Medicine and Surgery "D" - Roma Azienda Policlinico Umberto I

Activity type

Struttura, funzione e metabolismo delle molecole d'interesse biologico

SSD

BIO/10

Year

N/D

Semester

N/D

CFU

5

Hours distribution

60 classroom hours

Lecturers

Activity type

Struttura, funzione e metabolismo delle molecole d'interesse biologico

SSD

BIO/10

Year

N/D

Semester

N/D

CFU

9

Hours distribution

108 classroom hours

Lecturers

MARIO FONTANA
LUCIANA MOSCA

Main teaching objectives:
 knowing the structure and function of the main classes of biomolecules, and specifically of macromolecules and supramolecular structures, and the main biochemical methodologies used in their study;
 recognizing the structure-function relationships in biological macromolecules;
 being aware that the study of molecular structures constitutes the conceptual basis for the understanding of metabolic processes and cellular physiopathology;
 knowing the main metabolic pathways, their regulation at the molecular and cellular level, and their integration;
 recognizing the rationale that governs the intermediate metabolite fluxes;
 being conscious that perturbations in the structures of biological macromolecules, which carry out reactions and which are involved in the regulation of metabolic pathways, are the onset of pathological cellular and systemic conditions.

Module: BIOCHEMISTRY I
N/D
Module: BIOCHEMISTRY II
N/D

Module: BIOCHEMISTRY I
N/D
Module: BIOCHEMISTRY II
The knowledge of the topics of the Chemistry and biochemical Propaedeutics course is prerequisite for Biochemistry course

Module: BIOCHEMISTRY I
N/D
Module: BIOCHEMISTRY II
VITAMINS: Structure and functions, water-soluble vitamins, fat-soluble vitamins. Nutritional needs. Hypovitaminosis and hypervitaminosis. Free radicals and antioxidants.
BIOENERGETICS: ATP and other high-energy compounds. Respiratory chain and oxidative phosphorylation. Inhibitors and uncoupling agents of cellular respiration. Biological oxidation-reduction reactions.
METABOLISM OF CARBOHYDRATES: Digestion and absorption. Anaerobic and aerobic glycolysis. Oxidation of pyruvate. Krebs citric acid cycle. Glycogenolysis and glycogen synthesis. Gluconeogenesis. Pentose phosphate pathway. Anaplerotic reactions.
METABOLISM OF LIPIDS: Digestion and absorption. Catabolism of fatty acids. Metabolism of propionylCoA. Formation of ketone bodies and ketone bodies. Biosynthesis of fatty acids, triacylglycerols and phospholipids. Biosynthesis and catabolism of cholesterol. Lipoproteins and lipid transport.
METABOLISM OF PROTEINS: Digestion and absorption. Proteolytic enzymes. Intracellular degradation of proteins: proteasome. Post-translational modifications of proteins. Metabolism of amino acids: transamination, deamination, and decarboxylation reactions. Biogenic amines. Metabolism of phenylalanine, tryptophan and methionine. Urea cycle. Biosynthesis and catabolism of heme: bilirubin.
METABOLISM OF NUCLEOTIDES: Catabolism of purine bases: uric acid.
HORMONES: Chemistry, properties and mechanism of action. Receptors. Signal transduction and second messengers. Hormonal regulation of glycaemia. Hormonal regulation of mineral metabolism (calcium and phosphorus).
TOPICS OF HUMAN BIOCHEMISTRY: Blood clotting. Metabolism of xenobiotics and cytochrome P450. Energy and nutritional needs.
BIOCHEMICAL METHODS: Chromatography. Electrophoresis. Spectrometry. Fluorometry. Recombinant DNA techniques. I

Chemical composition of the living matter. Properties
of water. Biological buffer systems. .

Proteins: Amino acids. Classification, properties,
dissociation, isoelectric point. Peptide bond. Natural peptides. Glutathione.
Neuropeptides. Structure of proteins. Structural organization levels. Collagen,
elastin. Denaturation of proteins. Hemoglobin and myoglobin.
Hemoglobinopathies. Immunoglobulins. Blood composition. Biochemical basis of
muscle contraction.

