SUBJECT

Title

Programmed Cell Death and Autophagocytosis

Type of instruction

lecture

Level

master

Part of degree program
Credits

4

Recommended in

Semester 2

Typically offered in

Spring semester

Course description
  1. Introduction: the role of cell death in physiological and pathological processes

  2. Apoptosis

  3. The discovery and molecular mechanism of apoptosis in C. elegans

  4. The role of the caspase cascade in apoptosis

  5. Cell death receptors, extracellular regulation of cell death

  6. The discovery of the Bcl-2 protooncogen family, and their functions

  7. The regulatory role of the mitochondria in the apoptosis, the intracellular regulatory mechanisms

  8. The structure and functions of the ubiquitin protein

  9. The structure and function of the proteasome and its subunits

  10. The connections between the ubiquitin-proteasome system and cell death

  11. The role of heath shock proteins in cell death

  12. Apoptosis in the immune system

  13. Autophagy

  14. The lysosomes and the lysosomal compartment

  15. Formation of the autophagosomes, fusion of autophagosomes and lysosomes, degradation in autophag vacuoles

  16. Endocytosis and heterophagocytosis

  17. Genetic regulation of the autophagy in yeast by Atg genes

  18. The role of the TOR kinase in yeast and multicellular organisms

  19. Autophagy and autophagy genes in C. elegans

  20. Autophagy and autophagy genes in Drosophila

  21. The role of the autophagy during the development of vertebrates

  22. Autophagy and neurondegeneration

  23. The role og autophagy in stroke, myopathies and cancer

  24. Molecular mechanisms of heterophagocytosis

  25. The role of the autophagy at the level of the organizm (death or survival, lifespan)

  26. Methods and markers of apoptotic and autophagocytotic processes.

Readings
  • Autophagy, Ed.: Klionsky DJ, Landes Bioscience, Georgetown, Eurekah. Austin, Texas, U.S.A.; 2004

  • Molecular Biology of the Cell, Alberts, B., Johnson, A., Lewis, J., Raff, M., Roberts, K. and Walter, P. 4th Edition Garland Science New York, 2002