Molecular Genetics B
Code
7104
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia
Department
Departamento de Ciências da Vida
Credits
6.0
Teacher in charge
Pedro Miguel Ribeiro Viana Baptista
Weekly hours
4
Total hours
74
Teaching language
Português
Objectives
Students should be able to complement their formation in Genetics: organisation os genomes and gene expression, and to interpreter experimental results through application of theory. Students should understand the mechanisms involved in gene regulation, and should be able to summarise experiments, and/or put forward strategies that enable their comprehension of Molecular Genetics.
All the competences should be acquired keep in the Cell in mind, being able to establish the connection between genotype and phenotype.
Molecular Genetics will focus and centre around the molecular mechanisms in humans.
Prerequisites
Students should have succeeded in their Molecular Biology studies.
Labs mandatory, and reports (written and discussion). Participation in problem solving sessions.
Subject matter
Genome organisation: structure of eukaryotic chromosomes. Histones and chromatin. Genome evolution: genes, gene duplication and evolution, introns, pseudogenes.
Replication in eukaryotes.
Transcription in eukaryotes: Synthesis and mRNA processing; incitation, promoters, enhancers, repressors. Transcription factors. Chromatin and transcription regulation: heterochromatin and euchromatin, positional effect, histone regulation.
Methylation and imprinting; mRNA processing; splicing and alternative splicing and exon shuffling/skipping.; RNA edition. mRNA maturation: 3’UTR/5’UTR; NMD; RNAi.
Tumorigenesis: gene alterations in cancer; proto-oncogene and tumour suppressor gene (activation, TSG and LOH, haploinufficiency; p53 and cell cycle control.
Total RNA purification (eukaryotic); PCR (nested, competitive and quantitative).
Bibliography
1. Baptista, P.V. Protocolos trabalhos práticos 2. DARNELL, J.E: et al – Molecular Cell Biology, Fifth Edition, Sci. Amer. Books, W.H. Freeman and Co., N.Y., 2003 3. DARNELL, J.E: et al – Molecular Cell Biology, Fourth Edition, Sci. Amer. Books, W.H. Freeman and Co., N.Y., 1999 4. VIDEIRA, A. - Engenharia Genética, Princípios e Aplicações, Lidel, 2001 5. LEWIN, B. – GENES VII, Oxford Uni. Press, USA, 2000 (ou edições posteriores - VIII, IX); 6- Arraiano, CM; et al - O Mundo do RNA, Lidel, Lisboa, Portugal, 2007
Teaching method
Lectures
Labs (compuslory) - applying theoy in a practical context; written reports with discussion of results.
Problem solving sessions