521-304 Hormone & Neurotransmitter Biochemistry

Biochemistry 521-211, 521-212 or 521-024.

BBiomedSc students: 521-213 and 536-250.

Aberrations in the structure and expression of hormones, growth factors, neurotransmitters and their receptors can give rise to diseases such as diabetes, cancer and Parkinson's disease. To understand the molecular basis of these diseases, it is essential to acquire knowledge of how hormones, growth factors, and neurotransmitters are synthesised and processed, and how their signals are recognised, amplified and transmitted by intracellular signaling pathways in the target cells and tissues.

By the end of the subject the student should have acquired an understanding of the molecular basis of hormone and neurotransmitter actions; an appreciation of the similarities in the mechanism of actions of hormones, growth factors, and neurotransmitters; an understanding of the techniques used to investigate the mechanism of hormone action and neurotransmitter functions; and an understanding of how abnormalities in synthesis and secretion, and in the intracellular signalling pathways give rise to metabolic diseases and cancer.

The topics to be covered include endocrine systems producing individual hormones; biosynthesis, storage and secretion of hormones and neurotransmitters; hormone receptors and mechanisms of intracellular signal transduction, with particular emphasis on second messengers and protein phosphorylation-dephosphorylation; hormonal regulation of gene expression; molecular basis of insulin action; developmental neurobiology; tissue specialisation within the nervous system and different roles of individual neurotransmitters; the neurochemistry of myelin; and molecular basis of multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, Huntington's, Alzheimer's and other neurological diseases.

A 2.5-hour end-of-semester written examination (80%) plus continuous assessment based on up to four short tests and/or written assignments (20%).