Unit GENERAL BIOCHEMISTRY

GENERAL AND APPLIED BIOCHEMISTRY

Code	GP005391
CFU	5
Teacher	Luca Avellini
Teachers	Luca Avellini
Hours	50 ore - Luca Avellini
Learning activities	Base
Area	Discipline della struttura, funzione e metabolismo delle molecole di interesse biologico
Academic discipline	BIO/10
Type of study-unit	Obbligatorio (Required)
Language of instruction	Italian
Contents	Regulation of enzyme activity. Bioenergetics and metabolism. Functional role and anabolic and catabolic processes of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins, including the mechanisms of transdeamination and ureogenesis. Mechanisms of regulation of the metabolism and interrelationships between the various metabolisms in mammals. General Principles on preparative, chromatographic and spectrophotometric techniques.
Reference texts	M.L. Nelson, M.M. Cox "Principi di Biochimica di Lehninger" Zanichelli;K. Wilson, J. Walker “Biochimica e biologia molecolare. Principi e tecniche” Cortina Raffaello.
Educational objectives	The course has the main objective to provide the basic elements for an adequate knowledge of the metabolic pathways, their integrations and regulations, as well as to provide the theoretical basis of the peparative, chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques most commonly used. At the end of the course the student will possess the appropriate know how for understanding the metabolic specificity of organs and tissues, and the differences between species as will be studied in the module of Veterinary Systematic and Comparative Biochemistry and to approach the study of following courses, especially of physiology and pathology as well as nutrition and pharmaco-toxicology. In addition, the student will acquire the critical skills necessary to recognize and provide for the different metabolic adaptations consequent to feeding or environmental changes. Finally, the student will also possess the ability to use the most common laboratory instruments for volumetric and gravimetric measurements, performing the lipid extraction and a TLC. Such knowledge and skills will be required to pass the exam.
Teaching methods	The course is organized as follow:- Lectures (43 hours) on all subjects of the course- Laboratory exercises (overall 7 hours) will be done at the teaching labs (basement of the main building) for the knowledge/solution of basic problems regarding biochemistry lab. Students will be divided into 4 groups (maximum 20 students per group).
Other information	Slides used by the teacher for lessons will be available on-line.According to groups of students, meetings will be conducted for the review of the program close to the examination sessions in the classrooms of educational PoleThe teacher becomes available (by prior arrangement) even outside of official office hours (Tues. and Thurs. 13-14) for explanations about the topics of the program.During the course the students can refer to a class tutor who will manage firsthand the relationship with the teacher and will keep them informed of all the tools provided to facilitate their career advancement.At the beginning of the period of the lessons, the teacher, in collaboration with some volunteer students, will create a working group on a social-network, which will be free to join all concerned and which allow maximum speed of dissemination and visibility to every problem / solution logistical or teaching that is present during, or after the course
Extended program	Introduction to Metabolism: mechanisms of regulation of enzyme activity, allosteric modulation, covalent reversible regulation concept of second messenger, cascade amplification of the signal. Automatic regulation. The remote adjustment of metabolism, signal transduction. Cellular compartmentalization. Organization of metabolism, high-energy bonds, cycle of ATP (4 modes of use, and 4 modes for ATP synthesis)CARBOHYDRATE METABOLISM: Origin and fate of glucose, the role of hexokinase and glucokinase, glycolysis: the individual reactions of the two phases, the use of other monosaccharides, fate of pyruvate (lactate dehydrogenase complex and the decarboxylation of pyruvate), gluconeogenesis: source precursors, specific reactions; reciprocal regulation of glycolysis and gluconeogenesis, bifunctional enzyme and fructose,2-6,bisphosphate. Glycogen metabolism, the role of UDP-glucose, covalent and allosteric regulation of glycogen metabolism. Cori cycle. Pentose phosphate pathway.TERMINAL METABOLISM: Origin and fate of acetyl-CoA, Krebs cycle reactions and its amphibolic role; role of oxaloacetate and anaplerotic reactions; reciprocal regulation of pyruvate carboxylase and pyruvate dehydrogenase. Respiratory chain transporters and reactions, ubiquinone cycle, the proton pumps, the proton gradient as a form of energy storage (translocase of the adenylic nucleotides and thermogenin) Oxidative phosphorylation. Energy efficiency. The shuttle systems (malate-aspartate and glycerol-phosphate).METABOLISM of LIPID,PROTEINS and METABOLIC INTERRELATIONSHIPS: Transport of lipids in the blood. AcilCoA synthase, role and regulation of the transport of carnitine, beta-oxidation of saturated, unsaturated and with odd number of C fatty acids: reactions and energy efficiency; synthesis and meaning of ketone bodies. Palmitate synthesis, elongation and desaturation reactions, transport of citrate and malic enzyme role. Lipogenic and glucogenic amino acids, trans-deamination, role of alanine and glutamine. Nitrogen metabolism and urea cycle. Metabolic interrelationships.LABORATORY METHODS. General principles of analytical and preparative techniques commonly used in the biochemical laboratory: chromatography (TLC, HPLC, GLC) and spectrophotometry (Beer-Lambert law, calibration curve, single and dual beam spectrophotometer, fluorimeter).

