phospho-compounds; ATP and the reaction of phosphorylation. Redox equilibrium in the biological systems: NAD(P) and FAD
- Carbohydrates metabolism: Glycolysis. Fermentation. Glycogen degradation. Gluconeogenesis. Pyruvate oxidation and the citric cycle.
- Biological oxidation: the respiratory chain: electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation. FoF1 ATP synthase.
- Lipids metabolism: lipids transport and activation; fatty acids transport into mitochondria; the process of beta-oxidation: odd chain, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Ketone bodies. Fatty acids biosynthesis. Colesterol synthesis.
- Amino-acids metabolism. Oxidation of amino-acids and the urea cycle.
- Nucleotides metabolism. Purine and pyrimidine synthesis. Synthesis of deoxy-ribonucleotides. Nucleotides degradation.

Upon successful completion of the Course, the Students should have acquired both a detailed knowledge of the specific topics taught and a broad view of the metabolism as a highly interconnected and regulated network. The Student’s capacity to independently understand this last concept in particular and being able to understand possible reactions in response to a stimuli is expected. More in particular each Student will understand: 1) the chemical structure of the main biological macro-molecules; 3) the molecular basis and the effects of the structure-function relationship in biological macro-molecules; 3) the specific enzymatic steps in metabolic pathways; 4) the regulation and its hierarchy in metabolism; 5) how to calculate the energetic balance in metabolism; 6) the interconnection, in particular with respect to regulation, of different metabolic pathways. Finally the Student will develop appropriate terminology. Overall, these capabilities will build the basis for understanding, and better communicate in a highly multidisciplinary context, the complex process of drug discovery and drug action.