Syllabus
1. Brief recapitulation of selected topics of physical chemistry. Basic terms and definitions in chemistry. Principles of thermodynamics. Reaction kinetics, equilibrium in chemical reactions, catalysts. Enzymes as biocatalysts, basic terms, enzyme kinetics. Equilibrium in solutions of electrolytes: dissociation, properties of water, acids and bases. Sőrensen's hydrogen index - pH, buffers.
2. Carbon metabolism - biochemical aspects of photosynthesis, sacharides.
3. Metabolism of amino acids in plants. Essential amino acids.
4. Nitrogen fixation and cycling in plants.
5. Proteins in plants: structure - summary, structure x function; proteosynthesis; chaperones - types and functions; posttranslational modifications - basic types and their roles in formation of protein structure and function; compartmentation of proteins inside the cell; protein degradation - mechanism and significance; basic types of interaction protein domains; experimental determination of protein structure.
6. Secondary metabolism in plants. Alkaloids. Terpenoids. Phenylpropanoids and phenolic compounds. Flavonoids. Lignans, lignin. Coumarins, stilbenes, etc. Their metabolism and function.
7. Some biochemical aspects of the integrity of plant organism. Phytohormones and other regulatory substances; their metabolism, transport and signalling.
8. Basic aspects of compartmentation - plastids, peroxisomes, mitochondria, and vacuole.
Annotation
The course "Selected topics of plant biochemistry" for advanced students is introduced by the brief summary of basic terms of physical and organic chemistry necessary for understanding of biochemical processes. Further it deals with the basic metabolic reactions including the secondary metabolism (except of energetic metabolism) in plants, metabolism and structure-function relationships of biomacromolecules (proteins in particular), and biochemical bases of processes maintaining plant integrity and developmental processes.