BIOCHEMICAL SCIENCES APPLIED TO AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY 4

Module BIOCHIMICA GENERALE

1. Knowledge and Understanding

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

- describe the molecular basis of biological systems through the study of the main classes of biomolecules;

- understand the relationship between chemical structure and biological function of biomolecules;

- know the fundamental principles of enzymatic catalysis, enzyme kinetics, and metabolic regulation;

- understand the organization and integration of the main cellular metabolic processes;

- become familiar with the scientific language of biochemistry.

2. Ability to Apply Knowledge and Understanding

Students will be able to:

- apply the principles of biochemistry to interpret biological and molecular phenomena;

- correlate simple experimental data with the underlying biochemical mechanisms;

- understand the biochemical rationale behind basic experimental techniques used in biotechnology;

- analyze and discuss elementary experimental results, including those resulting from laboratory work.

3. Independent Judgment

The student will be able to:

- critically analyze basic biochemical information and data;

- evaluate the consistency between experimental hypotheses, results obtained, and theoretical models;

- recognize the experimental and interpretative limitations of the analyzed data;

- develop an initial independent approach to scientific reasoning.

4. Communication Skills

The student will be able to:

- express general biochemistry concepts correctly and clearly;

- use appropriate scientific language, both in writing and speaking;

- describe experimental procedures and laboratory results in a concise manner;

- interact with peers and instructors in scientific discussions.

5. Learning Skills

At the end of the course, the student will have acquired:

- the ability to independently learn progressively more complex biochemical content;

- a study method suited to the analysis of scientific texts and experimental data;

- the foundation necessary to undertake subsequent courses in the biotechnology and molecular area.

Laboratory Activities

Laboratory activities will contribute to the development of knowledge application skills and independent judgment, enabling students to:

- become familiar with simple biochemical techniques;

- understand the connection between theory and experimental practice;

- interpret experimental data critically and knowledgeably.

Carbohydrates – Review of structure and function, monosaccharides, disaccharides. Homopolysaccharides and heteropolysaccharides. Glycoconjugates (proteoglycans, glycoproteins, glycolipids). Lipids – Review of structure and function. Storage lipids. Structural lipids. Sterols. Lipoproteins. Nitrogenous compounds: purine and pyrimidine bases and derived compounds. Amino acids – Review of structure and function, titration. Peptide bond and its characteristics. Proteins – Structure and function of proteins. Primary structure. Secondary structures: alpha-helix, beta-sheet. The Ramachandran diagram. Tertiary structure. Quaternary structure. Fibrous proteins. Globular proteins – Haemoproteins involved in the transport of gases (O2, CO2): myoglobin and haemoglobin: structures, function and regulation, degradation and disposal of haem. Haemoproteins involved in redox reactions. Cytochromes. - Biochemical catalysis. – Chemical catalysts and biological catalysts. Enzymes: classification. Coenzymes and vitamins. Michaelis-Menten equation. Km, Vmax, turnover number, Kcat/Km. The double reciprocal graph. Effect of pH and temperature on enzymatic activity. Irreversible inhibition. Reversible inhibition: competitive, non-competitive, incompetitive and mixed. Effect of different types of inhibitors on the double reciprocal graph. Multienzyme complexes. Allosteric regulation of enzymatic activity. Introduction to metabolism: general organization – Concept of metabolic pathways and maps. Degradative pathways (catabolism) and biosynthetic pathways (anabolism). Shuttle systems: metabolic functions and roles. Bioenergetics. Molecules of energy importance, production and use of biochemical energy in the cell. Biochemical roles of NADH and NADPH. General mechanisms of regulation of metabolism - hormonal control, feedback regulation, allosteric enzymes, zymogens, isoenzymes, cascade amplification, compartmentalization, gene regulation. Biochemical reactions of glycolysis - Regulation of glycolysis and regulatory steps. Oxidation of pyruvic acid: the multienzyme complex of pyruvic dehydrogenase and its reaction mechanism. Aerobic and anaerobic glycolysis. Reactions of the citric acid cycle and regulation of the cycle. Degradation of glycogen. Reactions of the pentose phosphate pathway - Oxidative phosphorylation - The mitochondrion as the powerhouse of the cell. Redox potential scales of molecules of biological importance. Machinery for electron transport: structure and functions of mitochondrial complexes. Electrochemical potentials in electron transport and role of oxygen. Reactions of beta-oxidation of fatty acids. Activation and transport in the mitochondrion: acyl-CoA synthetase, carnitine and the acylcarnitine-carnitine transporter. Control and energy yield. Cholesterol metabolism. Ketogenesis. Amino acid metabolism and fate of nitrogenous compounds: ammonia activation, transamination, oxidative deamination, urea cycle. Degradation and recovery of nucleotides. Biosynthetic pathways: glucose and glycogen biosynthesis. Notes on chromatographic separations and spectrophotometry