1. komponenta

Lecture type	Total
Lectures	60
Seminar	30

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

Course content

1. CITRIC ACID CYCLE. Formation of acetyl-coenzyme A; asymmetric reactions, asymmetric reactions of symmetrical substrates; pyruvate-decarboxylase complex and its control; connection of the cycle with other metabolic pathways; regulation of the cycle. Glyoxylate pathway.
2. OXIDATIVE PHOSPHORYLATION. Structure of mitochondria. Redox potentials and free energy change. Proton and electron transporters in the respiratory chain; the formation of a proton gradient; transport systems in the mitochondrial membrane; structure and function of cytochromes.
3. PHOTOSYNTHESIS. Structure of the chloroplast; chlorophylls and other photoreceptors. The light reactions (photosystems I and II) and the dark reactions of photosynthesis (Calvin cycle). Proton gradient and ATP synthesis. C4 in tropical plants. Photosynthetic microorganisms. Determination of the structure of the photosynthetic complex.
4. DEGRADATION AND BIOSYNTHESIS OF FATTY ACIDS AND LIPIDS. Regulation. Structure and function of multienzyme complexes for the synthesis of fatty acids. Formation of ketone bodies. Cholesterol; lipoproteins of blood plasma.
5. DEGRADATION AND BIOSYNTHESIS OF AMINO ACIDS. Urea cycle; The fate of amino acid carbon atoms: a link to glycolysis and the citric acid cycle. Nitrogen fixation. Essential and non-essential amino acids. Amino acids as precursors of other compounds; congenital errors in amino acid metabolism.
6. DEGRADATION AND BIOSYNTHESIS OF NUCLEOTIDES. Synthesis of the purine ring on ribose-5-phosphate; IMP as a precursor to ATP and GTP; regulation of purine synthesis; synthesis of pyrimidines from aspartate and carbamoyl phosphate; synthesis of deoxyribonucleotides; synthesis of deoxythymidylate.
7. METABOLISM AS A WHOLE. Recapitulation of the main metabolic pathways; ways of regulating metabolism and the main regulatory sites; major metabolic pathways in individual organs; hormonal regulation of metabolism.
8. DNA AND RNA - MOLECULES OF INHERITANCE. Double helix and complementarity. Denaturation and renaturation of DNA. Hybridization. A, B, and Z form of DNA. DNA supercoiling; Enzymology of topoisomerization.
9. DNA REPLICATION. Semiconservative replication; structure of the cellular replication system; Corrective mechanisms of DNA replication and repair.
10. BACTERIAL TRANSCRIPTION AND TRANSCRIPTION CONTROL. Enzymology of transcription; post-transcriptional editing and modifications. Operons; regulation by means of repressors. Positive control by the CAP-cAMP complex. Attenuation of operon expression.
11. CELLULAR MACHINERY FOR TRANSLATION. Structure of ribosomes. Adaptor role of tRNA. The genetic code. Specificity of aminoacylation and codon-anticodon interaction.
12. PROTEIN BIOSYNTHESIS. Initiation, elongation, termination of the polypeptide chain. Accuracy of protein biosynthesis. The role of suppressor tRNAs. Incorporation of selenocysteine and pyrrolysine as 21 and 22 amino acids.
13. ORGANIZATION OF THE EUKARYOTIC GENOME. Genome size and genetic content; repetitive genes; structure of the nucleosome. introns and exons. Differences in the processes of genetic information transfer in prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
14. EUKARYOTIC TRANSCRIPTION AND RNA PROCESSING. Types of RNA polymerases and recognition of promoters. Ways to excise introns. Primary transcript refinement and maturation of mRNA, tRNA and rRNA. Ribozymes.

Learning outcomes

- Explain the biological role of lipids. Draw the structures of representative compounds and write the reactions by which these compounds are created and degraded in the cell.
- Explain the biological role of amino acids and nucleotides. Draw the structures of basic biologically relevant representatives and write down the reactions by which these compounds are created and degraded in the cell.
- Summarize the basics of metabolism that serves to obtain ATP. Explain the mechanisms by which energy conversion occurs and the role of cell membranes in this process.
- Outline and explain biochemical processes characteristic of photosynthetic organisms.
- Demonstrate an understanding of general metabolic principles. To compare degradation and biosynthetic metabolism by distinguishing reciprocal metabolic pathways and their joint regulation.
- Interpret the specifics in the metabolic regulation and specialization, related to the type of organism (bacteria, plants, mammals) or the type of tissue (liver, muscle, brain).
- Explain the structure of nucleic acids and demonstrate an understanding of biochemical reactions that transfer genetic information from nucleic acids to proteins.
- Explain the mechanisms of synthesis of natural polymers that are formed according to a template and interpret the structures and modes of action of enzymes that participate in these processes.
- List similarities and differences in the structure and organization of the genome and in the mechanisms of genetic information transfer in bacteria and eukaryotes
- Explain the basic assumptions and methods of genetic engineering and assess the importance of recombinant DNA methods for the development of modern biochemistry.

Required reading:
D. L. Nelson and M. M. Cox: Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry, 8th ed, Macmillan Learning, 2021 (or newer)

Supplementary literature:
J. Berg, G. Gatto Jr., J. Hines, J. L. Tymoczko, L. Stryer: Biochemistry, 10th ed, Macmillan Learning, 2023 (or newer)

1. Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry, 8th edition, D. L. Nelson, M. M. Cox, Macmillan Learning, 2021.
2. Biochemistry, 10th edition, J. Berg, G. Gatto Jr., J. Hines, J. L. Tymoczko, L. Stryer, Macmillan Learning, 2023.

Mandatory course - Regular study - Chemistry