] C168, C268 - Molecular
Parasitology
Fall Quarter, 2009
Description of Course:
This course merges classical and modern parasitology.
Molecular parasitology will be useful to both pre-medical students and
those interested in basic problems in molecular and cell biology. In addition to their
biomedical interest, the protozoal
parasites present excellent model systems for the analysis of basic biological
phenomena such as gene regulation, molecular development, cell-cell
interactions, molecular evolution, and novel biochemical pathways. A short list
of the novel biological phenomena in protozoal parasites
includes trans-splicing, lipid anchors of membrane proteins, RNA editing,
regulation of expression mechanisms for drug resistance, description and
analysis of the hydrogenosome, and the regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis
during the parasite life cycle.
There is no hard copy textbook for this course. Pdf files of all
lectures will be posted, and for some lectures, pdf files of research papers
and reviews will be posted.
In addition, almost all lecture material can be found in more depth in the "Online Course
in Molecular Parasitology".
For Dr. Simpson's part of the
course (Sept. 24-Oct. 22), an interactive online Forums will be
available at http://dna.kdna.ucla.edu/dotnet/168
There will be a single logon
which we will email to all 168 students. We have left the
student questions and answers from last year's course since they
may be useful. There are also review files from last year's TA
and sample exam questions.
Lectures:
Tuesday and Thursday 12:30-1:45 Franz 1260
Office hours for Dr. Simpson:
Wednesdays 11-12 AM and 2-3 PM, Room 3825A MSB
TA's:
Renee Butterworth (Office
hrs: MSB 1601 - 2-4 PM Tuesdays);
Angelica Riestra
(Office hrs: MSB 1601, Thursdays 2-4 PM)
In the second part of the
course, Dr. Johnson will use the UCLA Blackboard online system.
Lecture Schedule
(Calendar)
(Dr. Simpson Sept. 24- Oct. 27; Dr. Johnson,
Oct. 29 - Dec. 3)
Sept. 24 - Introduction
to Protozoa and Parasites (pdf)
What is Kuhn's Scientific
"Paradigm Shift?
"Who
am I?" - essay on symbiosis
Evidence for an early
prokaryotic endosymbiosis
Sept. 29 - Chagas Disease:
Trypanosoma cruzi - Epidemiology and Pathogenesis
(pdf)
"When Hiking Through Latin America,
Be Alert to Chagas' Disease"
Review on Chagas
Disease
Chagas Disease in Mummies
Genetic Exchange in T.
cruzi
Oct. 1- African Trypanosomiasis:
Epidemiology and Life
Cycle of Trypanosoma brucei
(pdf)
"The Fly who would be
King" from New Guinea Tapeworms and Jewish
Grandmothers by Desowitz(
pdf)
*
Eradication
of tsetse flies
Statistical prediction of
tsetse range
Oct. 6 - African Trypanosomiasis:
Pathogenesis and Gene Expression
(pdf)
Sex
in trypanosomes
Gibson 2008
paper
Review of transcription in trypanosomes
Review of Antigenic Switching in trypanosomes
Review of trypanosome lytic factor
Construction of a therapeutic tool
Study Slides
Review of mosaic VSG genes
Oct. 8- Leishmaniasis :
Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, Parasite Surface and Virulence Factors
(pdf)
Desowitz -
Chapter on Kala-Azar
Mini-review on Leishmaniasis
Visceral
leishmaniasis: A trip to the Greek Islands is not always idyllic
Review of Galectin paper
Review on transmission of Leishmania by sand flies.
Oct. 13 -
African trypanosomes: TriTryp
Genomes and Cell and
Molecular Biology of the Flagellum
(pdf)
2003 Review on flagellum
by Keith Gull
Recent Review on flagellum by Kent
Hill
Review on TriTryp
genomes -`1
Review on TriTryp Genomes -2
Oct. 14 -
Kinetoplast DNA
(pdf)
Review by Paul Englund
Study Slides
Oct. 20 -
RNA Editing
(pdf)
Review of uridine
insertion/deletion RNA editing
Paper
on evolution of RNA editing
Avi movie of single particle
reconstruction of L-complex
Science is a hard mistress
Dot matrix analysis
Study Slides
Oct. 22 -
World of Small RNAs: RNA
interference, micro RNAs, snoRNAs
(pdf)
Oct. 27 -
First Exam
Dr.
Johnson's lectures -
web site
Some useful web links:
