Calendar

The calendar lists both lecture (L#) and recitation (TD#) sessions. Recitations are referred to as the Techniques and Discussion (TD) sessions.

SES # TOPICS KEY DATES
Module 1: Size and Components of Cells and Implications with respect to Regulation
L1 Introduction: cell constituents, prokaryotes vs. eukaryotes
L2 Introduction (cont.)
Module 2: Fatty Acid Synthases (FAS), Polyketide Synthases (PKS), and Non-ribosomal Polypeptide Synthases (NRPS)
L3 Fatty Acid Synthase: polymerization, biosynthesis, players, chemistry, structure, chemistry as a paradigm for PKS and NRPS, medical interlude
L4 Experimental methods for elucidating FAS structure
TD1 Beta-ketoacyl-ACP Synthase I (FabB)
L5 Chemistry of FAS as paradigm for other molecular machines
L6 Secondary metabolism: PKS, NRPS
L7 Chemistry of PKS and NRPS: post-translational modification, initiation, elongation, decoration, termination, fidelity Problem set 1 due
TD2 Smith Paper
L8 Chemistry of PKS and NRPS (cont.)
L9 Chemistry of PKS and NRPS (cont. with specific examples) Problem set 2 due
L10 Biosynthesis of yersiniabactin and cholesterol Exam 1
TD3 Walsh Paper
L11 Cholesterol biosynthesis
L12 Cholesterol regulation and homeostasis
L13 Sensing insoluble molecules
TD4 Endocytosis of LDL and Radioactivity Techniques
L14 Module 2: Regulation of the transcription level by insoluble metabolites and Module 3: Translation
Module 3: Translation: Loading, Initiation, Elongation, and Termination - A Machine in Action; Introduction to G-proteins: Switches or Motors
L15 Translation (cont.) Problem set 3 due
L16 Elongation, termination, RNA polymerase
TD5 Structure
L17 Chemical methods for studying translation and the ribosome
L18 Chemical methods for studying translation and the ribosome (cont.)
L19 Chemical methods for studying translation and the ribosome (cont.) Problem set 4 due
TD6 Hydroxyl Radical Footprinting Exam 2
L20 Isoleucine tRNA synthetase
TD7 Gel Electrophoresis; Photoaffinity Probes
L21 tRNA synthase editing mechanisms; G proteins (EF-Tu/EF-G)
L22 G proteins: motors
TD8 Rodnina Paper
L23 G proteins: switches
L24 Peptide bond formation; new technologies using the ribosome Problem set 5 due
L25 Module 3: methods for the incorporation of unnatural amino acids and Module 4: what happens as a protein exits the ribosome? Exam 3
Module 4: Crypts and Chambers: Macromolecular Machines involved in Protein Folding and Degradation
TD9 FRET, Steady State
L26 Protein folding in vitro
TD10 Exam 3 Answers and Discussion
L27 Protein folding: in vitro vs. in vivo; degradation
L28 Protein folding in vivo
L29 Chaperone proteins
TD11 GroEl / GroES
L30 GroEL/GroES
L31 Proteases Problem set 6 due
L32 Proteosome Exam 4
TD12 DnaJ specificity
L33 Proteosome (cont.)
L34 Role of Ubiquitin in degradation
L35 Degradation through polyubiquitination
Final Exam (3 hours. The first 30 minutes will cover the information since the last exam. The remaining two and a half hours will cover the entire semester.)