Part 1.
Adaptations of biological molecules. Polysaccharides adaptations. Extremophile proteins; extremozymes. Proteostasis in the different cellular domains. Respiratory pigments in different animals and their adaptations to the different life styles. Part 2: adaptations of metabolism. Fermentation. Electron chains and ATPases. Bioremediation biochemistry. Adaptation of biochemical cycles to the different life styles and to nutrient availability.
“Biochemical Adaptation: Mechanism and Process in Physiological Evolution”, di Hochachka, Peter W., Somero, George N.; ISBN: 0-691-08344-4. Princeton University Press
Learning Objectives
Knowledge: knowledge of the biochemical reactions and cycles that allow different classes of organisms to extract energy from nutrients and interact among each other and with the environment.
Expertise: Interpreting complex biological phenomena in terms of the biochemical processes involved.
Skills: Applying the knowledge and the expertise acquired to problems in ecology, environmental and behavioural biology.
Prerequisites
Knowledge of the fundamentals of biochemistry
Teaching Methods
48 hours of lectures
Further information
.
Type of Assessment
Oral examination at the end of the course.
Course program
Part 1: adapations of biomolecules. Introduction. Evolutionary costraints on biological molecules. Evolution of the metabolic pathways. Polysaccharides adaptations: evolution and diversity of cell wall. Main polysaccharides in bacteria, algae, plants, animals.
Structural adaptations of proteins and enzymes. Thermophilic, Hyperthermophilic, halophilic, piezophilic, psychrophilic proteins. Evolution of the proteostasis systems: ubiquitine-proteasome system and chaperones in prokaryotes, archaea, eukaryotes. Protein glycosylation. Proteinaceous polymers: resilin, keratin, elastin, silk, amyloid-like fibrils, kitin. Extrmozymes. Evolution, structure and function of respiratory pigments: haemoglobin, myoglobin, hemerythrin, chlorocruorin, hemocyanin. Respiratory pigments in different animals; adaptations to height, life underwater, hypoxia and anoxia. Mammalians and birds living underwater.
Part 2: adaptations of biochemical pathways.
Respiration and fermentation in bacteria, archaea. Cellulose synthesis. Glycolysis and phosphopentose pathway in archaea, prokaryotes, eukaryotes. Krebs cycle and glyoxilic acid pathway. Nitrogen waste with Ammonotelism, ureotelism, uricotelism. Methionine salvage pathway. Shikimate pathway.
Electron transport chain and ATPases (A, V, F, E, P). biofuel biochemical synthesis. Biochemistry of bioremediation: aerobic pathways (beta-ketoadypate pathway and phenylacetate pathway), anaerobic pathways (halorespiration). Signal transduction in archaea and prokaryotes. Fatty acids metabolism in archaea. Metabolism in methanogens. Sulfur methabolism in archaea. Adaptation of the biochemical cycles. Metabolic water, adaptation to fasting and starvation, adaptations to hybernation. Nutrition in insects and arachnids. Metabolic costs of fly in insects and birds.