Identifying Data 2022/23
Subject (*) Molecular Genetics Code 610G02020
Study programme
Grao en Bioloxía
Descriptors Cycle Period Year Type Credits
Graduate 1st four-month period
Third Obligatory 6
Language
Spanish
Galician
English
Teaching method Face-to-face
Prerequisites
Department Bioloxía
Coordinador
Insua Pombo, Ana Maria
E-mail
ana.insua@udc.es
Lecturers
Insua Pombo, Ana Maria
Martinez Martinez, M. Luisa
Vila Sanjurjo, Antón
E-mail
ana.insua@udc.es
m.l.martinez@udc.es
anton.vila@udc.es
Web
General description Esta materia céntrase nas bases conceptuais e metodolóxicas necesarias para comprender a organización, expresión, variación e manipulación do material xenético. Achega unha perspectiva molecular aos coñecementos adquiridos en "Xenética" (obrigatoria de 2º curso) e coñecementos necesarios para abordar "Xenética de Poboacións e Evolución", "Citoxenética" e outras materias relacionadas de terceiro e cuarto curso.

Study programme competencies
Code Study programme competences
A5 Analizar e caracterizar mostras de orixe humana.
A8 Illar, analizar e identificar biomoléculas.
A11 Identificar e analizar material de orixe biolóxica e as súas anomalías.
A12 Manipular material xenético, realizar análises xenéticas e levar a cabo asesoramento xenético.
A15 Deseñar e aplicar procesos biotecnológicos.
A29 Impartir coñecementos de Bioloxía.
A30 Manexar adecuadamente instrumentación científica.
A31 Desenvolverse con seguridade nun laboratorio.
B1 Aprender a aprender.
B2 Resolver problemas de forma efectiva.
B3 Aplicar un pensamento crítico, lóxico e creativo.
B5 Traballar en colaboración.
B7 Comunicarse de maneira efectiva nunha contorna de traballo.

Learning aims
Learning outcomes Study programme competences
General knowledge and understanding of the molecular basis of the organization, expression, variation and manipulation of genetic material. A11
A12
A15
A29
B1
B2
B3
B5
B7
Knowledge of the basic methodologies used in Molecular Genetics. A5
A8
A11
A12
A15
A29
A30
A31
B1
B2
B3
B5
Ability to use sources of information of interest in Molecular Genetics. A5
A11
A12
A15
A29
B1
B2
B3
Ability to interpret and transmit Molecular Genetics information. A29
B1
B2
B3
B5
B7

Contents
Topic Sub-topic
1.- DNA REPLICATION Semiconservative DNA replication: the Meselson and Stahl experiment. Modes of replication. Enzymology of the replication. DNA replication in Escherichia coli. DNA replication in eukaryotes. Telomere synthesis. Replication of mitochondrial and chloroplast DNA.
2.- SYNTHESIS AND PROCESSING OF RNA Classes of RNA. RNA polymerases. Promoters and transcriptional apparatus. Transcription in prokaryotes and eukaryotes: initiation, elongation and termination. Interrupted genes: exons and introns. Processing of eukaryotic pre-mRNA. Synthesis and processing of pre-rRNA. Synthesis and processing of pre-tRNA. RNA edition. Revision of gene concept.
3.- TRANSLATION Central dogma in molecular biology. Ribosomes and tRNAs. Translation cycle: initiation, elongation, and termination. Genetic code and genetic decoding. Peptydil transferase reaction. Phylogenetic conservation of rRNA. Role of rRNA in initiation. Role of RNA in decoding. Role of RNA in peptydil transfer. The hypothesis of the RNA world.
4.- MUTATION AND DNA REPAIR Molecular basis of spontaneous mutations: replication errors, unequal crossing over, spontaneous chemical changes. Molecular basis of induced mutations: chemical and physical agents. Repair mechanisms: direct reversal of damaged DNA, excision repair, mismatch repair, repair of double-strand breaks, translesion synthesis.
5.- MOLECULAR MECHANISM OF GENETIC RECOMBINATION
The role of genetic recombination. Gene conversion. Models of homologous recombination: Holliday model and double-strand break model. Enzymes required for recombination. Site-specific recombination. Immunoglobulin gene rearrangements.
6.- TRANSPOSABLE GENETIC ELEMENTS Transposable elements in prokaryotes: insertion sequences, composite transposons and noncomposite transposons. Replicative and non replicative transposition. Transposable elements in eukaryotes: transposons and retrotransposon. Evolutionary significance of transposable elements.
7.- RECOMBINANT DNA TECHNOLOGY Restriction enzymes. Cloning vectors. DNA libraries: construction and screening. Southern and northern blotting. PCR. Restriction maps. DNA sequencing. Site-directed mutagenesis.
8.- APPLICATIONS OF RECOMBINANT DNA TECHNOLOGY
Expression of eukaryotic genes in E. coli. DNA transfer to eukaryotic cells. Transgenic animals. Transgenic plants. Gene therapy. Genetic diagnosis. Genome editing: CRISPR/Cas9 technology.
9.- GENOMICS
Structural genomics: molecular markers and genetic maps. DNA fingerprinting. Structural genomics: physical maps and genome annotation. Functional genomics: RNA-seq. Reverse genetics. Comparative genomics. Metagenomics. Synthetic biology.
10.- REGULATION OF GENE EXPRESSION IN BACTERIA
Jacob and Monod’s operon model for the regulation of lac genes in E. coli. Positive control of the lac operon. The triptophan operon of E. coli: negative control and attenuation. RNA-mediated regulation.
11.- REGULATION OF GENE EXPRESSION IN EUKARYOTES
Changes in chromatin structure. DNA methylation. Transcriptional control.
RNA processing control. Control of mRNA stability. Control at the level of translation. RNA interference. Epigenetics.
PRACTICE 1: DNA EXTRACTION Genomic DNA extraction. Agarose gel electrophoresis for DNA. DNA quantification.
PRACTICE 2: PCR PCR amplification of the CHD gene. Analysis of an intron polymorphism for bird sexing.
PRACTICE 3: BIOINFORMATICS. Edition and analyses of nucleic acid sequences. BLAST. GenBank: record search and analysis. Primer design. Virtual PCR. Directed cloning.

