Cell and Molecular Biology

Biomembranes.

• Phospholipids : main lipid constituent.
• Cytosolic and exoplasmic face of biomembranes.
• Universality of biomembranes.
• Difference in phospholipid composition in two membrane leaflets. Intrinsic and extrinsic proteins.
• Integral and glycolipids.
• Mobility of lipids and integral proteins in biomembrane.
• Fluidity of bio membrane.
• Cell Junctions (Gap, tight and desmosomes )

Transport across cell membrane.

• Diffusion of small molecules.
• Osmosis and water channels.
• Uniporter-catalyzed transport.
• Intracellular ion environment and membrane electric potential.

• Active Transport.
• Cotransport by symporters and antiporters.
• Transport across epithelia.

Cytoskeleton: Structure, Function and Dynamics of :

• Microfilarnents.

1. Actin
2. Myosin :

• Microtubles.    
• Microtubules and mitosis.
• Kinesin and Dynein.
• Intermediate Filaments

Cilia and Flagella.

• Structure and movements:

Cell-Cell Signaling.

• Endocrine, paracrine, autocrine signaling.
• Receptor Proteins-Cell surface receptors and intracellular receptors.

• Cell surface receptors-G-protein coupled receptors, ion channel receptors, tyrosine kinase  linked  receptors and receptors with intrinsic enzymatic activity.

• Second messenger system-cAMP and IP3 DAG.
• MAP kinase pathways.

Signal-Mediated transport through Nuclear Pore.

• Nuclear Pore Complex.
• Nuclear export signals.
• Nuclear localization signals
   

Cell-Cell adhesion and communication.

• Cadherin mediated Ca- dependent homophilic cell-cell adhesion.
• N-CAMs mediate Ca-independeht homophilic cell-cell adhesion.
• Cadherin containing junctions connect cells.
• Gap junctions and connexin.

Cell matrix adhesion.

• Integrins
• Collagen
• Non-collagen components of  extracellular matrix   

Cell cycle.

• Partition and cytokinesis.
• Eukaryotic cell cycle-Gl, S, G2 and M phases.
• Cell cycle and check points.
• Molecular basis of cell cycle regulation.
• Cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases.
• Regulation of CDK-cyclin activity.
   

Cancer.

• Tumor cells and the onset of cancer.
• Proto-oncogenesis and tumor suppressor genes.
• Mutation causing loss of cell cycle.
• Mutations affecting genome stability.

Aging: The biology of senescence.

• Maximum life span and life expectancy.
• Causes of aging:

Cell Death.

• Apoptosis and necrosis.
   

Molecular structure of genes and chromosomes.

• Molecular definition of gene.
• Chromosomal organization of genes and non-coding DNA.
• Mobile DNA.
• Functional rearrangement of chromosomal DNA
• Morphological and functional elements of eukaryotic
• chromosomes.

Regulation of Gene Expression.

• Operon concept.
• Catabolic repression.
• Positive and Negative regulation.
• Inducers and co-repressors.

DNA binding proteins and gene regulation.

• DNA binding domains.
• Homeodomain proteins.
• Zinc finger proteins.
• Winged-helix (Forked head) proteins.
• Leucine-Zipper proteins.
• Helix-loop-helix proteins.