Unit BIOCHEMISTRY
- Course
- Veterinary medicine
- Study-unit Code
- A006111
- Curriculum
- In all curricula
- Teacher
- Luca Avellini
- CFU
- 8
- Course Regulation
- Coorte 2025
- Offered
- 2025/26
- Type of study-unit
- Obbligatorio (Required)
- Type of learning activities
- Attività formativa integrata
GENERAL AND APPLIED BIOCHEMISTRY
| Code | GP005391 |
|---|---|
| CFU | 5 |
| Teacher | Luca Avellini |
| Teachers |
|
| Hours |
|
| Learning activities | Base |
| Area | Discipline della struttura, funzione e metabolismo delle molecole di interesse biologico |
| Sector | 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. Mechanisms of regulation of the metabolism and interrelationships between the various metabolisms in mammals. General Principles on preparative and analytical 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 | D1 - KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING At the end of the course, students will be able to understand and apply: - the principles of bioenergetics in the interpretation of cellular metabolism; - the metabolic pathways involving carbohydrates, lipids and proteins and their regulation, the metabolic specialization of the main organs, and intra-cellular and inter-organ metabolic integration; - the theoretical basis of the most commonly used preparative, spectroscopic, chromatographic and electrophoretic techniques. D2 - APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING At the end of the course, students should have developed the following skills: - apply the knowledge acquired on metabolic reactions to understand organ and tissue specificities and differences between species, which will be covered later in the course ‘Veterinary and Molecular Biochemistry’; - understand, recognise and predict the different metabolic adaptations resulting from dietary or environmental changes, as well as the different physiological needs and those related to animal welfare; - use basic biochemical laboratory equipment as methods for scientific research in compliance with biosafety protocols. D3 - AUTONOMY OF JUDGMENT Students must be able to critically and independently discuss the homeostatic adaptations expected in the event of normal or pathological changes in metabolism or nutrition. D4 - COMMUNICATION SKILLS At the end of the course, students should be able to organise and present the knowledge they have acquired, supporting it with rigorous argumentation, completeness, and the ability to connect it to other contexts, using language appropriate to the audience in both written and oral form. D5 - LIFELONG LEARNING SKILLS At the end of the course, students should be able to: - integrate and independently manage the knowledge acquired with information derived from scientific texts or bibliographic resources and apply what they have learned in different contexts, including research; - have a command of the subject matter such as to be able to understand the content of subsequent courses such as veterinary biochemistry, molecular biology, physiology, general pathology, nutrition, pharmacotoxicology and laboratory medicine. Day-one competences 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 21, 22, 29, 36. |
| Prerequisites | |
| 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 Pole. The teacher becomes available (by prior arrangement) even outside of official office hours (Tues. and Thurs. 13:00-14:00) 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 |
| Learning verification modality | The learning assessment methods are reported on the page https://medvet.unipg.it/files/lm-42/msyllabus_mv_27082024.pdf A006111 - BIOCHEMISTRY, responsible teacher: Prof Luca Avellini |
| Extended program | INTRODUCTION TO METABOLISM: Review of the properties and reactivity of the functional groups in biomolecules. Transport across membranes (carrier and channel proteins, primary and secondary active transport, affinity, specificity and maximum speed), cellular compartmentalisation. Protein-ligand interaction and conformational modification. Enzymes: principles of enzyme kinetics, Michaelis-Menten kinetics, steady-state kinetics, role of coenzymes and prosthetic groups (NAD, FAD, CoA, PLP, TPP, biotin, lipoate); mechanisms of enzyme activity regulation, homotropic and heterotropic allosteric modulation, symmetric and sequential models, haemoglobin behaviour; reversible covalent regulation, second messenger concept, signal cascade amplification. Automatic regulation: thermodynamics and kinetics. Organisation