PřF:Bi7015 Nucleic acids chemistry - Course Information

Bi7015 Chemical properties, structure and interactions of nucleic acids

Extent and Intensity

2/0/0. 2 credit(s) (plus extra credits for completion). Recommended Type of Completion: zk (examination). Other types of completion: k (colloquium).

Teacher(s)

doc. RNDr. Miroslav Fojta, CSc. (lecturer)
doc. Mgr. Miloslava Fojtová, CSc. (lecturer)
prof. RNDr. Michaela Vorlíčková, DrSc. (lecturer)
Mgr. Ivana Kupčíková, DiS. (assistant)

Guaranteed by

doc. RNDr. Miroslav Fojta, CSc.
Department of Experimental Biology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: doc. RNDr. Miroslav Fojta, CSc.
Supplier department: Department of Experimental Biology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science

Timetable

Thu 8:00–9:50 B11/305

Prerequisites

Basics of general and physical chemistry, organic chemistry and biochemistry, molecular biology.

Course Enrolment Limitations

The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.

fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with

there are 18 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display

Course objectives

The main aim of the course is to present chemical and structural properties of nucleic acids, principles of their chemical reactivity, damage and repair, enzymatic transformations, epigenetic modifications, interactions with proteins and small molecules, with emphasis on biological consequences and analytical use of these phenomena.

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course students will be familiar with • the chemical nature of nucleic acids • non-covalent interactions involved in structure and interactions of nucleic acids • structure and function of DNA and RNA • chemical reactivity of DNA and RNA • mechanisms of DNA damage, mutagenesis and DNA repair • chemical methods of studies of nucleic acids and their interactions • chemical nature of epigenetic mechanisms • enzymes which synthesize, cleave and modify nucleic acids • non-covalent interactions of DNA with proteins and small molecules • superhelicity of DNA and local open DNA structures • use of chemical and biochemical properties of nucleic acids in their research • spectroscopic and electrochemical properties of nucleic acids

Syllabus

• 1. Introduction. Nucleic acids - history. 2. DNA double helix. Physical properties and conformations of DNA. Isolation and characterisation of nucleic acids. 3. Super-helical DNA. Local DNA structures stabilised by superhelicity. 4. Covalent interactions of DNA with small molecules. DNA damage. 5. Reversible interactions of DNA with small molecules. 6. RNA structure. 7. Oligonucleotides and their analogues. 8. Interactions DNA-proteins. 9. Nucleases, DNA topoisomerases, DNA helicases, DNA ligases. 10. p53 protein and its interactions with DNA. 11. Structure and interactions of DNA in biomedicine. Gene therapy. Immunology of nucleic acids. 12. Methods for analyses of nucleic acids. 13. Electrochemistry on nucleic acids, DNA biosensors.

Literature

• BLACKBURN, M. G. and M. J. GAIT. Nucleic Acids in Chemistry and Biology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996. info
• SINDEN, Richard R. DNA structure and function. San Diego: Academic Press, 1994, xxiii, 398. ISBN 0126457506. info
• ADAMS, R. L. P., J. T. KNOWLER and D. P. LEADER. The Biochemistry of Nucleic Acids. 10th edit. London: Chapman and Hall, 1986. info

Teaching methods

Lectures

Assessment methods

Teaching method: lectures Type of exam: written test focused on general knowledge followed by oral exam

Language of instruction

Czech

Follow-Up Courses

• Bi7016 Nucleic acids chemistry - lab. practice

Further comments (probably available only in Czech)

Study Materials
The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
The course is taught annually.

• Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2019, recent)
  
• Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/sci/autumn2019/Bi7015