Advanced biochemistry [SCHIM111]

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student must be able to

• Understand the main mechanisms by which an animal cell responds to a molecular mediator such as a growth factor or hormone

• To evaluate the possibilities of exploiting the signaling pathways for therapeutic approaches, for example in oncology or to fight against inflammation

Objectives

Introduce the student to signal transduction, by focusing on 3 categories of receptors, receptors coupled to G proteins, receptors with tyrosine kinase activity and nuclear receptors, but also to transcription and transcription factors, main targets of signal transduction. The course also aims to review lipid mediators that play a central role in inflammation, whether pro- or anti-inflammatory.

Content

1.     Introduction to signal transduction 

• General principles of signaling 

• Importance of phosphorylation, kinases and phosphatases 

• Secondary and activatable transcription factors

2.      G protein-coupled receptors 

• General presentation of GPCR receptors and their membrane insertion model 

• G proteins and regulation of their activity 

• Adenylate cyclase and protein kinase A 

• Phospholipase C and protein kinase C 

• Examples of agonists and antagonists 

3.     Receptors with tyrosine kinase activity 

• General presentation 

• PDGF receptors 

• MAP kinases pathway

• Examples of other TKR 

• Examples of inhibitors and clinical interest in oncology 

4.      Introduction to transcription and transcription factors

5.     Nuclear receptors  

• General introduction

• Glucocorticoid receptors and PPARs

6.     Lipid mediators of inflammation and their receptors 

• Arachidonic acid Phospholipases and phospholipases

• Pathways of cyclooxygenases, prostaglandins and receptors

• Pathways of lipoxygenases, leukotrienes and receptors

• The resolving lipids and their receptors

• Anti-inflammatory therapy and drugs (master 2 – Biochimie approfondie SCHIM208)

7.     Overview of some cell and molecular biology based assays used in high throughput screening (HTS)