Planning
Methodologies / tests Competencies Ordinary class hours Student’s personal work hours Total hours
Guest lecture / keynote speech A5 A8 A11 A12 A15 B2 B3 B7 28 28 56
Seminar A5 A8 A11 A12 A15 A29 B1 B2 B3 B5 B7 8 16 24
Supervised projects A5 A8 A11 A12 A15 A29 B1 B2 B3 B5 B7 0 16 16
Laboratory practice A5 A8 A11 A12 A15 A30 A31 B1 B2 B3 B5 B7 6 6 12
ICT practicals A5 A8 A12 A15 B2 B3 B5 B7 9 9 18
Mixed objective/subjective test A5 A11 A12 A15 A29 B1 B2 B3 B7 4 18 22
 
Personalized attention 2 0 2
 
(*)The information in the planning table is for guidance only and does not take into account the heterogeneity of the students.

Methodologies
Methodologies Description
Guest lecture / keynote speech The teacher explains the main contents of each lesson and raises questions.
Seminar Question and problem solving and discussion of specific topics related to the subject.
Supervised projects Resolution of two questionnaires with exercises and questions related to some aspect of the subject. Group activity.
Laboratory practice The student conducts laboratory experiences following a protocol, under the supervision of the teacher.
ICT practicals Question solving by database searching and the use of bioinformatic tools.
Mixed objective/subjective test Written test on the theory contents of the subject.

Personalized attention
Methodologies
Supervised projects
Description
Individually or in group, students can attend tutorial sessions to consult any doubts that might arise from the different activities.

Assessment
Methodologies Competencies Description Qualification
Laboratory practice A5 A8 A11 A12 A15 A30 A31 B1 B2 B3 B5 B7 Knowledge acquisition and general understanding of the practices carried out will be assessed by means of a test with essay-type questions, multiple-choice, short-answer and / or association tests. 15
Supervised projects A5 A8 A11 A12 A15 A29 B1 B2 B3 B5 B7 The ability to solve problems and connect the contents of the course subject will be assessed by means of two tests with multiple-choice, short-answer and / or association test questions. 10
Mixed objective/subjective test A5 A11 A12 A15 A29 B1 B2 B3 B7 The degree of general knowledge and understanding of the subject will be assessed. It may include different types of questions (essay, multiple-choice, short answer, and/or multiple-matching) and problem solving. 55
ICT practicals A5 A8 A12 A15 B2 B3 B5 B7 The degree of understanding of the assays carried out as well as the knowledge on the use of bioinformatics tools will be assessed. The test requires the use of a computer connected to the internet and equipped with the bioinformatics programs to be used in the course. 20
 
Assessment comments

To be evaluated, it is essential to take tests on theory (mixed test), laboratory practices, and ICT practices.

To pass the course, the score must be 5 or higher, provided that the mean score of the practice tests (laboratory and ICT) and the score of the mixed objective/subjective test is >4 . If the sum of the score of all activities is higher than 5, but the above requirements are not met, the final score will be 4.9 (failing score).

The grade of Non Attendance(NP) will be applied to the students that do no attend the official exam.

Honors will be preferably awarded among students with a score of 9 or higher in the January opportunity.

There will be a midterm exam and, in case of achieving a grade higher than 4, it will not have to be repeated in the January and July opportunities.


On the second opportunity (July), you may choose to: (A) adopt the evaluation criteria of the first opportunity (specified in the EVALUATION section); or (B) take the tests corresponding to theory (mixed test), laboratory practice sessions, and ICT, with the mixed test representing 65% of the total grade. The choice of option B must be informed 10 days before the exam date.

