Cell Signalling and Gene Regulation

Objectives

Cellular signaling and gene regulation are included in the field of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology. Cell signaling is key to cellular behavior but also to regulating the development, organization, physiology and pathology of human tissues and organs and the whole organism.

The general objective of this subject is to understand how cells send, receive and respond to signals from their environment, both in physiological and pathological states. The specific objectives are the following:

• Know the main communication and cellular signaling mechanisms.
• Learn more about intracellular transduction pathways and their biochemistry.
• Understand how transcription regulation, mRNA processing and translation work in humans.

Learning outcomes

• RA1. It includes the molecular mechanisms of regulation and control of metabolism, as well as the molecular bases of intercellular communication and intracellular signaling.
• LO2. Prepares written reports and documents (mainly of a technical nature) with spelling and grammar correction in Catalan, Spanish and English.
• LO3. Globally evaluates the learning processes carried out in accordance with the plans and objectives set and establishes measures for individual improvement.
• LO4. Acquire and demonstrate advanced knowledge in the theoretical and practical aspects and working methodology in the field of biomedicine.

Skills

General skills

• Formulate hypotheses following the scientific method, with an ability to summarize and analyze information in a critical way in order to be able to solve problems.

Specific skills

• Describe the relationship between the biology of the nucleus and the metabolism of the main cell types.
• Have a systemic vision of the organism, in particular metabolic regulation and control and cell signaling, in order to respond to biomedical challenges.

Basic skills

• Students have demonstrated knowledge and understanding in a field of study that builds on general secondary education with the support of advanced textbooks and knowledge of the latest advances in this field of study.

Core skills

• Communicate orally, in writing and audiovisually, in one's own language and in foreign languages, with proficiency in form, content and use.
• Reflect critically on knowledge of all kinds, with a commitment to professional rigor and quality.

Content

The content of the subject is broken down into 4 main points:

• Introduction to intercellular communication
  • Types of signals
  • Nervous communication
  • Signaling molecules
  • Reception of signals
• Main pathways of signal transduction
  • Biochemical and processing aspects
• Cellular response and gene regulation
  • Objective of signal transduction
  • Types, levels, processing and responses to signal transduction
• Specific signaling pathways
  • G protein-coupled receptor signaling
  • Signaling of receptors with enzymatic activity
  • Ion channel signaling
  • Intracellular receptor signaling
  • Integrin signaling

Evaluation

According to the UVic-UCC academic regulations for degrees, there is only one official call that includes two different evaluation periods:

• Ordinary period, which takes place in an integrated way in the training process and during the teaching period.
• Complementary assessment period, in which the student can be assessed again for the tasks, activities or tests that he has not passed satisfactorily within the framework of the first period.

Continuous evaluation of the activities carried out by the student through:

• Assessment of subjects: 45%
  
  • First partial: 22.5% (recoverable)
    Important: to be able to average with the other exam you must obtain a minimum rating of 4/10. If you get less than 4/10 you have to go to recovery of this part.
  • Second partial: 22.5% (recoverable)
    Important: to be able to average with the other exam you must obtain a minimum grade of 4/10. If you get less than 4/10 you have to go to recovery of this part. The average between the two partials must be 5 or higher to be able to average with the other activities.
• Active participation in classes, seminars, and in assignments and cases: 5% (non-refundable)
• Continuous assessment activities: 30% (non-refundable)
• Group work: 20% (non-refundable)

The final mark of the subject is the result of the weighting of the marks obtained in each of the parts.

Recovery period

• The student who does not pass some of the activities considered recuperable can retake them during this period, as long as the total of unpassed parts of the subject does not account for 50% of the final grade.

important

Plagiarism or copying someone else's work is penalized at all universities and, according to the UVic-UCC Coexistence Rules , constitutes serious or very serious offences. Therefore, in the course of this subject, plagiarism or the misappropriation of other people's texts or ideas (see what is considered plagiarism ) and the improper or undeclared use of artificial intelligence in an activity are translated automatically in suspension or other disciplinary measures.

To cite texts and materials appropriately, consult the academic citation guidelines and guidelines available on the UVic Library website.

Methodology

• This subject includes theoretical sessions, seminars and/or assignments at the end of each block.
• Practical cases and tasks are presented that students must work on autonomously and independently or in small groups.
• Attendance at the seminar sessions, tasks and workshops and the case and article presentation sessions is highly recommended, as they will contribute to the integration of the information received in the theoretical sessions.

Bibliography

Key references

• Alberts, B. (2015). Molecular biology of the cell (6 ed.). Garland Science.
• Bradshaw, Ralph A. & Dennis, Edward A. (2009). Handbook of Cell Signaling. Retrieved from https://www-sciencedirect-com.biblioremot.uvic.cat/book/9780123741455/handbook-of-cell-signaling
• Lodish, H., Berk, A., Kaiser, C., Krieger, M., Bretscher, A., Ploegh, H., Martin, K., Yaffe, M., Amon, A. . (2021). Molecular Cell Biology (9 ed.). Macmillan Press.
• Sharma, K. K. (2022). Vías de señalización celular y molecular. Sciencia Scripts.

Further reading

Teachers will provide complementary bibliography and compulsory reading throughout the course via the Virtual Campus.