Bi8021 Genetics of Microorganisms

Faculty of Science
Spring 2012

The course is not taught in Spring 2012

Extent and Intensity
2/0. 2 credit(s) (fasci plus compl plus > 4). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. RNDr. Alena Španová, CSc. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. RNDr. Alena Španová, CSc.
Department of Experimental Biology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Supplier department: Department of Experimental Biology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Prerequisites
The course is destined for students interested in acquiring information about the mechanisms of natural transfer of genes among microorganisms and about genetic analysis of microorganisms. Courses in Molecular Biology (Bi4020) and General Microbiology (Bi4090) are required as prerequisites.
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
At the end of this course, the students should be able to understand genetic terminology, the different types of natural gene transfer among microorganisms, the importance of mutants for construction of genetic maps, and principles of regulation of gene expression in prokaryotes. They will also understand genetic terminology.
Syllabus
  • Definition of genetics of microorganisms. The impact of bacterial genetics for molecular biology. Genomes of domains Bacteria, Archea and Eucarya. Classical and reversion genetics.
  • Main characteristics of bacteria suitable for genetic analysis. Genetic terminology.
  • Mutations and mutant isolation. Phenotypes used in bacterial genetics.
  • Use of bacterial mutants – Ames test and SOS Chromotest.
  • Replication, transcription and translation of archeal genomes.
  • Transfer of genes between microorganisms. Plasmids, F plasmids and mechanism of conjugation. Hfr strains and transfer of chromosomal genes.
  • Interrupted and noninterrupted conjugation and construction of genetic maps. F‘ and R‘ plasmids, mobilised plasmids. General recombination during conjugation.
  • Virulent and temperate bacteriophages. General transduction. Bacteriophage lambda, its lifecycle.
  • Specialised transduction. Phage mutants and constrution of phage genetic map.
  • Natural transformation and its importace. Different kinds of DNA transfer into cells during transformation.
  • Restriction and modification of DNA, characterisation of restriction modification systems.
  • Transposition. IS elements and transposons, their structure and importance in gene transfer. Conjugative transposons.
  • Regulation of gene expression in prokaryots. Levels of regulation. Enzymatic induction, enzymatic repression, catabolic repression. Negative and positive regulation of operon.
  • Attenuation. Other kinds of regulation of gene expression in bacteria. Classification of regulators.
  • New era in genetics - sequencing. Bioinformatics and proteomics.
Literature
  • Rosypal, S. Introduction into molecular biology (Úvod do molekulární biologie). Brno : Prof. RNDr. Stanislav Rosypal, DrSc., Brno, 2006. 290 s. ISBN 80-902562-5-2.
  • Trun N., Trempy J., Fundamentals Bacterial Genetics, Blackwell Science Ltd 2003, ISBN 978-0632044481
Teaching methods
Presentations on stencils and in PowerPoint are used in the instruction. Presentations of real results of analysis are included and used for the explanation of problems.
Assessment methods
The course is closed with a test and a spoken exam. The test contains 50 questions which must be answered briefly. Each student who has correctly answered 30 questions qualifies for the spoken exam. The student is given 2 questions. The overall result of the exam is evaluated by the examiner.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
General note: Předmět není počínaje JS 2012 vypisován; obsahovou náhradou je Bi7120 Molekulární biologie prokaryot (v PS).
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 2007, Spring 2008, Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, spring 2012 - acreditation.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2012, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/sci/spring2012/Bi8021