In the case of students with part-time dedication and exemption from attendance, additional measures may be adopted so that the subject can be passed. These measures may include flexibility in the hours of practices, or grading through a global assessment test of learning outcomes.

Students who request the early December call will be able to choose between the application of the current teaching guide or that of the previous year.

Fraudulent realization of tests or evaluation activities, once verified, will directly imply the qualification of "0" in the corresponding opportunity.


Sources of information
Basic Klug, W.S., Cummings, M.R., Spencer, C.A (2013). Conceptos de Genética . Pearson/Prentice Hall, Madrid
Klug, W.S., Cummings, M.R., Spencer, C.A., Paladino, M.A., Killian, D.J. (2020). Concepts of Genetics. Pearson Education, Harlow
Pierce, B.A. (2015). Genética: un enfoque conceptual. Médica Panamericana, Madrid
Pierce, B.A. (2020). Genetics: a conceptual approach. Freeman, New York

Complementary Lodish, H., Berk, A., Kaiser, C.A., Krieger, M., Bretscher, A., Ploegh, H., Amon, A., Scott, M.P. (2016). Biología celular y molecular (7ªed) . Médica Panamericana, Madrid
Alberts, B., Johnson, A., Lewis, J., Raff, M., Roberts, K., Walter, P. (2010). Biología molecular de la célula. Omega, Barcelona
Herráez, A. (2012). Biología molecular e ingeniería genética. Elsevier, Ámsterdam
Lewin, B. (2008). Genes IX. McGraw-Hill. México
Benito, C., Espino, F.C. (2013). Genética: conceptos esenciales. Médica Panamericana, Madrid
Snustad, D.P., Simmons, M.J. (2012). Genetics (6th ed.). John Wiley and Sons, New York
Brooker, R.J. (2018). Genetics: analysis and principles (6th ed.). McGraw-Hill, New York
Hartwell, L.H., Goldberg, M.L., Fischer, J.A., Hood, L., Aquadro, C.F. (2015). Genetics: from genes to genomes (5th ed.) . McGraw-Hill, New York
Brown, T.A. (2017). Genomes 4 . Garland Science, New York
Russell, P.J. (2010). iGenetics: a molecular approach (3rd ed.) . Benjamin Cummings, San Francisco
Perera, J., Tormo, A., García, J.L. (2002). Ingeniería genética. Vol. I: Preparación, análisis, manipulación y clonaje de DNA. Síntesis, Madrid
Perera, J., Tormo, A., García, J.L. (2002). Ingeniería genética. Vol. II. Expresión de DNA en sistemas heterólogos. Síntesis, Madrid
Griffiths, A.J.F., Wessler, S.R., Carroll, S.B., Doebley, J. (2015). Introduction to genetic analysis (11th ed.). W.H. Freeman, New York
Krebs, J.E., Goldstein, E.S., Kilpatrick, S.T. (2012). Lewin genes: fundamentos. Médica Panamericana, Madrid
Watson, J.D., Baker, T.A., Bell, S.P., Gann, A., Levine, M., Losick, R. (2014). Molecular biology of the gene. Pearson, Boston
Cox, M.M., Doudna, J.A., O'Donnell (2012). Molecular biology: principles and practice. W.H. Freeman, New York
Craig, N.L., Cohen-Fix, O., Green, R., Greider, C., Storz, G., Wolberger, C. (2014). Molecular biology: principles of genome function. Oxford University Press, Oxford
Real García, M.D., Raussell Segarra, C., Latorre Castillo, A. (2017). Técnicas de ingeniería genética. Síntesis, Madris

Consult the Moodle platform for additional sources of information.


Recommendations
Subjects that it is recommended to have taken before
Biology: Basic Levels of Organisation of Life I (Cells)/610G02007
Biochemistry I/610G02011
Biochemistry II/610G02012
Microbiology/610G02015
Genetics/610G02019

Subjects that are recommended to be taken simultaneously

Subjects that continue the syllabus
Population Genetics and Evolution/610G02021
Cytogenetics/610G02022

Other comments
Recommendations:

Attend class and follow the development of the course regularly.

Check Campus Virtual and email regularly to obtain the materials and know the schedule of activities.

Attend tutorials to resolve any questions or difficulties that may arise.

Consult the recommended bibliography.

Keep up-to-date with course work.

GREEN CAMPUS FACULTY OF SCIENCES PROGRAM
To help achieve a sustainable immediate environment and comply with point 6 of the "Environmental Declaration of the Faculty of Sciences (2020)", the documentary works carried out in this matter:
a. They will be requested mainly in virtual format and computer support.
b. If done on paper:
- Plastics will not be used.
- Double-sided prints will be made.
- The preparation of drafts will be avoided.


(*)The teaching guide is the document in which the URV publishes the information about all its courses. It is a public document and cannot be modified. Only in exceptional cases can it be revised by the competent agent or duly revised so that it is in line with current legislation.