Molecular Genetics

Part III of the course focuses on the Human Genome, and serves to direct our attention to the genes and gene families in our genome that are ultimately responsible for disease. A major emphasis in this Part is the role of transcription factors in the regulation of gene expression. We will review some classic gene systems and examine how they are controlled by specific protein factors (SSDBP's) which bind to specific DNA sites. This part will prepare you for a molecular genetic analysis of development & cancer, (Part IV).

The last part of the course (V) will basically deal with modern Medical Genetics and Molecular Pathology; we will examine the history and genetic causes of certain diseases, and relate this scientific endeavor, experimentally done by candidate gene and positional cloning, to the Human Genome Project.

Throughout the course, we will emphasize experimentation and bioinformtics as the primary means of generating data to test hypotheses; so we will examine the theoretical basis for a variety of methods. You will not be able to design a good experiment or critically evaluate the data in a journal article if you do not understand these methods, along with basic transmission or Mendelian genetics and DNA polymorphisms. Information and discussions from both the lecture and lab will help you to become thoroughly familiar with some of these basic techniques and concepts.

When covering Part IV, development and cancer, we will draw heavily on the role played by transcription factors and signal transduction pathways(Part III); but for Part V, we will use our accumulated understanding of all areas of modern genetics. You can easily see how important it is to keep up with the material, since understanding any one Part depends on how well you mastered the previous one.