Dr. Roger Sandwick

Associate Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry
Chemistry & Biochemistry Department
452 McCardell Bicentennial Hall
Middlebury College
Office Phone:   x 3496   
Email: rsandwic@middlebury.edu

Course Syllabus

CH 425: Biochemistry of Metabolism

Fall Semester, 2002

 

Lecture: MWF 10:10 – 11:00 am
Discussion: F 1:30 – 2:20 pm

 Instructor: Roger Sandwick
                        Room 452, Bicentennial Hall
                        Office Phone: x 3496 Home Phone: 518 – 564 – 2818
                        email: rsandwic@middlebury.edu

 

Textbook : Biochemistry, 3rd Edition by Christopher K. Mathews, K.E. van Holde, and Kevin G.
Ahern, Addison Wesley Longman, Inc., San Francisco, CA 2000

-- we will concentrate on Chapters 11 – 23, but may have to review some information
presented earlier in the text.

Other Reference: SciFinder Scholar – this electronic index service, available in the Armstrong
Library, will be valuable for locating appropriate biochemistry articles
needed for the discussion part of the course.

Course Objective: While the catalog description defines this course as being a course where "Anabolic and catabolic pathways of eukaryotes will be evaluated mechanistically and appreciated through a consideration of thermodynamics," the more important aspect of the course is that it serves as a course in applied biochemistry. A detailed coverage of the components, kinetics, and controls of metabolic pathways will help in developing a greater appreciation that cellular biochemistry follows chemical principles and not some voodoo magic.

Course Content: We will start by trying to understand in detail the concept of basic metabolism using as examples the common pathways of glycolysis and the citric acid cycle. All major pathways (e.g. b-oxidation, purine/pyrimidine synthesis, urea cycle, photosynthesis) will then be covered. As the semester progresses we will move away from the textbook and towards critical reading of the primary literature.

Student Responsibilities: In Class Assignments and Participation/Homework (25 %)

3 Take Home Exams (50 %)

2 Short Presentations* (15 mins) of Articles (10 %)

1 Presentation* (50 mins) of Research Article (both oral and
written) (15 %)

Short Presentations: The instructor will define the topic; the student will be responsible
for locating and describing an article that addresses the topic.

Topics: 2,3-BPG Metabolism and Fitness (9/27 and 10/4)

Spermine, ODC, and Cancer (10/11 and 10/18)

Long Presentation: A full coverage of a research article of the student’s choosing. (11/1
thru 11/22)

* all article choices must be pre-approved.

Syllabus:

First Week:  Read Chapt. 12
                        Discussion on 9/13: Paper by Schulte et al, J. Exp. Biol. 166, 181 - 195, 1992

Second Week:  Read Chapt. 13 and Chapt. 14
                        Discussion on 9/20: Paper by Pedersen et al, Biochim. Biophys. Acta Article in Press

Third Week:  Read Chapt 15 - pages 522 - 544
                      Discussion on 9/27: Paper by Nielsen et al, J. of Physiology, 541, 979-989, 2002

Fourth Week: Read Rest of Chapt. 15 - pages 545 - 557; Start Chapt. 16 - pages 560 - 572
                      Discussion on 10/2:  Paper by Rudolph and Stubbe, Biochemistry, 34, 2241 - 2250, 1995
                      Take Home Exam Distributed (9/30)

Fifth Week:    Read Chapt. 16 - Pages 560 - 572
                      Discussion on 10/9: Three Papers (students) on 2,3-BPG
                       Take Home Exam Due 10/10