7.05 | Spring 2020 | Undergraduate

General Biochemistry

Readings

Readings are from Berg, Tymockzko, Gatto, and Stryer Biochemistry (8th Edition) OR from Miesfeld & McEvoy Biochemistry. Read one or the other. There is no need to read both.

[BTGS] = Berg, Jeremy M., John L. Tymoczko, Gregory J. Gatto, and Lubert Stryer. Biochemistry. 8th ed. W. H. Freeman & Co., 2015. ISBN: 9781464126109.

[MM] = Miesfeld, Roger L., and Megan M. McEvoy. Biochemistry. W. W. Norton & Company, 2017. ISBN: 9780393614022. 

lec # topic readings  
Part I: Biomolecules, Methods, and Mechanisms (Lectures by Prof. Michael B. Yaffe)
1 Introduction; Classes of Biomolecules; pH, Buffers, and Titration Curves

[BTGS] pp. 1–4, 13–17, 22–23 (Appendix 1)

or

[MM] pp. 3–17, 56–60, 71–78

 
2 Amino Acids and Proteins

[BTGS] pp. 27–39, 57–59

or

[MM] pp. 11–12, 147–168

 
3 Protein Purification I

[BTGS] pp. 65–84, 92–95 

or

[MM] pp. 210–226

 
4 Protein Purification II, Protein Structure II

[BTGS] pp. 35–49, 59–62, 85–92

or

[MM] pp. 162–193, 227–230

 
5 Protein Structure II, Protein Folding

[BTGS] pp. 6–9, 44–60, 169–182

or

[MM] pp. 56–67, 193–204, 232–237

 
6 Hemoglobin and Allostery

[BTGS] pp. 191–212, 286–292, 356–358

or

[MM] pp. 259–276

 
7 Hemoglobin and the Bohr Effect

[BTGS] pp. 191–212

or

[MM] pp. 259–276

 
8 Enzyme Chemistry

[BTGS] pp. 215–218, 237–238, 251–264

or

[MM] pp. 309–319, 332–336

 
9 Enzymes as Catalysts

[BTGS] pp. 219–225, 240–241, 299–303

or

[MM] pp. 3319–332, 362–363

 
10 Enzyme Mechanisms

[BTGS] pp. 264–268 (Carbonic Anhydrase), 455–456 (TPI)

or

[MM] pp. 326–327 (Carbonic Znhydrase), 455–457 (TPI)

 
11 Enzyme Kinetics

[BTGS] pp. 225–236

or

[MM] pp. 341–356

 
12

Carbohydrates/Introduction to Membranes

(Lecture by Prof. Matthew Vander Heiden)

[BTGS] pp. 313–337

or

[MM] pp. 632–672

 
13 Channels, Transporters and Pumps, Protein Modules

[BTGS] pp. 367–393

or

[MM] pp. 276–295

 
14 Hormones and Signal Transduction I

[BTGS] pp. 293–298, 397–419

or

[MM] pp. 359–360, 371–397

 
15 Receptors, Small G-proteins, and Signal Transduction II

[BTGS] pp. 367–393, 397–419

or

[MM] pp. 255–256, 276–295, 383–385, 397–415 

 
16 Nucleic Acids

[BTGS] pp. 4–6, 105–118

or

[MM] pp. 23–27, 91–101, 107–115 

 
17 tRNAs and Protein Translation

[BTGS] pp. 827–844, 941–944, 119–123, 859–880, 925–931, 945–947

or

[MM] pp. 999–1009, 1010–1021, 1065–1071, 1077–1098

 
18 Translation and the Ribosome

[BTGS] pp. 876–890

or

[MM] pp. 1055–1061, 1074–1086

 
Part II: Metabolism (Lectures by Prof. Matthew Vander Heiden)
19 Introduction to Metabolism/Polysaccharides/Bioenergetics/Intro Pathways

