Topics outline (for the part taught by Dr. David K. Banfield)
Gene
Relationship between genome complexity and organism DNA content
Features that contribute to genome complexity
Spacer sequences
Difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic genes
Functions of introns
Gene duplication
New gene
Transposable element
Bacteria can horizontally transfer DNA
Multicopy genes
Pseudogenes
Repetitive DNA sequences
Eukaryotic chromosomes
Condensed vs decondensed chromatin
Chromosomes
Chromatin
Histone protein
Nucleosome
Packing DNA chromatin and chromatin condensation
Electrophoresis
Chromatin
Chromosome condensation
Position effect in gene expression
Metaphase chromosomes
Replication (DNA)
Centromeres
Replication origins
Identification of replication origin
Protein machines
Structure of DNA
5’ to 3’
Helicases and single-stranded DNA binding proteins (SSB)
-1–
Based on lectures given in 2004 fall semester BIOL 104 courses
Telomeres
DNA synthesis at telomeres
Accuracy of DNA replications
Consequence of errors
Cancer incidence
DNA mismatch repair proteins
Cells NEED to repair damaged DNA
Sources of DNA damages
Mechanisms of DNA repair
Gene regulation
Gene expression and its regulation
Cell-specific gene expression
From DNA to RNA transcription and to proteins
The flow of genetic material
Functional difference between DNA and RNA
Types of RNA
Transcription (e- microscopy)
Regulation of transcription
Eukaryotic polymerase
Types of genes
Transcription factors and initiation of transcription and RNA polymerase II
Affinity purification
PAGE
General transcription factors
Promoters
Transcription
Structure and function of RNA polymerase II (video)
TATA box binding protein (video)
Promoter and enhancer sequence
Cis-acting regulatory elements
Transcriptional factors
Activator proteins
Genes expressed with different efficiency
Chromatin structure and transcription (gene activator proteins)
Specific transcription regulatory proteins  enhancers
?? (gene expression and development)
-2–
Based on lectures given in 2004 fall semester BIOL 104 courses
Drosphilia (non-uniform distribution of gene regulatory proteins)
Reporter genes
Homeodomain (video)
Transcription activators (DNA binding and activation)
Function / role of transcription activators
Transcriptional repressors
Genes transcribed from 1 strand and another
The genetic code
Single “reading” frames on single DNA strand
Possible “reading” frames on double strand
RNA processing (capping, polyadenylation, splicing)
Polyadenylation
Bacterial and eukaryotic mRNA (capping and polyadenylation)
Special nucleotides sequence ( begin and end)
Alternative splicing
Prokaryotes and eukaryotes (transcription and translation simultaneously?)
Mark “mature” mRNA
Control life-span of mRNAs
Eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells handle mRNA differently
Translation
Regulation
Structure of prokaryotic and eukaryotic mRNAs
Translation initiation
Ribosomes
Translation completes the flow of genetic information in the cell
Regulation of protein function
Protein folding and processing
-3–
Based on lectures given in 2004 fall semester BIOL 104 courses