PHCOL 537: Cell Membranes

Molecular Neurobiology of the Cell Membrane

Meets in K550 Health Sciences Center, Wednesdays 3:00 - 5:00 PM, Winter 2011

Professors:

Neil Nathanson, Ph.D.
K536A Health Sciences Center, 543-9457
nathanso@uw.edu

Format:

This graduate level course covers the cell biology of eukaryotic cell membranes and how they contribute to normal functioning and disease.

Students will take turns introducing weekly topics and will participate in discussions of 2-3 papers assigned for each class.

Grades will be based on presentations and class participation.

Tentative list of topics:

Week 1 Introduction to cell membranes and lipids (Neil Nathanson)

Week 2 Introduction to membrane proteins (Neil Nathanson)

Week 3 Membrane lipids as scaffolds
Lipid modifications of proteins

Week 4 Cell adhesion molecules
Molecules that attract or repel neuronal growth cones

Week 5 Epithelial cell polarity and protein sorting
Differential sorting of proteins in neurons

Week 6 Myelination
Retrograde signaling from the nerve terminal to the nucleus

Week 7 Endocytosis and intracellular trafficking of membrane receptors (1 or 2 people)
Clathrin dependent endocytosis- the EGF receptor
Clathrin-independent endocytosis mechanism

Week 8 Signaling domains in membranes

Week 9 Trafficking/Processing of APP/SREBP/intramembrane proteolysis

Week 10 ER stress response