[BTGS] Ch. 11.1-11.2, 15, 16.1-16.3, 21

or

[MM] Ch. 9, 14.2-14.3

 
20 Bioenergetics/Intro Pathways/Glycolysis I

[BTGS] Ch. 17

or

[MM] Ch. 10

 
21 Glycolysis II/Regulation

[BTGS] Ch. 17

or

[MM] Ch. 10

 
22 Glucogenesis/Carbohydrate Storage/TCA Cycle I

[BTGS] Ch. 11.1-11.2, 15, 17, 16.1-16.3, 21

or

[MM] Ch. 9, 10, 14.2-14.3

 
23 TCA Cycle II

[BTGS] Ch. 17

or

[MM] Ch. 10

 
24 Lipids and Fatty Acid Oxidation

[BTGS] Ch. 12.1–12.5, 18, 19, 22

or

[MM] Ch. 11, 12, 15.1–15.3, 16.1

 
25 Oxidative Phosphorylation

[BTGS] Ch.12.1–12.5, 18, 19, 22

or

[MM] Ch. 11, 12, 15.1–15.3, 16.1

 
26 Oxidative Phosphorylation/Photosynthesis I

[BTGS] Ch. 12.1–12.5, 18, 19, 22

or

[MM] Ch. 11, 12, 15.1–15.3, 16.1

 
27 Photosynthesis II/CO2 Assimilation

[BTGS] Ch. 12.1–12.5, 18, 19, 20.1–20.2, 22

or

[MM] Ch. 11, 12, 15.1–15.3, 16.1

 
28 Pentose Phosphate Pathway

[BTGS] Ch. 19, 20

or

[MM] Ch. 14.1

 
29 Lipid Synthesis

[BTGS] Ch. 20.3–20.5, 22.4–22.6

or

[MM] Ch. 16.2

 
30 Nitrogen/Amino Acid Metabolism I

[BTGS] Ch. 23.3–23.5, 24

or

[MM] Ch. 17

 
31 Amino Acid Metabolism II

[BTGS] Ch. 23.3–23.5, 24

or

[MM] Ch. 17

 
32 Nucleotide Metabolism

[BTGS] Ch. 25

or

[MM] Ch. 18

 

Additional textbooks that may be helpful for specific topics:

Campbell, Iain D. Biophysical Techniques. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012. ISBN: 9780199642144

This book has an excellent discussion of many currently used techniques to characterize macromolecules. It is a very useful text for those of you who are doing (or plan to do) biochemical research.

Branden, Carl, and John Tooze. Introduction to Protein Structure, 2nd ed. New York: Garland Publishing, 2009. ISBN: 9780815323051

Provides an elegant description of a variety of protein structures, including many of the proteins we discuss in class such as G-proteins, proteases, and nucleic acid-binding proteins. Use this book if you want to get a different, somewhat better understanding of the structural basis for how these proteins work than that provided in the Stryer textbook. Carl Branden is the inventor of the so-called “Branden Rules” that allow ligand binding sites to be predicted in α/β proteins by looking at the α-helix cross-over positions on the β-sheet, and places in the sheet where the order of β-strands reverses itself.

Rhodes, Gale. Crystallography Made Crystal Clear: A Guide for Users of Macromolecular Models, 3rd ed. Academic Press, 2006. ISBN: 9780125870733

This is an outstanding introduction to how protein structures are solved using crystallography. If the handwaving explanation of the phase problem that I provide in class is not satisfying enough for you, and you really want to understand how Fourier transforms are used to solve X-ray structures, this is the book for you.

Tanford, Charles, and Jacqueline A. Reynolds. Nature’s Robots: A History of Proteins. Oxford University Press, 2004. ISBN: 9780198606949

This is a classic book on the history of protein discovery and characterization, written by a pioneer in the field of biophysical chemistry. Prof. Tanford is also the author of two classic textbooks in chemistry and biochemistry, and he has a very unique and deep knowledge of the field. If you are a fan of the history of science, this is the kind of book you take on vacation to read for fun.

Course Info

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Spring 2020
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Problem Sets with Solutions
Exams