GENERAL CHEMISTRY AND ORGANIC

Code	GP005389
CFU	3
Teacher	Luca Avellini
Teachers	Tiziana Del Giacco (Codocenza)
Hours	30 ore (Codocenza) - Tiziana Del Giacco
Learning activities	Base
Area	Discipline applicate agli studi medico-veterinari
Academic discipline	CHIM/06
Type of study-unit	Obbligatorio (Required)
Language of instruction	Italian
Contents	General introduction to chemistry. GENERAL CHEMISTRY: atomic structure of the elements, reactivity and interatomic bonds, concentration and properties of solutions, chemistry in action: the reactions. Organic chemistry: functional groups, stereochemistry, reaction mechanisms, classes of compounds and related reactions.
Reference texts	Suggested books: Dario Ghigo “Elementi di chimica generale e organica. Per i corsi di area sanitaria.” Libreria Universitaria Bettelheim, Brown, Campbell, Farrell "Chimica e propedeutica biochimica" Edises Slides of lectures and bibliography provided by the teacher.
Educational objectives	The main objective of this course is to provide students with basic knowledge of general and organic chemistry, essential prerequisite for the subsequent deepening in various fields of chemistry and biology, with particular reference to the biochemical processes. KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING - The main knowledge gained will be part of the general chemistry: atomic and molecular structure of matter, chemical reactivity, thermodynamic and equilibrium, the properties of the solutions; in the field of organic chemistry: nomenclature, structure and reactivity of the main functional groups (from hydrocarbons to organic compounds containing hetero atoms), reaction mechanisms by the which the transformations of organic compounds can be rationalized and the basic principles of stereochemistry. The exercises on the lecture topics will offer the student the opportunity to evaluate and verify the knowledge acquired. APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING - At the end of the course students will be able to use the basic concepts of general and organic chemistry for the subsequent development of specific skills in the medical-veterinary field. In particular they will be able to use the knowledge gained to understand at molecular level the cells and animal organism biological mechanisms. The understanding of the reaction mechanisms will allow the student to rationalize the transformations of organic compounds in biochemistry.
Teaching methods	The lessons are organized as follows: Face-to-face lessons (26 hours) on the topics envisaged by the current program, supported by Power Point and blackboard; at the end of each topic are provided examples that are designed to facilitate, increase and improve learning. Practical training (4 hours) which consist in the resolution of questions regarding the stoichiometric calculations applied to solutions, the pH, colligative properties and buffer solutions. It is also planned experiments on some topics of the course performed in the laboratory. Students will be divided into 4 groups, each of 20 students.
Extended program	INTRODUCTION TO CHEMISTRY GENERAL CHEMISTRY 1) Atomic structure of the elements-reactivity and interatomic bonds: atomic structure, orbitals, electronic configuration, periodic properties of the elements, reactivity of the elements and octet rule, the chemical bond, hybridization, structural formulas, resonance. (7 h) 2) Weak intermolecular interactions (van der Waals and London forces, hydrogen bonding); concentration and solution properties: molecular weight and mol, solutions, stoichiometry, colligative properties. (4 h) 3) The chemistry in action-the reactions: kinetics, thermodynamics, chemical equilibrium, catalysis, acids and bases, pH, titration, buffer systems, redox reactions. (4 h) ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 1) Functional groups. (3 h) 2) Stereochemistry. (2 h) 3) Ways in which the reactions take place: reaction mechanisms. (2 h) 4) Classes of compounds and their reactions: alkanes, alkenes and alkynes; aromatic hydrocarbons; alcohol, ethers, and sulfur compounds; aldehydes and ketones; carboxylic acids; amines. (4 h)

