OCH/CNA Chemistry of Nucleic Acids

Lecturer: Milan Urban
Lecture: 2 hours/week
Credits: 2
Winter/Summer semester
Form of course completion: colloquium

• Introduction to the world of DNA and RNA. Historical overview of the main discoveries. Evolution.
• Structure of DNA and RNA, nucleosides, nucleotides, physical and chemical properties. Primary and secondary structure of nucleic acids, occurrence and function in living organisms.
• Nucleosides and nucleotides - chemical synthesis, chemistry of esters and anhydrides of phosphorus oxoacids.
• Biosynthesis and metabolism of nucleosides, nucleotides and nucleic acids.
• Synthesis of oligonucleotides in solution phase, on solid phase, biosynthesis of nucleic acids. Difference in approach in synthesis of DNA and RNA.
• Modified nucleobases, modified backbone and modified sugar. Properties and preparation
• Nucleic acids in biotechnology. PCR, DNA sequence determination, gene cloning, gene synthesis, detection of specific sequences by hybridization.
• Genes and genome, gene structure, gene families, chromosomes, copying DNA (replication, transcription), mutations, genome repair, DNA recombination.
• RNA structure and function, typical structural motifs, RNA processing and modification, translation, RNA involved in transport, RNA structure and function in viral systems.
• Covalent interactions of nucleic acids and small molecules and repair of DNA lesions.
• Protein-nucleic acids interactions. Features of nucleic acids recognized by proteins, representative recognition motifs, physical aspects of binding proteins to DNA, polymerases.
• Physical and structural techniques applied to nucleic acids. Spectroscopic methods.