ADVANCED BIOCHEMISTRY

The course of Advanced Biochemistry provides students with deep knowledge of those bichemical processes particularly interesting concerning variuos physio-pathological aspects.

Knowledge and understanding: students acquire in-depth knowledge of the most important aspects of biochemical processes whose understanding is evaluated during the lessons.

Applied knowledge and understanding: students will acquire the ability to apply what they have learned during the lectures.

Autonomy of judgment: students learn to interpret autonomously and objectively what they have learned during lessons and exercises.

Communication skills: students acquire communication skills thanks to the debates that arise during the lessons or to mini-seminars on specific topics of study.

Learning Skills: Learning skills are evaluated during lessons and exercises and through the oral exam.

Lectures and theoretical-practical, in-depth seminars. Cooperative teaching (student-teacher) through sharing of teaching material and multimedia supports.

If the teaching is given in mixed or distance mode, the necessary variations with respect to what was previously stated may be introduced, in order to comply with the program provided and reported in the syllabus.

Energy management; Mitochondrial and microbial bioenergetics: Energy transfer reactions in biochemical reactions; High energy intermediates; ATP chemistry; Role of ATP in bioenergetics; Relationship between standard free energy change and redox standard potential difference; P/O ratio; chemiosmotic coupling; electrochemical gradient of H+; respiratory control; decouplers; Thermogenin and brown adipose tissue; Cold response mechanisms, APK; comparison with other bioenergetic processes of microorganisms.

Energy management; Photosynthesis: chloroplasts; chlorophylls and light absorption; photosystems I and II; proton gradient and ATP synthesis; accessory pigments; C4 cycle; Calvin cycle and synthesis of hexoses; glyoxylate cycle and hexose synthesis.

Nutritional biochemistry: caloric intake and nitrogen balance; Parameters of nutritional status; Creatine/creatinine; Vitamins and coenzymes and essential foods; folic acid; nutraceuticals.

Mechanism of action of hormones and growth factors: signal transduction; correlations and integrations of organ and tissue metabolism.

  Integration and hormonal control of metabolic pathways: Blood sugar control; Management of energy reserves and glucose destinies; Metabolic interrelationships; Metabolic adaptations in the fasting-feeding cycle; ketogenesis; Mobilization of lipid reserves, regulation of lipolysis HSL and perilipin; Plasma lipoproteins.

   Advanced glycation compounds (AGE): formation, effects, control and detoxification, correlations with inflammation and angiogenesis, AGE receptors; role in protein conformational alterations and neurodegenerative diseases.

Metabolism of particular amino acids: Methionine cycle; Transmethylation and transsulfuration; Synthesis of polyamines; cysteine; arginine (NOS and peroxynitrites); AA aromatic.

Purine and pyrimidine metabolism: de novo biosynthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides and its regulation; de novo biosynthesis of purine nucleotides and interconversion; conversion of ribonucleotides to deoxyribonucleotides; way of recovery of the bases; catabolism of purine nucleotides and uric acid; Functions of purine nucleotides; Purinergic receptors.

 Molecular mechanisms of angiogenesis: tumors and neurodegenerative diseases.

Biosynthesis of prostaglandins: the process of inflammation.

Elements of Neurochemistry: synthesis of catecholamines, dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine, glutamate, and GABA, neurotransmission.

TEXTS ADOPTED

1. Nelson Cox. Lehninger's principles of Biochemistry. Zanichelli.

2. Leuzzi, Bellocco, Barreca. Biochemistry of nutrition. Zanichelli.

3. Bibliographic material provided by the teacher.

The test consists of an interview in which at least 4 main questions will be asked that focus on different topics of the program. During the answer to the main questions, secondary questions related to the main question will be asked that allow the student to correct any errors, clarify any partial answers, or to integrate deficient exposures.

The test allows us to verify: i) the advanced level of knowledge of biochemical reactions and molecular interactions underlying biological phenomena and important physiological processes as historically elaborated by biochemical disciplines; ii) the ability to apply this knowledge for the resolution of specific problems related to chemical and biochemical research (problem-solving and autonomy of judgment); (iii) clarity of presentation; (iv) the property of scientific language.

Parameters for the attribution of the final grade:

Grade 29-30 laude: the student has a thorough knowledge of the advanced biochemical processes treated, is able promptly and correctly to integrate and critically analyze the situations presented, demonstrating interpretative ability in the analysis of proposed problems even of high complexity; He has excellent communication skills and masters the scientific language.

Vote 26-28: the student has a good knowledge of the advanced biochemical processes treated, is able to integrate and analyze in a critical and linear way the situations presented, is able to provide a satisfactory interpretation of the complex problems proposed and exposes the topics clearly using an appropriate scientific language;

Grade 22-25: the student has a fair knowledge of the advanced biochemical processes covered, even if limited to the main topics; can integrate and analyze in a critical but not always linear way the situations presented and exposes the topics quite clearly with a discrete language property;

Grade 18-21: the student has the minimum knowledge of the advanced biochemical processes treated, has a modest ability to integrate and critically analyze the situations presented and exposes the topics in a sufficiently clear way although the language property is poorly developed;

Exam not passed: the student does not possess the minimum knowledge required of the main contents of the course. The ability to use specific language is very little or no and is not able to independently apply the acquired knowledge.

Describe:

• Energy management at the mitochondrial level.

• Energy management in photosynthesis. 

• Other energy management systems (microbial). 

• The need for caloric intake.

• The nitrogen balance.

• Metabolic adaptations in the feeding-fasting cycle.

• Metabolic interrelationships in blood sugar control.

• Formation and effects of advanced glycation compounds.

• The transport of lipids through plasma lipoproteins.

• The methionine metabolism. 

 • The metabolism of arginine and nitric oxide. 

 • Tyrosine metabolism. 

 • Tryptophan metabolism. 

 • Hormonal mechanisms of action and growth factors. 

 • Molecular mechanisms of angiogenesis.

• The biosynthesis of prostaglandins: the process of inflammation.

• The metabolism of catecholamines

• The synthesis of GABA.

• The mechanism of neurotransmission.