1. Nucleic acids: (a) Nucleic acid as genetic material of living organisms: evidences to prove the genetic nature of DNA: RNA as the genetic material in viruses; (b) DNA: chemical composition and structure. Watson-Crick model, general features of DNA; (c) RNA: chemical composition, structure, types of RNA and their characteristics.
2. Replication of DNA: Meselson-Stahl experiment, Caims' autoradiography experiment; mechanism of DNA replication; replication of circular DNA molecules.
3. Damaged DNA repair mechanism: Causes of DNA damaging. photoreactivation, excision repair, post replication recombination repair and SOS repair.
4 Gene expression: Protein synthesis apparatus structure of tRNA and mechanism of transcription: post- transcriptional modifications of mRNA, IRNA and rRNA: genetic code: characteristics of genetic code, deciphering the code, degeneracy and wobble. initiation and termination codons, universality of the code, the code dictionary: mechanism of translation.
tp operons
5. Regulation of gene expression in prokaryotes: General features of gene regulation: induction and repression: operon concept; lac, ara and Bacteria: Transfer of genetic materials: transformation, transduction and conjugation; genetic mapping in F coll by conjugation.
6. Recombination in
7. Mutation: General nature of mutation, types of mutations, molecular basis of mutation. point mutation, physico-chemical mutagens. detection of mutation in Drosophila by CIB and attached-X methods: isolation of mutants in Neurospora...
8. Transposable genetic elements: Genetic instability and discovery of transposable elements: transposable elements in bacteria and eukaryotes: significance of transposable elements.
9. Gene cloning: Recombinant DNA and gene cloning, plasmid and phage vectors. restriction enzymes, restriction maps and their properties, recombinant selection and screening,
10. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technology: PCR methodology and various applications of PCR technology.
11. Molecular markers: Brief description on procedures and application of RAPD, RFLP and AFLP: Southern blotting, DNA fingerprinting. 12. Organization and structure of genomes- Genome size. Sequence complexity, Genome structure in viruses and prokaryotes, the organization of nuclear DNA in eukaryotes.
13. Subdividing the genome- Fragmentation of DNA with restriction enzymes, separating large fragments of DNA, Isolation of chromosomes, Chromosome micro-dissection, Vectors for cloning DNA, Choice of vector.
14. Genome sequence acquisition and analysis: Physical mapping of genomes, Sequencing whole genomes- sequencing methods and strategies, Benefits of genome sequencing.
15. Functional genomics: Arabidopsis genome covering identification and characterization genes controlling flowering, Photoperiod and circadian clock, Drug design based on bioinformatics tools.