Molecular Biology [BIO 511]

To undestand the molecular fundamentals of organism functioning and heredity, to become acquainted with genomes of different organisms, to investigate organization of nucleoacids in the cell, to become acquainted with the mechanisms of conveying genetic information and its realisation: DNA and chromosome replication, regulation of gene expression, RNA biosynthesis and its maturity, biosynthesis of proteins and their postranslatory modification, mechanisms of protein synthesis of temperature shock, major ways and methods of conveying the signal of eucariotic cells.

Gain knowledge of the nature of genetic material, spatial and molecular structure of nucleic acids, molecular structure of chromosomes, molecular structure of individual parts of chromosomes, genomic features of somatic cells, cell interaction and signaling molecules, protein dimerization, cell adhesion molecules, eukaryotic genes, eukaryotic genes the role of miRN in the regulation of gene expression, RNA maturation (processing) and its importance for RNA biological functions, heat (temperature) shock proteins and their biological significance, prion protein synthesis and functions, prion proteins and their genes structural organization, prion protein diversity and species specificity , heredity of prion protein genes.

General Genetics, Cell Biology, Biochemistry

1. Review of the development of molecular biology. Nature of genetic material. Hereditary molecules. DNA primary sequence. 2. Spatial structure of nucleoacids. DNA species, function. 3. Structure of the gene of eukaryotes and elements regulating it. 4. The molecular structure of chromosomes and its significance. Chromatin of chromosomes, chromosome domains, the structure of chromatin in the interphase nucleus of eukaryotes, peculiarities of prokaryote chromosomes, heterochromatin, chromosomes of specific structure, special parts of the chromosome, artificial chromosomes. 5. Peculiarities of the genome of somatic cells. 6. General peculiarities of transmission of the cell signal. Cell interaction and signal transmission molecules. Dimerisation of proteins, cell adhesion molecules. 7. DNA reparation, recombination and transposition of eukaryotes and prokaryotes. 8. DNA transcription of eukaryotes and prokaryotes, its stages, and regulation. 9. Genetic control of DNA replication of eukaryotes and prokaryotes. 10. Transmission of genetic information of eukaryotes in the cells. 11. Genetic control of DNA synthesis of eukaryotes. 12. Peculiarities of regulating gene expression of eukaryotes and prokaryotes. 13. The role of miRNR and siRNR in regulation of gene expression. 14. RNR maturation (processing). The importance of this process to biological functions of RNR. 15. Heat (temperature) shock proteins and their biological significance. The general structure of heat (temperature) shock proteins, the cell switching mechanism for the synthesis of heat shock proteins under the effect of temperature, he function of heat shock proteins and homological proteins being synthesised at normal temperature, proteins of plant stress, chaperons and heat shock proteins. 16. Prion proteins (prions) ands their Synthesis and functions of prion proteins, structural organisation of prion proteins and their variety and specific specificity of prion proteins, interspecific heredity of the genes of prion proteins. Laboratory work 1. Safe work in the laboratory. Rules of good laboratory practice. Specificity of work when working at a molecular biology laboratory. 2. The structure of hereditary units: the chromosome, the structure (chromosome?nucleosome?DNA). Gene. Genetic code. Human genome: nuclear DNA and mitochondrial DNA. Combination of two genes. 3. DNA isolation. 4. Determination of DNA purity and concentration. 5. DNR doubling – replication. Molecular investigation methods. Assurance of quality control of molecular methods. 6. DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR). 7. Electrophoretic fractionation and visualisation of the DNA fragment.

After completing the course, the student will understand: 1. What is the spatial structure of nucleic acids, types of DNA, the structure of the eukaryotic gene and its regulatory elements, peculiarities of the somatic cell genome. 2. understand the peculiarities of the regulation of eukaryotic gene expression, the role of miRNA in the regulation of gene expression. 3. will understand the process of RNA maturation (processive) and the importance of this process for the biological functions of RNA 4. will know the structure of thermal (thermal) shock proteins, the mechanisms of biosynthesis and their biological significance, the mechanisms of switching of thermal shock genes for the synthesis of these proteins in the cell. After completing the course the student will be able to: a) to explain the basic concepts of Molecular Biology, to analyze the regularities of information transfer in eukaryotic cells, to explain the repair, recombination and transposition of eukaryotic DNA. (b) transcription of eukaryotic DNA, its stages, regulation, genetic control of replication, transfer of eukaryotic genetic information in cells. c) will be able to evaluate cell interaction and signaling molecules, protein dimerization, cell adhesion molecules. d) know the methods of molecular biology research and be able to use them purposefully in research. e) will be able to apply the knowledge of Molecular Biology in the study of other subjects of the program.