Cellular pathways and their molecular components

elective courses

A lecture is intended for students from the second year of studies (PRK 6-7) in order to broaden the basic knowledge of cellular processes, including metabolic and signaling pathways. Basic knowledge of general chemistry, organic chemistry and biochemistry is required.

Classroom

The lecture will discuss on the basic level three main types of biological processes: signaling pathways, metabolic pathways and gene regulatory networks, exemplified by, among others, GPCR receptors, nuclear receptors, mTOR kinase, cellular respiration, p53 protein pathway, cell apoptotic pathways. Their main components will be presented: proteins, peptides, small molecular compounds, and nucleic acids.

The lecture introduces basic information about biological processes occurring inside the cell, with particular emphasis on signaling pathways. Most importantly, the process of transmitting the signal from the stimulus, through primary transmitters and first-order effectors, to the observed cellular response will be described. In addition to the signaling pathways of GPCRs and nuclear receptors, the mTOR kinase signaling pathway will be presented. Among metabolic pathways, cellular respiration together with related pathways, e.g. porphyrins, will be described and explained. The last part of the lecture will discuss gene regulatory networks, especially those related to carcinogenesis and cell apoptosis. Among the transcription factors, the p53 protein and its role in tumor suppression will be presented. In addition to the description of main stages in biological pathways also molecular components will be described. Among others, it will be presented how structural changes of a given molecular component, e.g., a protein or a protein - nucleic acid complex, affect the whole cellular pathway, and how to induce such changes through active pharmaceutical ingredients.

1. An Introduction to Medicinal Chemistry, P. Graham, Oxford University Press, 1995.

2. Biochemistry, L. Stryer, Springer Berlin, 2017

3. Medical Genetics, Lynn B. Jorde & John C. Carey & Michael J. Bamshad, Elsevier, 2019.

4. Additional literature provided during the lecture.

Completing the lecture will allow the student to present main types of cellular processes and describe their components. The student will be able to present subsequent stages in the example signaling or metabolic pathway and will easily describe main relationships in the regulatory network of the example gene. The student will be able to explain basic terms related to cellular processes such as stimulus, transmitter, effector protein, and transcription factor.

A written exam with at least 60 % is required to pass. It will cover issues discussed during the lecture. Class attendance is required with two possible absences.