Developmental Biology and control of gene expression
Discipline
Integrated course
Denomination
Developmental Biology and control of gene expression
Modules
2
CFU
10
This teaching course includes the following modules
Module
Biology
Credit
5
SDS
BIO/13
Description
Learning objectives: Students are expected to acquire knowledge and competence regarding the main molecular mechanisms that underlie development of multicellular organisms Major focus will be on the main animal models used as tools in basic and biotecnological research Contents: 1) Basic principles and modules in cell communication: Notch, Wnt, Hedgehog and TGFb based signaling pathways Endocytosis in signaling pathways regulation Signaling integration during development of multicellular organisms. 2) Universal mechanisms of animal development: basic animal body plan, transcriptional control, regulatory DNA, combinatorial control, cell memory, morphogens, inductive signal gradients, asymmetric cell division, sequential induction 3) Mechanisms of pattern formation in Drosophila melanogaster and amphibians. 4) Developmental timing, morphogenesis and growth. 5) Regeneration of the epithelial surface in the small intestine; fibroblasts and their transformations; the connective tissue family; the growth and remodelling of cartilage and bone; the growth and regeneration of blood vessels and endothelial cells; the bone marrow and the blood cells; scheme of haematopoiesis; genesis and regeneration of skeletal muscle. 6) Mouse: differentiation events before implantation, ES cells, transgenic mice generation
Module
Molecular Biology
Credit
5
SDS
BIO/11
Description
Learning objectives: The aim is to provide knowledge about the technologies of gene expression and transfer in vitro and in vivo and of gene editing for medical applications in the fields of vaccination, passive immunotherapy and genetic dysfunction Understanding of some fundamental mechanisms regulating gene expression and in turn cell identity and fate. Contents: 1) Homologous recombination and recombineering Engineering of expression vectors by homologous recombination The mechanisms of homologous recombination in prokaryotes will be described with particular attention to those usable for biotechnological applications. 2) Genome editing in a dish and in vivo Use of zinc finger nucleases, Talen and CAS9/CRISP Description of the new technologies of genome editing using site-specific nucleases and their use to generate mutants and cell lines expressing therapeutic protein. 3) Genome editing applications focused to human therapy Applications of genome editing using site-specific nucleases for the therapy of genetic diseases. 4) Gene expression regulation in the determination of cell fate a) Transcription factors The function of master genes in the early phases of development B) microRNAs The fine regulation of gene expression at post-transcriptional level C) ceRNAs The recent discovery of post-transcriptional gene regulation.