of metabolism, high free energy hydrolysis bonds, ATP cycle (4 modes of utilisation and 4 modes of ATP synthesis). CARBOHYDRATE METABOLISM: Review of the structure and reactivity of carbohydrates. Origin and fate of glucose, role of hexokinase and glucokinase; glycolysis: the individual reactions of the two phases, utilisation of other monosaccharides, fate of pyruvate (lactate dehydrogenase and pyruvate decarboxylation complex); gluconeogenesis: origin of precursors, specific reactions; reciprocal regulation of glycolysis and gluconeogenesis, bifunctional enzyme and fructose 2-6 bisphosphate. Synthesis and degradation of glycogen, role of UDP-glucose, allosteric and covalent regulation of glycogen metabolism. Cori cycle. TERMINAL METABOLISM: Origin of acetyl-CoA, Krebs cycle: individual reactions, amphibolic role, role of oxaloacetate, anaplerotic reactions; reciprocal regulation of pyruvate carboxylase and pyruvate dehydrogenase. Respiratory chain: transporters and redox potential, ubiquinone cycle, proton pumps, proton gradient as a form of energy storage (adenyl nucleotide translocase and thermogenin); Oxidative phosphorylation. Regulation by energy load. Energy yield. Shuttle systems (malate-aspartate and glycerol-phosphate). LIPID AND PROTEIN METABOLISM AND METABOLIC INTERRELATIONSHIPS: Review of the structure and reactivity of lipids and proteins. Transport of lipids in the blood (overview). Acyl-CoA synthetase, role of carnitine and transport regulation, beta-oxidation of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids and those with an odd number of C atoms: individual reactions and energy yield; synthesis and significance of ketone bodies. Palmitate synthesis, elongation and desaturation reactions, citrate transport and role of the malic enzyme. General information on nitrogen metabolism: glucogenic and lipogenic amino acids, transamination. Metabolic interrelationships. BIOCHEMICAL METHODOLOGIES. The scientific method. General principles of analytical and preparative techniques commonly used in the biochemical laboratory: chromatographic techniques (TLC, HPLC, GLC), spectrophotometric techniques (Lambert-Beer's law, calibration curves, single and double beam spectrophotometer, fluorimeter), electrophoretic techniques (SDS-PAGE, Western Blot). |
| Obiettivi Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile |
VETERINARY AND MOLECULAR BIOCHEMISTRY
| Code | A006112 |
|---|---|
| CFU | 3 |
| Teacher | Luca Avellini |
| Teachers |
|
| Hours |
|
| Learning activities | Base |
| Area | Discipline della struttura, funzione e metabolismo delle molecole di interesse biologico |
| Sector | BIO/10 |
| Type of study-unit | Obbligatorio (Required) |
| Language of instruction | Italian |
| Contents | Integration and regulation of metabolic processes through signal transduction systems. Metabolic specialisations of tissues, particularly the liver, rumen and mammary gland. Biochemistry of digestive processes in monogastric and polygastric species. Nitrogen metabolism and nitrogen excretion systems. In-depth study and biochemical and molecular aspects of genetic information: review of the structure and function of nucleic acids, nucleotide metabolism, protein synthesis and post-translational modifications. |
| Reference texts | Nelson D.L., Cox M.M. - Principi di Biochimica. Zanichelli, Bologna. Dale J. W., von Schantz M., Plant N. - Dai geni ai genomi.. EdiSES |
| Educational objectives | D1 - KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING Students must demonstrate adequate knowledge - of the principles of systematic biochemistry in order to understand the metabolic specialisations of the different parts of the body, particularly the liver, rumen and udder; - of the principles of comparative biochemistry in order to understand the main metabolic differences between different animal species, with particular reference to mono- and poly-gastric species; ammoniotelic, ureotelic and uricotelic species. - of the metabolism of nucleotides and nucleic acids in order to understand the molecular logic of life. D2 - ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING At the end of the course, students should have developed the following skills: - apply the knowledge learned to predict, interpret and study the different nutritional needs of animals of veterinary interest. - understand the management of metabolic diseases in a species-specific manner. D3 - AUTONOMY OF JUDGEMENT Students will be able to: - critically