BIOCHEMISTRY

Provide to the students adequate informations on the major metabolic pathways and biochemical processes occurring in the human body.

Frontal teaching lessons will be carried out.

Amino acids, peptides and proteins: structure and classification. Stereoisomerism. peptide bond. Peptides of biological importance. Primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary structure of proteins and ties stabilizers such structures. supersecondary structures. protein domain definition. Denaturation. Enzymatic hydrolysis and chemical. Classification of proteins. Fibrous proteins and globular proteins. Structural classification of proteins. Fibrous proteins: keratins, silk fibroin, collagen, elastin. Collagen: primary structure, secondary structure (elongated triple helix); synthesis and post-translational modifications (hydroxylation of proline and lysine, and the role of ascorbic acid; glycosylation, processing of pro-collagen into collagen; oxidation of lysine and crosslinking). Folding and protein denaturation. Protein misfolding and human pathologies.

Porphyrins and heme. Structure of myoglobin, hemoglobin and globin chain. classification of the globin chains. saturation curve with hemoglobin oxygen and myoglobin. Hemoglobin as allosteric protein. Structure oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin. Bohr effect; 2.3 BPG. Hemoglobin and blood of CO2 transport. Hemoglobin and acid-base regulation. Fetal hemoglobin. molecular basis of hemoglobinopathies and thalassemia.

Vitamins and coenzymes.

Enzymes: definition, distribution, classification, mechanism of action, specificity, affinity, isoenzymes, multi-enzyme systems. Enzyme kinetics: catalytic mechanisms, factors that influence the reaction rate, determination of enzyme activity and the Michaelis-Menten constant. Diagram of Lineweaver-Burk or diagram of the double reciprocal. Factors affecting enzyme activity. enzyme inhibition, enzyme regulation: allosteric, multiple, covalent modifications, association / dissociation, induction.

energy metabolism: the mitochondrial respiratory chain and its regulation, inhibitors and uncoupling; respiratory control; uncoupling. Thermogenin and brown adipose tissue.

Nucleic acids: DNA and RNA structures and functions; duplication, repair, transcription, post-transcriptional modifications (RNA maturation). genetic code and protein biosynthesis. control of gene expression in prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

General characteristics of the signal transduction. Routes of signal transduction. Seven transmembrane receptors traits, G proteins, enzymes effectors (adenylyl cyclase, phospholipase C), second messengers (cAMP, IP3, DAG, Ca 2+). Phosphoinositide cycle. PKA and PKC. Cyclic GMP and NO. Receptor tyrosine kinase activity. kinase cascades. Via the MAP kinase. transcription regulation by steroid hormones

metabolic and physiological effects, receptors, signal transduction pathways of the following hormones: insulin, glucagon, adrenaline, cortisol.

biochemical aspects of cell cycle and apoptosis.

carbohydrate metabolism and its regulation: Digestion and absorption of carbohydrates; glycogen synthesis, glycogenolysis, glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, pentose, gluconeogenesis. Glucuronic acid metabolism, fructose and galactose. Training of other monosaccharides from glucose.

Disorders of carbohydrate parts: Pancreas island; Insulin (secretion regulation and mechanism of action); Diabetes (insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent); Impairment of major metabolic processes (carbohydrate, lipid and protein methabolism) in diabetes.

lipid metabolism and its regulation: Functions and classification of lipids; Lipid transport in the blood (plasma lipoproteins); Beta-oxidation, alpha-omega-oxidation and oxidation of saturated fatty acids. Ketogenesis and utilization of ketone bodies. Lipogenesis. Cholesterol biosynthesis and its regulation; Diseases of abnormal lipid metabolism (dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis).

protein methabolism metabolism and its regulation: transamination, decarboxylation, desaminazione. metabolic fate of ammonia, urea cycle, metabolism of the main amino acids (cysteine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine, polyamines, aspartate, glutamate, phenylalanine and tyrosine). Phenylketonuria and celiac disease.

heme metabolism: biosynthesis, degradation, jaundice, porphyria.

Metabolism of nucleotides and its regulation: ex-novo biosynthesis of purine and pyrimidine nucleotides, recovery streets, uricogenesi.

Detoxification processes. hepatic metabolism of ethanol.

Free radicals and defense mechanisms: definition and physicochemical characteristics of the radicals, endogenous formation of radicals and toxic, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant systems, disease etiology radical.

1. Nelson D.L., Cox M.M. I principi di Biochimica di Lehninger. Edizione VII. Ed. Zanichelli.

2. Siliprandi N., Tettamanti G. Biochimica Medica. Edizione IV. Ed. Piccin.

3. Voet D., Voet J.V., Pratt C.W. Fondamenti di Biochimica. Edizione IV. Ed. Zanichelli.