INTRODUCTORY BIOCHEMISTRY

Code	GP005390
CFU	3
Teacher	Luca Avellini
Teachers	Luca Avellini
Hours	30 ore - Luca Avellini
Learning activities	Base
Area	Discipline della struttura, funzione e metabolismo delle molecole di interesse biologico
Academic discipline	BIO/10
Type of study-unit	Obbligatorio (Required)
Language of instruction	Italian
Contents	Structure, chemical properties and reactivity of functional groups in Carbohydrates, Lipids, Proteins and Nucleotides. Structure of biological membrane and membrane transport. The structure-function relationship in proteins.
Reference texts	Bettelheim, Brown, Campbell, Farrell "Chimica e Propedeutica Biochimica" EdiSESM.L. Nelson, M.M. Cox "Principi di Biochimica di Lehninger" Zanichelli
Educational objectives	The course has the main objective to provide the basic elements for understand chemical properties and reactivity of functional groups present in biological molecules. At the end of the course, the student will possess the appropriate know how for understanding the structure and function of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins, the enzymatic kinetic and bioenergetics and will have the competence to discuss in a reasoned way on the individual reactions of metabolic pathways studied in the module of General and Applied Biochemistry. Such knowledge and skills will be certified by passing the exam.
Teaching methods	- Face-to-face lectures (26 hours) on all subjects referred in the program- Practical lessons (overall 4 hours) will be done at the teaching labs (basement of the main building) or in classroom for the in-depth analysis and implementation of some topics treated by lectures. Students will be divided into 4 groups (maximum 15 students per group).
Other information	Slides used by the teacher for lessons will be available on-line.According to groups of students, meetings will be conducted close to examination sessions, in the classrooms of educational Pole, for review the program.Teacher becomes available (by prior arrangement) even outside of official office hours (Tues. and Thurs. 13-14) for explanations about the topics of the program.During the cours the students can refer to a class tutor who will manage firsthand the relationship with the teachers and will keep them informed of all the tools provided to facilitate their career advancement.At the beginning of the period of the lessons the teacher, in collaboration with some volunteer students, will create a working group on a social-network, which will be free to join all concerned and which allow maximum speed of dissemination and visibility to every problem / solution logistical or teaching that is present during, or after the course
Extended program	Recalls to organic chemistry: substitution, addition and elimination reactions. Nucleophiles and electrophiles. Oxidation states of Carbon. Basicity of the amines.The biological molecules:Carbohydrates - Monosaccharides and steric series: aldoses and ketoses, cyclic structures and hemiacetals, anomers and mutarotation, aldol condensation, keto-enol tautomerism and interconversion between aldoses and ketoses; glycosidic bond and formation of acetals, di- and poly-saccharides.Lipids - Fatty acids saturated, unsaturated and essential, esterification, glycerolipids, amphipathic molecules, micelles and bilayers. Sterols. Biological membrane model, mesomorfism thermotropic and concept of membrane fluidity.Poteins - Amino acids and their reactions: zwitterion, decarboxylation, deamination, alpha-beta elimination, hemiamminal and Shiff bases, the role of pyridoxal phosphate. The peptide bond, the 4 levels of protein structure, conformational changes, denaturation and renaturation.Nucleotides - purines and pyrimidines, nucleosides and N-glycosidic bond; ribose and desossiribose. Phosphoanhydride bond.Introduction to metabolism: Membrane transports (simple and facilitated diffusion, transporters and channels, primary and secondary active transport, affinity, specificity and Vmax). Cell compartmentalization. Protein-ligand interaction and conformational modification.