1. komponenta

Lecture type	Total
Lectures	15
Practicum	30
Seminar	15

* Load is given in academic hour (1 academic hour = 45 minutes)

COURSE OBJECTIVES:
The course objectives are (i) to learn how plant cell metabolism changes and to what extent it can adapt to adverse (stressful) conditions, (ii) to conduct a comprehensive research on a given topic including literature search, experimental planning, experimental execution, and report writing.

COURSE CONTENT:
LECTURES
1. Introduction to stress physiology in plants (terminology, definitions, phases of response to stress);
2. and 3. Osmotic adjustment: the role and biosynthesis of compatible osmolytes in conditions of water deficit (drought and salinity);
4. Accumulation of osmolytes and other specific molecules in acclimation to cold and freezing;
5. Biosynthesis and role of heat shock proteins in response to heat stress;
6. Cellular respiration in hypoxic and anoxic conditions in rhizosphere caused by flooding;
7. Photodamage, protection and repair of photosynthetic apparatus in high light conditions;
8. and. 9. Oxidative stress (caused by reactive oxygen species) and antioxidative system in plants;
10. and 11.Effect of heavy metals on plant metabolism, role and biosynthesis of phytochelatins;
12. Effect of air pollution and herbicides on plants;
13. and 14. Plant responses to pathogens and herbivores;
15. Theoretical introduction related to topic selected for practical work (Time of the lecture will be coordinated with the beginning of laboratory work).

SEMINAR AND PRACTICAL WORK
Students conduct a comprehensive investigation of metabolic changes in plants exposed to a selected stress condition.
The seminar includes the selection of a topic, planning experiments, developing protocols for laboratory methods to be applied, and processing, presenting, and interpreting results.
Practical classes include preparations for laboratory work (solutions, cultivation of plant material) and independent performance of methods that detect metabolic changes caused by stress conditions.

1. Selection of the research topic and making hypothesis;
2. Search for relevant scientific literature;
3. and 4. Research planning: making detailed laboratory procedures for chosen methods (based on literature data and knowledge gained in the scope of the current and previous courses);
5 and 6. Setting up an experiment: growing plants in climate chamber and exposure to biotic or abiotic stress factor;
7. Laboratory work: spectrophotometric determination of specific metabolites synthesized under stress conditions (for example prolin);
8. Evaluation of cell damage caused by oxidative stress (lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyls) by spectrophotometric methods;
9. Spectrophotometric measurements of antioxidative enzyme activities (peroxidase, catalase, superoxid dismutase);
10. and 11. Separation of proteins by native gel electrophoresis and detection of isoenzymes of antioxidative enzymes;
11. and 12. Analysis of data including statistical methods;
13. Interpretation of results;
14. and 15. Report (in written form) containing elements of original scientific paper: Abstract, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, References.

1. Plant Physiology and Development, 6th edition., Taiz, L., Zeiger, E., Moller, I. M., Murphy, A. (2015). Plant Physiology and Development. Sinauer Associates, Inc., Taiz, L., Zeiger, E., Moller, I. M., Murphy, A., Sinnauer Associates Inc., Publishers Sunderland, Massachusetts U.S.A., 2015.
2. Odabrani originalni znanstveni radovi i pregledni radovi / Selected original scientific papers and review papers, Odabrani radovi (originalni znanstveni radovi i pregledni radovi) iz područja fiziologije stresa u biljaka / Selected publications (original scientific papers and review papers) in the field of stress physiology in plants, -.
3. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Plants, Buchanan, B., Gruissem, W., Jones, R. L. (2015). Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Plants. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Buchanan, B., Gruissem, W., Jones, R. L., John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., 2015.
4. The Molecular Life of Plants., Jones, R., Ougham, H., Thomas, H., Waaland, S. (2013). The Molecular Life of Plants. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Jones R, Ougham H, Thomas H, Waaland S, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., 2013.

Izborni kolegiji - Regular study - Molecular Biology