B9041 Structure and function of eukaryotic chromosomes

Faculty of Science
Spring 2001
Extent and Intensity
2/1/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
prof. RNDr. Jiří Fajkus, CSc. (lecturer)
doc. Mgr. Lumír Krejčí, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. RNDr. Lenka Fajkusová, CSc. (lecturer)
Mgr. Eva Sýkorová, CSc. (lecturer)
Mgr. Tatiana Vrtíková Kubičárová, CSc. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
prof. RNDr. Jiří Fajkus, CSc.
Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: prof. RNDr. Jiří Fajkus, CSc.
Prerequisites
( Ex_2211 Biochemistry || Imp_8983 Biochemistry || C3181 Biochemistry I || CB390 Biochemistry || CB370 Biochemistry || C3580 Biochemistry ) && ( Ex_3066 Molekulární biologie eukaryot || B7090 Eukaryotic cells )
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
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
  • 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
Assessment methods (in Czech)
Přednášky a odborné semináře v českém nebo angl. jazyce Zkouška - návrh experimentu pro zjištění....(pís.), ústní
Language of instruction
Czech
Follow-Up Courses
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2000, Spring 2002.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2001, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/sci/spring2001/B9041