1. Course in Molecular Biology Leuven, October – November 2002 Program I.Basics of molecular biology II.Transcription III.Translation IV.Regulatory pathways V.DNA and diseases VI.Biotechnology

2. Lesson 1: Basics of molecular biology I.The Cell’s Organization II.Cell Cycle and Cell Division III.Cellular Molecules IV.The Genetic Dogma

3. The Cell’s Organization

4. All organisms: 1 or more cells PROKARYOTES EUKARYOTES

5. The animal cell

6. A plant cell

7. A bacterium

8. The Main Functions of the Membrane-bounded Compartments of a Eukaryotic Cell CompartmentMain Function Cytosolcontains many metabolic pathways protein synthesis Nucleuscontains main genome DNA and RNA synthesis Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) synthesis of most lipids synthesis of proteins for distribution to many organelles and plasma membrane Golgi apparatusmodification, sorting, and packaging of proteins and lipids for either secretion or delivery to another organelle Lysosomesintracellular degradation Endosomessorting of endocytosed material MitochondriaATP synthesis by oxidative phosphorylation Chloroplasts (in plant cells) ATP synthesis and carbon fixation by photosynthesis Peroxisomesoxidation of toxic molecules

9. Compartimentation of the eukaryote cell: various organelles

10. Cell nucleus Contains genetic information: DNA Nucleolus: Ribosome building machine Protein factories in the cytoplasm

12. Each human cell contains 46 chromosomes (except sperm or egg cells)

13. Chromosomes in a cell that is about to divide

14. Mitochondria: factories of energy glucose O2O2 PiPi ADP ATP H2OH2O CO 2

15. The endoplasmic reticulum smooth (metabolism+synthesis of lipids) rough (protein synthesis)

16. The Golgi apparatus cis trans medial  processing of secretory proteins  sorting cellular proteins

17. Inside the cytosol: the cytoskeleton “microtubules” maintainance of cell shape and mobility ancor for other cellular structures

18. Presentation: DNA

19. Cell Cycle and Cell Division

20. Some Eukaryotic Cell-Cycle Times Cell TypeCell-Cycle Times Early frog embryo cells30 minutes Yeast cells1.5-3 hours Intestinal epithelial cellsabout 12 hours Mammalian fibroblasts in cultureabout 20 hours Human liver cellsabout 1 year

21. The eukaryotic cell cycle

22. Separation of sister chromatides during mitosis (mitosis = normal cell division)

23. Microtubuli: assist chromosomes during cell division (mitosis)

24. Different stages of the M phase during cell division (mitosis)

25. The three DNA sequence elements needed to produce a eukaryotic chromosome that can be replicated and then segregated at mitosis

26. Kinetochores and kinetochore microtubules

27. Gametogenesis: meiosis (= specialized form of cell division giving rise to sperm and egg cells) Meiosis I

28. Meiosis I (continued)Meiosis II Cell division without DNA replication  Haploid cell

29. Presentation: Chromosomes, mitosis and meiosis

30. Cellular Molecules

31. The four main families of small organic molecules in cells

32. Macromolecules are abundant in cells

33. The general reaction by which a macromolecule is made Condensation reaction: H 2 O molecule is released

34. The four main families of small organic molecules in cells

35. Glucose, a simple sugar

36. Monosaccharides

37. Sugar ring formation in aqueous solution

38. Disaccharides: formed by two sugar monomers

39. Oligo- and polysaccharides

40. Complex oligosaccharides

41. The four main families of small organic molecules in cells

45. Phospholipid structure and orientation of phospholipids in membranes

46. The four main families of small organic molecules in cells

47. A simple amino acid: alanine

49. A small part of a large protein molecule

50. The four main families of small organic molecules in cells

53. ATP: the energy carrier in cells

54. Various functions of proteins

55. Proteins as polypeptide chains

56. Three types of noncovalent bonds that help proteins fold

57. The size of proteins

58. Several levels of protein organization

59. Many protein molecules contain multiple copies of a single protein subunit

60. Proteins often have highly specific binding sites

61. How a set of enzyme-catalyzed reactions generates a metabolic pathway

62. Phosphorylation and ATP hydrolysis drive protein functions

63. Genetic information is stored in the DNA

64. DNA and its building blocks

65. DNA has an orientation

66. DNA encodes proteins

67. “Genes” encode proteins

68. DNA replication

69. DNA synthesis and proofreading

70. Replication of eukaryotic chromosomes

71. The replication fork in detail

72. DNA replication can cause mutations

73. DNA repair

74. Mutations: possible cause of diseases and disfunctionalities

75. The Genetic Dogma

76. From DNA to protein

77. Transcription by RNA polymerase

78. RNA vs DNA mRNAscodes for proteins rRNAsforms part of the structure of the ribosome and participates in protein synthesis tRNAsused in protein synthesis as an adaptor between mRNA and amino acids Small RNAsused in pre-mRNA splicing, transport of proteins to ER, and other cellular processes

79. Genes contain introns and exons

80. Presentation: Heredity and inheritance