Course Identification

A basic course in molecular biology  (undergraduate or similar)

A basic course in biochemistry (undergraduate or similar)

This course deals with the different types and aspects of biological cellular regulation in different branches of life and cellular processes. Examples of various novel regulatory mechanisms are given, in order to capture the complexity and variability of regulatory options.

1. RNA transcription in bacteria – examples of different regulation strategies: Regulation by the production product – The Triptophane operon. Triple regulation by availability of the complex sugar (Arabinose). Regulation during stress - Specialized sigma factors.
2. Regulatory RNA’s and RNA autoregulation: riboswitches – regulation by small metabolites, ribozyme riboswitches controlling small metabolite amounts, protein translation, regulation of splicing.
3. Two component systems – virulence control, osmolarity control, complex “multi-component” systems.
4. Galactose metabolism in Yeast – Complex transcriptional regulation and resource preservation in the absence of operons.
5. DNA replication control – usage of cyclines and check points to ensure DNA is replicated only once per cell cycle.
6. Epigenetic regulation – Specific chromatin marks regulating transcription dosage compensation during DNA replication in yeast.                                                       Submission of 1 page long vignette on a chosen article about interesting cellular regulation
7. Prion-like proteins as regulators increasing the variety of phenotypes in an organism – examples from yeast and Aplysia.  
8. Viral cunning – various examples of “smart” viral regulation shutting down host transcription and translation while enhancing their own gene expression.
9. Sex determination and regulation by alternative splicing in D.melanogaster.
10. Regulated aging – cellular regulatory circuits controlling planned aging across branches of life.
11. Regulation gone wrong – small mistakes in cellular regulatory circuits causing major disease in humans.
12. 5-10 minute Student presentations.
13. 5-10 minute Student presentations.
14. 5-10 minute Student presentations/ end of semester summary.

Upon completion of this course, students will be familiarized with different ways cells regulate various processes across different life branches, and be able to interpret novel discoveries of cellular biological regulation and implement that thinking in their own research

TBA