Bi9041 Structure and function of eukaryotic chromosomes

Faculty of Science
Spring 2007
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 2 credit(s) (fasci plus compl plus > 4). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
prof. RNDr. Jiří Fajkus, CSc. (lecturer)
doc. Mgr. Miloslava Fojtová, CSc. (lecturer)
doc. RNDr. Lenka Fajkusová, CSc. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. RNDr. Jiří Fajkus, CSc.
Department of Experimental Biology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: prof. RNDr. Jiří Fajkus, CSc.
Prerequisites
basic knowledge of biochemistry and 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
Course objectives
Lectures are focused on description of organisation of the eukaryotic genome at individual levels using knowledge gained during sequencing projects of model genomes. Chromatin structure will be reviwed in detail, as well as its possible modifications and relations to gene expression. Attention will also be paid to specific organisation of genetic material in sperm cells. The overview of chromatin structure is followed by characterisation of indispensable functional domains of euk. chromosomes, i.e., replication origins, centromeres and telomeres. Data and knowledge presented at lectures will be integrated to brief description of methods used to gain them.
Syllabus
  • Lectures are focused on description of chromosomes and their dynamic changes during basic processes of metabolism of genetic material - replication, transcription and recombination. Besides relations to gene functioning, possible and described functions of so called noncoding sequences forming the DNA components of essential chromosome elements - centromeres and telomeres will be discussed. Lectures will be accompanied by seminars of scientists, postgraduate students and foreign guests of the Department "Analysis of biologically important molecular complexes" and by demonstrations of methods used. SYLLABUS 1. Chromosome as a functional unitof genome. Types of chromosomes (prokaryotic or eukaryotic, mitochondrial, chloroplast, circular and linear. Charakterisation of individual typesbased on nucleoprotein composition and DNA size. Examples. 2. Linear eukaryotic chromosomes as a typical example of structural units of nuclear eukaryotic gene. Structural levels of chromosome - an overview. Metaphase and interphase chromosome. Chromatin. 3. DNA folding into chromosomes(total 10000 times). Compactisation of DNA on formation of nucleoprotein complexes with histones. Nukleosome, chromatosome, core particle. Binding of H1 histone. Translational and rotational position of nucleosome on DNA 4. Nucleosomes at replication and transcription. Mechanisms of regulation of gene expression by modification of nucleosome structure. Examples. Experimental approaches for determination of nucleosome structure. Computer predictions. Non-nucleosomal DNA. 5. Further compactisation of nucleosome array - solenoid 30 nm and alternative structures (zig-zag). Role of conformation of internucleosomal linker ana histone H1 binding. Association with nonhistone proteins, namely HMG (HMG-1,2; HMG-14,17; HMG-I,Y). Acetylation of histones and methylation of DNA as examples of epigenetic modifications of genetic information. 6. Higher-order chromatin structure - loops (cca 50 kbp) anchored to nuclear matrix. Nuclear matrix, nuclear skeleton, nuclear scaffold - rozdíly a shody. Binding of chromatin fibre to these structures. Experimentally determined types of binding: permanent and transient, covalent and non-covalent. 7. Practical approaches for mapping MARs.Role of topoisomerase II in nucleoprotein complexes of nuclear matrix. Replication and transkription in "factories" anchored to nuclear skeleton. Regulation of gene expression at the level of chromatin loops. 8. Rosette structures and chromosome "minibands"(2 Mb) - last levels of chromosome compactisation. Heterochromatin and euchromatin from the point of view of different structural levels. Isochores. 9. Specialised chromosome structures - centromere a telomere. Fuctions determined and suggested. Light microscopy view and nucleoprotein composition - generally. 10. Detailed telomere structure - telomeric DNAs at different organisms, asociated proteins, telomerase - specialised reverse transcriptase possessing its own template RNA. Telomerase as a target of anticancer therapy. Telomerase-independent mechanisms of telomeremaintenance. 11. Centromere - example of "non-coding" repetitive sequences, which (in interaction with specific proteins) code for functionally indispensable chromosome domain. 12. Funkctional chromosome = centromere, telomeres and replication origins? Methods of mapping replication origins. Attempts to construct mammalian artificial chromosome (MAC) and perspective use. 13. Recombination as a process of metabolism of genetic information. Types of recombination processesů and their molecular mechanisms. Using recombination as a tool in genetics. 14. Chromatin restructuring in spermatogenesis. How the extreme compactisation is achieved (Proteins change, DNA remains). What happens with chromatin after fertilisation of egg cell.
Literature
  • Studentům bude nabídnuto CD J. Fajkuse s přednáškami a doplňujícím materiálem (formáty souborů ppt, html, jpg a pdf)
  • T.A. Brown: GENOMES. Bios Scientific Publishers Ltd. 1999,Oxford.
  • C.R. Calladine, H.R. Drew: Understanding DNA.Second edition. Academic Press N.Y. 1997
  • FAJKUS, Jiří and Ulrike ZENTGRAF. Structure and Maintenance of Chromosome Ends in Plants. In Telomerases, Telomeres and Cancer. Georgetown, New York: Landes Bioscience, Kluwer Academic, 2002, p. 314-331. Molecular Biology Intelligence Unit 22. ISBN 0-306-47437-9. info
Assessment methods (in Czech)
Přednášky a odborné semináře v českém nebo angl. jazyce Zkouška - test, návrh experimentu pro zjištění....(pís.), ústní
Language of instruction
Czech
Follow-Up Courses
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2008 - for the purpose of the accreditation, Spring 2011 - only for the accreditation, Spring 2003, Spring 2004, Spring 2005, Spring 2006, Spring 2008, Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, spring 2012 - acreditation.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2007, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/sci/spring2007/Bi9041