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Biochemistry 63:4005

BIOCHEMICAL REGULATION

 Instructor: Dr. Ken Storey

Room: 507 Steacie Building

Phone: 520-3678

kenneth_storey@carleton.ca

OFFICE HOURS – 1 hour after each class

 Prerequisite: Biochemistry 63.3100

All living organisms possess inherent flexibility in their metabolic make-up that permits them to respond appropriately to energy demands (e.g. for growth, reproduction, physiological activities), nutrient availability, and environmental stresses. Along with this flexibility, a series of rigorous control mechanisms, operating at the molecular level of biological organization, have evolved. This due approach, combining flexibility and stringent regulation, provides for efficient programming of cell survival and growth, ultimately ensuring the maintenance of cell homeostasis. The purpose of this course is to examine and discuss the molecular mechanisms of metabolic regulation.

This course builds on the basic knowledge of metabolic control that you acquired in Biochemistry 3100. You have learned the names and structures of biological molecules and some of their functions. You will build on this knowledge of the functions or macromolecules and pathways to study the mechanisms for control and integration of metabolism. Topics will include methodologies used to study metabolism, theories of transcriptional and translational controls, signal transduction and hormonal regulation, and the effect of environment on metabolism. 

A. "Fine Control" :  Regulation of enzyme and pathway activity at the posttranslational level

B. "Coarse Control" :  Regulation of the processes of transcription, translation and protein degradation.

Metabolic regulation of catabolism and anabolism will be discussed including regulation of enzymes, roles of carbohydrate and fatty acid fuels, and oxidative metabolism. The role of compartmentation in metabolism and tissue interactions in metabolic control will be investigated.

 

COURSE STRUCTURE:  I will lecture for the first part of the course covering the basics. You will then individually study and present to the class various individual topics in metabolic regulation.  The course is not meant to tell you everything about all aspects of metabolic control. But, once you have learned to tackle selected areas in depth, you can use the general approaches learned to explore any other area of metabolism that you tackle in the future.

COURSE EVALUATION:

 

% of Final Grade

Analysis of a primary-literature paper (A. written)

10

Analysis of a primary literature paper (B. oral)

10

Seminar on Selected Topic

35

NSERC-like Grant Proposal

40

Class Participation

5

 

ASSIGNMENTS

1. Oral and written critiques of journal articles

2. Seminar and Grant proposal

 

LECTURES AS PDF FILES

Access to the LECTURE files is Password Protected and available only to students in the class.

Click here go to the INDEX of lectures.  User name is 4005. Password was provided in class.

 

CHAPTERS TO READ

These are all PDF files ranging from 200 KB to 2 MB.

Access to the chapters is Password Protected and available only to students in the class.

Click here go to the INDEX of chapters.  User name is 4005. Password was provided in class.

 

LITERATURE SEARCHING:

List of Journals, Books and Serial Books at the CISTI library relevant to metabolic regulation

Link to CISTI catalogue (or link via Carleton's library site if you want to order papers)

 

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