and independently discuss the homeostatic adaptations expected in the event of normal or pathological changes in metabolism or nutrition; - understand how homeostasis depends on signal transduction mechanisms. D4 - COMMUNICATION SKILLS At the end of the course, students should be able to organise and present the knowledge they have acquired, supporting it with rigorous argumentation, completeness and the ability to connect it to other contexts, using language appropriate to the audience in both written and oral form. D5 - LEARNING SKILLS At the end of the course, students should be able to: - integrate and manage the knowledge acquired independently with information derived from scientific texts or bibliographic resources and apply what they have learned in different contexts, including research; - have a command of the subject matter such that they can understand the content of subsequent courses such as physiology, general pathology, nutrition and pharmacology-toxicology. Day-one competences 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 21, 22, 24, 29. |
| Teaching methods | The course is organised as follows: - Lectures (26 hours) in the classroom on all course topics. - 1 practical exercise (total 3-4 hours/student) organised as cooperative teaching to stimulate effective communication between peers and implement the principles of teamwork and mutual respect. - Students will be divided into four groups (maximum 20 students). |
| Other information | The lecturer will make the material used for the lessons available online. The lecturer is also available (by prior arrangement) outside official office hours (Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1-2 p.m.) to explain topics covered in the programme. During the lecture period, students will be able to refer to a classroom tutor who will personally manage relations with the various lecturers during the semester and keep them informed about all the tools available to help them progress in their careers. |
| Learning verification modality | The learning assessment methods are reported on the page https://medvet.unipg.it/files/lm-42/msyllabus_mv_27082024.pdf A006111 - BIOCHEMISTRY, responsible teacher: Prof Luca Avellini |
| Extended program | Course presentation and review of general biochemistry. Descriptions of the main metabolic specialisations of different tissues and organs. (1.5 hours). DIGESTIVE PROCESSES IN MONOGASTRICS; Digestion, absorption and transport of carbohydrates and lipids. Lipoproteins: structure, synthesis and role, cholesterol biosynthesis. (2.5 hours) Protein digestion: role and specificity of proteases, absorption of amino acids. Nitrogen balance and excretion pathways: ureogenesis, role of alanine and glutamine, uricogenesis. Biogenic amines. (5 hours). RUMINAL METABOLISM. Structural characteristics of plant polysaccharides: cellulose, hemicellulose, pectic substances. Hydrolytic phase of ruminal carbohydrate digestion. Oxidative phase of ruminal carbohydrate digestion: anaerobic glycolysis, Entner-Doudoroff pathway, phosphoenolpyruvate pathway, pentose phosphate pathway (its role in animal metabolism and ROS scavenging processes). Reductive phase of ruminal carbohydrate metabolism - Fate of pyruvic acid: production of acetate, propionate, butyrate, lactate, formate, and H2 methanogenesis (7 hours). Biohydrogenation: reactions and significance, conjugated isomers of linoleic acid (CLA). Metabolism of nitrogen compounds in polygastric species (1.5 hours). Mammary gland: lactose synthesis and role of alpha-lactalbumin, fat globules, milk protein classes (1.5 hours). NUCLEOTIDE METABOLISM. Review of the structures and properties of nucleotides. De novo biosynthesis of purine and pyrimidine nucleotides and their regulation. Transformation of ribonucleotides into deoxyribonucleotides. Purine nucleotide recycling pathways. Catabolism of purine nucleotides (2 hours). NUCLEIC ACID METABOLISM. Mechanisms of action, properties and biotechnological use of enzymes involved in the mechanisms of replication, transcription and translation in prokaryotes and eukaryotes: DNA polymerase, DNA ligase, reverse transcriptase, RNA polymerase; mRNA maturation and editing. Overview of recombinant DNA and PCR (3 hours). PROTEIN SYNTHESIS AND POST-TRANSLATIONAL MODIFICATIONS. Properties of enzymes involved in protein synthesis (aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases and peptidyl transferases). Post-translational modifications of proteins (2 hours). |