Introduction to proteomics. Domains and structural
motifs in proteins. Principles of macromolecules recognition: protein-protein
and protein-nucleic acid interactions. Thermodynamics and kinetics of protein
folding. Molecular basis of degenerative diseases caused by misfolding: prions
and -amyloids.

Nucleic acids. Nucleotides. DNA double helical
structures: A, B and Z; DNA supercoiling; cruciform DNA structures; RNA
structure. Genetic code. Protein synthesis and its inhibition.

Principles of biochemical methods and molecular
biology techniques. Macromolecules purification and characterization methods:
chromatography, electrophoresis, spectrophotometry, fluorimetry, mass
spectrometry. Methods for the determination of macromolecules’ molecular
weight. DNA purification. Nucleic acid hybridizations. Molecular cloning. PCR
and its applications. Recombinant protein expression methods.

Carbohydrates. Mono-, oligo- and poly-saccharides.
Storage and structural polysaccharides. Proteoglycans. Peptidoglycan.
Glycoproteins: blood groups.

Lipids. Classification. Fatty acids and neutral fats.
Phospholipids and sphingolipids. Arachidonic acid and its derivatives.
Cholesterol and derivatives. Lipoprotein structure. Biological membranes.
Membrane proteins: structure and
properties. Membrane transport. The Na+/K+ pump. Ion
channels. Peptide antibiotics.

Vitamins. Natural sources. Active forms and function.
Hypo- and hypervitaminosis.

Enzymes. Thermodynamic aspects of catalysis. Enzyme
kinetics. Mechanisms of catalysis and regulation. Allostery. Enzyme inhibition.
Enzyme classification. Coenzymes. Proteases. Blood clotting: physiological role
and involvement in pathology.

Module: BIOCHEMISTRY I
N/D
Module: BIOCHEMISTRY II
David L. Nelson, Michael M. Cox 'I Principi di Biochimica di Lehninger' Zanichelli
Garrett-Grisham 'Biochimica' Piccin
Jeremy M. Berg, John L. Tymoczko, Lubert Stryer 'Biochimica' Zanichelli
Siliprandi - Tettamanti 'Biochimica Medica - Strutturale, Metabolica e Funzionale' Piccin
Matthews Van Holde et al "Biochimica" Piccin
Ferrier "Le basi della Biochimica" Zanichelli
Campbell et al. "Biochimica" EdiSes

All textbooks cover the entire program, the choice of which text to adopt is left to student's preferences.

Module: BIOCHEMISTRY I
N/D
Module: BIOCHEMISTRY II
Thomas M. Devlin 'Biochimica con Aspetti Clinici' EDISES
M. Lieberman, A. Marks 'Marks Biochimica Medica Un approccio clinico' Casa Editrice Ambrosiana
Autori vari 'Harper's Biochimica illustrata' EMSI

Module: BIOCHEMISTRY I
N/D
Module: BIOCHEMISTRY II
The teacher delivers lectures with traditional methods with audiovisual aids and scheduling of lessons as reported on GOMP Aule/Orari system, published on the website
of the Dental School.
Power point presentations on the main Biochemistry topics are available on the google classroom platform of the course.

Module: BIOCHEMISTRY I
N/D
Module: BIOCHEMISTRY II
Following the Regulations of the Medical School, the student is required to attend educational activities, formal, non-formal, vocational. The frequency is checked by the teachers through signature / updated lists provided by the Academic Office, as established by medical school teaching commission. The certificate of mandatory attendance to the teaching course is required to the student to be admitted at the final test.

Module: BIOCHEMISTRY I
N/D
Module: BIOCHEMISTRY II
The exam will consist of an oral exam. The student must demonstrate to recognize and describe the structure of the main molecules of biological interest. The description of the main metabolic pathways is also required.

Module: BIOCHEMISTRY I
N/D
Module: BIOCHEMISTRY II
N/D

Module: BIOCHEMISTRY I
N/D
Module: BIOCHEMISTRY II