Medical Biotechnology MSc

The knowledge to be attained
The storage, maintenance and expression of genetic information, as well as their molecular mechanisms are fundamental topics of the course. DNA replication, DNA damage and repair, RNA synthesis and processing, protein synthesis, maturation and targeting, and different ways of regulation of gene expression are discussed. Regulation of cell cycle and apoptosis, in the light of the molecular background of tumor development is also part of the subject. Some of the lectures provide insights into molecular biology research.

Midterm tests and Students’ presentation
There are 3 evaluations during the semester.
The first two occasions (midterm tests) are oral examinations, at which a topic should be picked from the list and answered verbally. The third occasion is the Students’ presentation on selected articles. The student’s performance is evaluated from 1 to 5 in each of the three tests.
Students who miss a test due to illness (with a medical certificate presented) will be provided with a retake opportunity within one week.

Requirements for the signature
The course of the subject will not be recognized in case of more than 3 absences during the semester.

Examination
The semester ends with an oral terminal examination.
Students draw from two sets of topics, so the grade is based on two parts. The partial grades are offered in advance if marks of 3, 4 or 5 have been obtained at each of the three evaluations held during the term. Therefore, if the grade of the Students’ presentation is at least 3, then the grade of the first oral midterm (better than 2) is counted as the first, and that of the second oral midterm (better than 2) is counted as the second partial grade. Midterm marks worse than 3 do not yield such exemptions, and the student must draw a topic from the given set at the terminal exam. In case of a mark worse than 3 at the Students’ presentation, no partial grade is offered at the terminal exam, regardless of the performance at the midterm tests, i.e., the student has to answer a question from each set in the exam.

What to learn for the terminal examination?
– The material of all lectures during the semester.
– Medical Pathobiochemistry (eds. Mandl J and Machovich R) ISBN: 978 963 226 407 3
– Molecular Biology of the Cell (Alberts B, Johnson A, Lewis J, Raff M, Roberts K and Walter P) ISBN: 978-0815341055

Location: online
Duration: 2 x 45 min (Mondays 9:15-11:00 & Wednesdays 8:15-10:00)

	Date	Time	Lecture	Lecturer
1	8 February	09:15	Basics of molecular biology	Csala / Zámbó
2	10 February	08:15	DNA replication	Zámbó
3	15 February	09:15	DNA damage, mutation, repair	Zámbó
4	17 February	08:15	Transcription	Csala
5	22 February	09:15	RNA processing	Csala
6	24 February	08:15	Control of gene expression at mRNA level	Csala
7	1 March	09:15	Translation	Mészáros
8	3 March	08:15	Intracellular protein trafficking	Mészáros
9	8 March	09:15	Post-translational modifications	Mészáros
10	10 March	08:15	Control of translation	Mészáros
11	17 March	08:15	ORAL MIDTERM I
12	22 March	09:15	Protein degradation (proteasome and autophagy)	Mészáros
13	24 March	08:15	Methods of protein generation	Mészáros
14	12 April	09:15	Studies on protein-protein interactions	Mészáros
15	14 April	08:15	Control of cell cycle I	Csala
16	19 April	09:15	Control of cell cycle II	Csala
17	21 April	08:15	Apoptosis I	Csala
18	26 April	09:15	Apoptosis II	Csala
19	28 April	08:15	Molecular background of cancer I	Csala
20	3 May	09:15	Molecular background of cancer II	Csala
21	5 May	08:15	Molecular biology of viruses	Csala
22	10 May	09:15	ORAL MIDTERM II
23	12 May	08:15	Students' presentations and consultation

Topics for the 1st midterm

1. Structure of DNA in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, histones, topoisomerism
2. Proteins involved in prokaryotic DNA replication
3. Initiation of replication and the replication fork
4. Special features of eukaryotic DNA replication, the telomerase
5. The most important types of DNA lesion, DNA damage and mutation
6. Formation and repair of “mismatch damage”
7. Ways to repair pyrimidine (Thymine) dimer
8. Structure and function of E. coli RNA polymerase
9. Initiation and termination of transcription in prokaryotic cells
10. Initiation and termination of transcription in eukaryotic cells
11. Processing of mRNA and the structure of mature mRNA
12. Regulation of transcription in prokaryotes
13. Regulation of transcription in eukaryotes
14. Mechanisms for influencing eukaryotic gene expression (other than transcriptional control)
15. Structure and function of RNAs involved in translation
16. Mechanism of aminoacyl-tRNA formation
17. Structure and function of prokaryotic and eukaryotic ribosomes
18. Initiation of translation in prokaryotes and eukaryotes
19. Elongation and termination of translation
20. Post-translational modifications and functional consequences
21. Eucaryotic cell organelles and the nuclear protein transport
22. Protein transport to mitochondria and the ER
23. Vesicular protein transport
24. Possible mechanisms for the control of translation

Topics for the 2nd midterm

1. The eukaryotic cell division cycle – phases and checkpoints
2. Cyclins, cyclin-dependent kinases and their inhibitors
3. Control of cell cycle in G1 and S phases
4. Control of cell cycle in G2 and M phases
5. Handling DNA injuries and ongoing replication during the cell cycle
6. Structure and function of apoptosome, DISC, and PIDDosome
7. Types of Bcl-2 proteins and their role in apoptosis pathways of different origin
8. Properties of caspases and their role in regulating apoptosis
9. Components of the “survival signal” and its connection with the regulatory proteins of apoptosis
10. The endoplasmic reticulum stress and the UPR
11. Control of the level and activity of p53 protein
12. Effects of p53 protein on cell cycle and apoptosis
13. The concept of tumor suppressor genes, the functions of some representative tumor suppressor proteins
14. Genetic modifications leading to tumor cell formation
15. Grouping of animal viruses according to their replication mechanism, effect of double-stranded RNA in the eukaryotic cells
16. Replication cycle of retroviruses, acutely transforming retroviruses
17. Intracellular proteolysis, ubiquitination, proteasome
18. Intracellular proteolysis, types and mechanisms of autophagy
19. Protein production by using prokaryotic organisms
20. Characteristics of eukaryotic and in vitro protein production systems
21. The yeast two-hybrid system
22. Fluorescence-based studies on protein-protein interactions

Lecture slides are available here.

The passwords to download pages can be obtained from the laboratory teachers personally.