Course Description
Structure and function of nucleic acids. The isolation, structure, chemical analysis, hybridization, enzymology, and replication of DNA and RNA, nucleic acids enzymes, protein-nucleic acid interactions and recombinant DNA technology.
Athena Title
NUCLEIC ACIDS
Prerequisite
BCMB 8020 or permission of department
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
This course will provide an overview of nucleic acid structure and function. In addition, students will learn current techniques for isolating and working with both RNA and DNA. The proteins involved in carrying out both the synthesis and degradation of nucleic acids will be discussed in detail. In addition, students will be taught the latest recombinant DNA techniques. The basic biological reactions involving DNA, i.e., replication, recombination and repair, will also be taught.
Topical Outline
1. Historical overview 2. DNA structure and organization 3. DNA separation methods, chemical synthesis of DNA 4. Cloning DNA:Restriction enzymes/modification systems 5. Cloning DNA: Strategy, Vectors 6. DNA:DNA Hybridization, Southern transfers 7. Cloning DNA: DNA polymerases/reverse transcriptase 8. Cloning DNA: Ligases, polynucleotide kinase, terminal transferase 9. Cloning DNA: Library construction, recombinant selection and preliminary characterization 10. Analysis of cloned DNA: DNA sequencing 11. Analysis of cloned DNA: DNA footprinting 12. Expression of cloned DNA 13. Alteration of cloned DNA: Nucleases and site-directed mutagenesis 14. Amplification of DNA: Polymerase chain reaction 15. Enzymatic reactions involving RNA: Nucleases 16. Enzymatic reactions involving RNA: poly(A) polymerases/ tRNA nucleotidyltransferases/capping and decapping 17. Enzymatic reactions involving RNA: Catalytic RNA/ribozymes 18. RNA structure and analysis: Isolation Procedures 19. S1 protection, Primer Extension Analysis 20. Riboprobes, Northerns 21. RT-PCR, RACE, Nuclear run-on Assays 22. Eukaryotic Transcription 23. Eukaryotic DNA Replication 24. DNA replication:termination in linear molecules/telomerases 25. Prokaryotic DNA replication: Initiation 26. Prokaryotic DNA replication: Replication fork movement 27. Prokaryotic DNA replication: Termination and stable DNA replication 28. DNA repair: excision repair 29. DNA repair: mismatch repair 30. DNA repair: postreplication repair 31. Genetic recombination: homologous 32. Genetic recombination:nonhomologous