Syllabus
1. Structure and features of RNA. Various RNA species in a cell. Catalytic RNA, ribozymes. Central dogma of the molecular biology. RNA world. Theories of the incorporation of proteins into the RNA world.
2. RNA synthesis. Chromatin structure and organisation. RNA polymerases. rRNA and tRNA transcription. Transcription of pre-mRNA.
3. Transcription regulation. DNA/protein interactions. Transcription factors.
4. Pre-mRNA maturation. hnRNP particles. Processing of 5'- and 3'-ends of pre-mRNA; capping and polyadenylation. Pre-mRNA editing. Types and mechanism of RNA editing.
5. Pre-mRNA splicing. Gene organisation in eukaryotic cells. Exon and intron definition. Group I and II introns; self-splicing. snRNAs, snRNPs and spliceosomes. Trans-splicing and alternative splicing.
6. mRNA transport in the cell. Nucleocytoplasmic export, mRNA transport in the cytoplasm. Structure of nuclear pores. Import of RNA-binding proteins into the nucleus. Intercellular transport in plants.
7. mRNA stability. RNP particles. RNA/protein interactions. RNA-binding proteins. Instability sequences. RNA-degrading activities. Gene silencing.
8. Translation machinery. Ribosome - structure, shape and evolution. rRNA maturation, snoRNAs and snoRNPs. tRNA structure, features and processing. Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. Ribosomal proteins. Translation in vitro.
9. mRNA translatability. Role of cis- and trans-elements, organisation of 5'-UTR and 3'-UTR regions, poly(A)-tail, mRNA-binding proteins. Stored RNA. Interactions of mRNA with the ribosome. Regulation of translation at the level of pre-initiation complex. Role of ER, cytoskeleton and ribosomal proteins.
10. Translation initiation. Initiation factors, 43S ribosomal complex; structure and function of 48S and 80S initiation complexes.
11. Translation elongation and termination. Elongation factors, elongation regions, termination.
12. Translation regulation. Autoregulation, developmental and physiological regulation. Ferritin and tubulin models. Availability of aminoacids, Ca++ ions and hormones. Post-translational modifications of proteins. Protein phosphorylation, glycosylation, prenylation, acylation. Protein splicing, inteins.
13. Minor RNA species in a cell. Telomerase, RNase P, 7SL RNA etc. RNA world in organelles. Transcription and translation in mitochondria. Transcription and translation in plastids of plants.
Annotation
Advanced course covering RNA molecules and their versatile roles in the eukaryotic cell. In the itroductory lecture unique RNA characteristics enabling the existence of the RNA world and its final transition into current DNA-RNA-protein world will be discussed. Later on, current state of knowledge on various RNA species and their activities within the cellular metabolism, mainly in the hierarchical regulation of gene expression, will be summarised.
The course is primarily taught in Czech. However, in case English-speaking students sign in, the course will be taught in English. The presentations are in English.