330029 VO Nutrition and Gene Regulation (2015W)

Objectives

The students will understand
- the basic principles of gene regulation in humans,
- the role of transcription factors , their activation and regulation,
- the methods of nutrigenomics,
- how specific nutrients affect gene regulation and signal transduction as well as
- the specific transcription factors involved in these processes,
- the potential impact of these events on health and disease

Contents

Principles of gene regulation:
- Transcriptional regulation
- Post-transcriptional regulation
- Modifications of chromatin structure
- DNA sequence elements with regulatory characteristics
Transcription factors:
- DNA-binding
- Mechanisms of action
- Regulating the regulators
Introduction into nutrigenomics:
- Definition
- Aims
- Methods:
-- Assessment ot transcription factors (e.g. ELISA, EMSA, supershift assays)
-- Transkriptomics (DNA microarray, RT-PCR)
Effects of macronutrients on gene expression:
- Effects of fatty acids on gene expression and corresponding transcription factors
- Effects of carbohydrates and insulin on gene expression and corresponding transcription factors
- Effects of amino acids on gene expression and corresponding transcription factors
Effects of micronutrients on gene expression:
- Retinol
- Cholecalciferol
- Iron
- Copper
- Zinc
- Secondary metabolites of plants (phytochemicals)
Nutrients and gene regulation from the perspective of nutritional scienes and nutritional medicine, e.g.:
- Nutrients, gene regulation and obesity
- Nutrients, gene regulation and metabolic syndrome
- Nutrients, gene regulation and atherosclerosis
Future aspects

Methods