Learning outcomes

The course will impart advanced knowledge and understanding of the mechanisms and machinery of expression of eukaryotic genes, emphasizing mammals, but also introducing material, where relevant, from studies of plant, fungal and invertebrate genes.

Contents

Topics to be covered include the basal transcription machinery, transcriptional regulation, chromatin and epigenetics, polyadenylation, RNA splicing, nucleocytoplasmic transport, translational regulation, RNA interference and RNA turnover, -omics and organellar gene expression. The course will be concept- rather than methods-based, and will link mechanistic knowledge to concepts from development, physiology and evolution.

Teaching language

English

Evaluation

Numeric 1-5.

Recommended year of study

4. year autumn
4. year spring

Study materials

Textbook material: Lewin, B (2004) Genes VIII , Alberts BM et al (2002) Molecular Biology of the Cell.The examinable textbook material is from Lewin, as summarized below, but in many instances Alberts presents the same material in a different and more accessible way, so you are encouraged to consult both texts. Background material: Lewin chapter 6-7. Non-examinable portions of chapter 11. Note that the examinable material is about eukaryotic gene expression, but many of its aspects can only be properly understood by reference to the relevant processes in bacteria, which are revised by the back-ground reading material. Examinable material: Lewin chapters 8, 9, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25, plus sections 11.18, 11.19, 11.21 and 11.22 of chapter 11. Accompanying material: Alberts Chapters 6, 7