Course code:
437B2		 Course name:
Protein Folding and Misfolding

Academic year:

2024/2025.

Attendance requirements:

401B2

ECTS:

7

Study level:

basic academic studies

Study program:

Biochemistry: 4. year, summer semester, elective (E16B2) course

Teacher:

Natalija Đ. Polović, Ph.D.
full professor, Faculty of Chemistry, Studentski trg 12-16, Beograd

Assistants:

Natalija S. Andrejević
junior research assistant, Faculty of Chemistry, Studentski trg 12-16, Beograd

Jelica R. Milošević, Ph.D.
assistant with PhD, Faculty of Chemistry, Studentski trg 12-16, Beograd

Hours of instruction:

Weekly: two hours of lectures + four hours of labwork (2+0+4)

Goals:

This course is intended for the students who want to acquire knowledge and get practical training in protein folding and misfolding.

Outcome:

Students are able to understand, detect and characterize folded and misfolded proteins.

Teaching methods:

Lectures, laboratory classes, term papers.

Extracurricular activities:

—

Coursebooks:

Main coursebooks:

  1. C. Gomes, P. Faisca: Protein folding, 2018.
  2. D. Voet, J. Voet: Biochemistry, 2011.

Supplementary coursebooks:

Selected research papers.

Additional material:

—

  Course activities and grading method

Lectures:

10 points (2 hours a week)

Syllabus:

  1. Protein folding.
  2. Physical folding code. Interactions. Dynamics and solvatation. Thermodynamic hypothesis. Forces involved in protein folding.
  3. Kinetics and mechanism of protein folding. Cooperativity. Levinthal's paradox. Theory of energy landscape.
  4. Protein folding in vivo.
  5. Denaturation and aggregation.
  6. Amyloids. Mechanism and kinetics of amyloid fibrillation.
  7. Misfolding diseases. Neurodegeneration.

Labwork:

30 points (4 hours a week)

Syllabus:

  1. Determination of thermodynamic parameters of folded proteins.
  2. Denaturation and aggregation.
  3. Reversible protein folding.
  4. Amyloid fibrillation.

Semester papers:

20 points

Oral exam:

40 points