Subject (Materia)

Subject (Materia)
Faculty (Facoltà)
Course of study (Corso
di Laurea)
Teacher (Docente)
Contacts
(Coordinate)
Workload
(Durata del Corso in
ore)
Credits (Crediti CFU)
Pre-requisites
(Pre requisiti)
Course Description
(Descrizione del
Corso)
Molecular biology
Mathemathical, Physical and Natural Sciences
Marine Biology and Ecology
Prof. Giovanni Musci
Address (indirizzo): Dept of Microbiological Genetic and Molecular
Sciences, Salita Sperone 31, 98166 Messina
Phone (telefono): 0039 090 6765194
Fax:
0039 090 392733
E-Mail: [email protected]
72
7
none
Structure of nucleic acids
DNA structure, the double helix (A, B, Z). Physico-chemical properties of DNA:
viscosity, density, effects of temperature on secondary structure. DNA denaturation and
renaturation. Structure and physico-chemical properties of RNAs. Genome organization,
methids of investigation of highly repeated sequences. Topology of DNA.
Topoisomerases of type I and II. Chromatin structure.
6 h theory
0 h class practice
0 h laboratory practice
DNA replication and repair
DNA replication. Replicative fork. Replicons. Enzymes involved in DNA replication and
repair.
10 h theory
4 h class practice
2 h laboratory practice
Gene expression
Structure and properties of procaryotic RNA polymerase. Analysis of procaryotic
promoters. Termination of transcription. Eucaryotic RNA polymerases (RNA
polymerases I, II, III).Eucaryotic promoters. Regulation of eucaryotic transcription. Basal
transcription, enhancers, UAS and transcription factors. Structure and biosynthesis of
tRNA and of ribosomal RNAs. Messenger RNA in procaryotes and eucaryotes. mRNA
maturation in eucaryotes: capping, polyadenylation and splicing.. Ribozymes. Protein
synthesis. Genetic code. Translational and post-translational regulation.
16 h theory
2 h class practice
0 h laboratory practice
Recombinant DNA
Tecniques of recombiant DNA. DNA-modifying enzymes. Restricion endonucleases.
Cloning vectors. Cloning protocols. Genomic and cDNA libraries. Screening of libreries.
Southern and Northern blot techniques. Gene expression in heterologous systems. DNA
amplification (PCR).
8 h theory
10 h class practice
14 h laboratory practice
Structure of the
assessment
Written (Scritto)
Oral (Orale) 
(Modalità dell’esame)
Bibliography
(Testi adottati)
Further information
(Note)
M. Singer e P. Berg: Geni e Genomi, Zanichelli.
B. Lewin, Genes VI, Zanichelli
J. Darnell, H. Lodish e D. Baltimore: Biologia molecolare della cellula, Zanichelli.
S. Wolfe, Biologia Molecolare e Cellulare, EdiSes.