PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
- Overview
- Assessment methods
- Learning objectives
- Contents
- Bibliography
- Teaching methods
- Contacts/Info
Basic knowledge of plant biology, biochemistry, genetics and molecular biology are required.
The final exam is oral: students will be asked some general questions (one of which may be chosen by him or her) and some more specific ones. The final grade will count the the acquired knowledge (70%), the ability to make connections between the various topics (20%) and the use the appropriate technical language (10%).
The aim of the course is to provide basic knowledge on various aspects of plant molecular biology. Attention will be paid to the study of molecular mechanisms that regulate the growth and the development of plants.
At the end of the course, the student is expected to:
1. Know the composition and organization of plant genomes
2. Know and understand the genetic and molecular biology techniques for the isolation and the functional analysis of plant genes
3. Understand thwhen and how to use the above methods
4. Be able to explain the major molecular mechanisms that govern the development of the model plant from embryogenesis to the reproductive stage
5. Know the molecular mechanisms that regulate the activity of plant hormones
• Plant genomes. Arabidopsis thaliana as a plant molecular model; the nuclear genome: size, organisation, polyploidy, repeated sequences, transposable elements. Mitochondrial and plastid DNA. (6h)
• Regulation of gene expression. cis elements, trans elements; (family of transcription factors); small RNAs; epigenetic mechanisms. (8h)
• Techniques for the isolation and gene function study. Classic and insertional mutagenesis; gene tagging, promoter trapping, enhancer trapping, activating tagging; forward and reverse genetics; over-expression and gene inactivation (RNA antisense and RNA interference), in situ hybridization; use of promoter/gene reporter fusion constructs. (8h)
• Gene regulation during development. Embryogenesis, vegetative growth and flower induction, flower development (MADS genes, ABC model). (14h):
¥ Signal transduction pathways and cellular response of plant hormones (12h)
- Smith A.M. et al., 2011. Biologia delle piante –Zanichelli
- Buchanan, Gruissem, Jones, Biochimica e Biologia molecolare delle piante, Zanichelli
- Taiz L. – Zeiger E. Fisiologia vegetale Ed. PICCIN
- Powerpoint slides and some papers
The course is organized in lectures (48h, 6CFU). Powerpoint presentations will be used during the lectures.
By appointment via e-mail: candida.vannini@uninsubria.it
Borrowed from
click on the activity card to see more information, such as the teacher and descriptive texts.