BIOLOGY 458

PLANT BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMICAL ECOLOGY

Fall term 2017/18 Mon/Thurs 10:00 - 11:20 ECS130

INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Peter Constabel Cun 147a

email: cpc@uvic.ca Ph: 472-5140

***Term Paper Assignment***

LECTURE TOPICS:	Text Readings		Lecture	Dates
	(Heldt ed. 4th)		Period #
Introductory lecture
• Importance of plant biochemistry & biochemical ecology			1	Sept 7
Part A. Primary Metabolism (Carbon and Nitrogen)
• Tree Walk; review of enzymes			2	Sept 11
• Carbohydrates: starch, sucrose, fructans, & other sugars (Reading#1)		pp. 241-268	3-4	Sept 14, 18
• Structure and function of the cell wall		pp. 4-9, 268-270	5-6	Sept 21*, 25 Reading#2
• Fatty acid biosynthesis, plant oils, functions and genetic engineering		pp. 359-378, 385-387	7-8	Sept 28, Oct 2
• Nitrogen assimilation, amino acid synthesis		pp. 273-288	9	Oct 5*
Thanksgiving Monday		no lecture Oct 9th
• Nitrogen fixation		pp. 307-318	10	Oct 12
• Shikimate pathway, aromatic amino acids, herbicides		pp. 297-300	11	Oct 16 Reading #3
MIDTERM EXAM [sample questions]			12	Oct 19
• Phenylpropanoid pathway & lignin biosynthesis		pp. 431-440	13	Oct 23*
Part B. Secondary Metabolism & Chemical Ecology
• Phenolics: biosynthesis and ecological functions PPT13		pp. 399-402, 431-440	14	Oct 26
• Flavonoids and their diverse functions PPT14		pp. 442- 449	15-16	Oct 30, Nov 2
• Isoprenoids I - plant volatiles and signals PPT		pp. 409-424	17	Nov 6
Term paper bibliographies due				Nov 6**
• Isoprenoids II carotenoids, toxins, rubber PPT			18	Nov 9* Reading #4
Fall Reading Break (Nov 13-15)		no lecture Nov 13th
• Alkaloids & medicinal plant PPT Alkaloids 2 Ecology PPT			19-20	Nov 16, 20
• Glucosinolates and cyanogenic glycosides PPT		pp. 404-407	21	Nov 23 Reading #5
FINAL TERM PAPERS DUE				Nov 24**
• Plant-plant interactions PPT			22	Nov 27*
• Terpenophenolics and Review [Study Essay Q]			23	Dec 30

NB: Textbook Heldt 3rd edition page numbers will be slightly different

* Reading summaries due date. These will be assigned at least one week before.

** Term paper/bibliography due dates

TEXTBOOK: none required. Optional textbook (Heldt, "Plant Biochemistry", 3rd or 4th edition) will be on reserve at the library and should be consulted to reinforce lectures. Some material is covered by Taiz and Zeiger's "Plant Physiology", also on Reserve. Readings from the primary literature will be assigned every other week (5 in total). You will be asked to do very brief summaries of these readings, to be handed in and discussed in class.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

To provide an introduction to plant chemicals, their role in the plant and ecosystem, and the biochemical basis of plant adaptation. Emphasis will be on plant-specific biochemical pathways and processes, and their regulation and molecular biology. Topics include: storage carbohydrates, cell wall biosynthesis, lipid metabolism, nitrogen fixation and assimilation; biochemistry and ecology of secondary plant metabolites such as isoprenoids, phenolics and alkaloids, and their roles in plant-animal and plant-environment interactions.

WEB-ACCESSIBLE / ADDITIONAL MATERIAL:

Lecture materials will available be prior to the lecture (see http://web.uvic.ca/~cpc/). Please be aware that these are abbreviated notes. It is therefore imperative that you attend lectures.

EVALUATION:	Mid-term examination (Oct 19, 2017)	20%
	Annotated Bibliography (for term paper) Term Paper Final Draft Assignments (brief questions on readings)	5% 25% 10%
	Final exam (cumulative): December 2017 Total	40% 100%

Grading system: Percentages converted to letter grades

A+ 90-100 A 85-89.9 A- 80-84.9

B+ 77-79 B 73-76 B- 70-72

C+ 65-69 C 60-64 D 50-59 F 0-49.9

There will be no supplemental exam. Make-up final exams will only be considered if a Request for Academic Concession is provided. There will be no make-up midterm exams; if you miss a midterm, you must provide a documented medical reason.