Objectives in terms of knowledge (course content) :

• Basic notions of organic chemistry : chirality, Lewis structure, acide/base theories, nucleophile/electrophile, chemical mechanisms.
• Enzymes and enzymatic chemistry : tridimensionnal structure, kinetic and thermodynamic aspects, active site, structures and chemical properties of coenzymes.
• Mecanistic aspects of the main metabolic conversions.
• Comparison with experimental organic chemistry : saponification, amide hydrolysis, esterification/thioesterification/amide formation, oxidation/reduction, amination/deamination, carbone-carbone bond creation, fragmentation, isomerization/epimerization.
• Metals in the chemistry of life : examples or iron and molybdenum

Objectives in terms of skills :

• Acquisition of capacities to analyze the chemical mechanisms taking place during enzymatic and metabolic transformations.
• Understanding of enzymatic mechanisms involved in suicide inhibition.

Bibliography:

• Chimie Organique des Processus Biologiques, McMurry, Begley et Mislin, Eds De Boeck
• The Organic Chemistry of Biological Pathways, McMurry and Begley, Roberts and Cie Eds
• Classics in total synthesis, Nicolaou and Sorensen, Wiley VCH Eds.
• Mécanismes réactionnels en chimie organique, Brückner, Eds De Boeck