In one volume this book provides useful and innovative protocols developed specifically for the proteomic profiling of human tissues. The book provides high-throughput gel-based techniques, microarrays and a number of other methods used in proteomic research. This important book will prove indispensable to investigators of biomarker discovery and therapeutic response profiling, as well as those forging new paths in the fields of theranostics and personalized medicine.

In this book, numerous prominent aquaculture researchers contribute 27 chapters that provide overviews of aquaculture effects on the environment. They comprise a comprehensive synthesis of many ecological and genetic problems implicated in the practice of aquaculture and of many proven, attempted, or postulated solutions to those problems. This is an outstanding source of reference for all types of aquaculture activities.

Every biological system is the outcome of its evolution; therefore, the deciphering of its evolutionary history is of tremendous importance to understand the biology of a system.

Since 1997 scientists of different disciplines have held an annual "Evolutionary Biology Meeting" at Marseille (France) in order to discuss their research developments, exchange ideas and start collaborations. Consisting of the most representative talks of the 11th meeting, this book provides an up-to-date overview of evolutionary concepts and how these concepts can be applied to a better understanding of various biological aspects. It is divided into the following four parts: Modelization of Evolution - Concepts in Evolutionary Biology - Knowledge - Applied Evolutionary Biology.

This book is an invaluable source of information not only for evolutionary biologists, but also for biologists in general.

The centromere is a chromosomal region that enables the accurate segregation of chromosomes during mitosis and meiosis. It holds sister chromatids together, and through its centromere DNA-protein complex known as the kinetochore binds spindle microtubules to bring about accurate chromosome movements. Despite this conserved function, centromeres exhibit dramatic difference in structure, size, and complexity. Extensive studies on centromeric DNA revealed its rapid evolution resulting often in significant difference even among closely related species. Such a plasticity of centromeric DNA could be explained by epigenetic c- trol of centromere function, which does not depend absolutely on primary DNA sequence. According to epigenetic centromere concept, which is thoroughly d- cussed by Tanya Panchenko and Ben Black in Chap. 1 of this book, centromere activation or inactivation might be caused by modifications of chromatin. Such acquired chromatin epigenetic modifications are then inherited from one cell di- sion to the next. Concerning centromere-specific chromatin modification, it is now evident that all centromeres contain a centromere specific histone H3 variant, CenH3, which replaces histone H3 in centromeric nucleosomes and provides a structural basis that epigenetically defines centromere and differentiates it from the surrounding chromatin. Recent insights into the CenH3 presented in this chapter add important mechanistic understanding of how centromere identity is initially established and subsequently maintained in every cell cycle.

Metabolism is the sum of the chemical reactions in cells that produce life-sustaining chemical energy and metabolites. In the post-genome era, metabolism has taken on new significance for biological scientists: metabolites are the chemical basis of phenotypes that are final expressions of genomic information. This book covers research on metabolomics, ranging from the development of specialized chemical analytical techniques to the construction of databases and methods for metabolic simulation. The authors have been directly involved in the development of all the subject areas, including capillary electrophoresis, liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, metabolic databases, and metabolic simulation. Breakthrough achievements and the future of metabolome studies are described, making this book a valuable source for researchers in metabolomics in diverse fields, such as plant, animal, cellular, microbial, pharmaceutical, medical, and genetic sciences.

Louis-Marie Houdebine and Jianglin Fan The study of biological functions of proteins and their possible roles in the pathogenesis of human diseases requires more and more relevant animal m- els. Although mice including genetically modified mice offer many possibilities, other non-murine species are absolutely required in some circumstances. Rabbit is one of these species, which has been widely used in biomedical studies. This animal is genetically and physiologically closer to humans including cardiov- cular system and metabolism characteristics. Rabbit is thus more appropriate than mice to study some diseases such as atherosclerosis and lipid metabolism. Because of its larger size, surgery manipulation, bleeding, and turn-over studies are much easier performed in rabbits than in mice. Furthermore, transgenic rabbits can be produced using microinjection and other methods such as lentiviral v- tors. Cloning in rabbits has been proved possible, even though still laborious and time-consuming. Hopefully, functional rabbit ES cell lines will be available in the coming years. Gene deletion or knock-out in rabbits will then become possible.

This book introduces the basic concepts and methods that are useful in the statistical analysis and modeling of the DNA-based marker and phenotypic data that arise in agriculture, forestry, experimental biology, and other fields. It concentrates on the linkage analysis of markers, map construction and quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping, and assumes a background in regression analysis and maximum likelihood approaches. The strength of this book lies in the construction of general models and algorithms for linkage analysis, as well as in QTL mapping in any kind of crossed pedigrees initiated with inbred lines of crops.

Once per life cycle, mitotic nuclear divisions are replaced by meiosis I and II reducing chromosome number from the diploid level to a haploid genome and recombining chromosome arms by crossing-over. In animals, all this happens during formation of eggs and sperm in yeasts before spore formation. The mechanisms of reciprocal exchange at crossover/chiasma sites are central to mainstream meiosis. To initiate the meiotic exchange of DNA, surgical cuts are made as a form of calculated damage that subsequently is repaired by homologous recombination. These key events are accompanied by ancillary provisions at the level of chromatin organization, sister chromatid cohesion and differential centromere connectivity. Great progress has been made in recent years in our understanding of these mechanisms. Questions still open primarily concern the placement of and mutual coordination between neighboring crossover events. Of overlapping significance, this book features two comprehensive treatises of enzymes involved in meiotic recombination, as well as the historical conceptualization of meiotic phenomena from genetical experiments. More specifically, these mechanisms are addressed in yeasts as unicellular model eukaryotes. Furthermore, evolutionary subjects related to meiosis are treated."

This is an in-depth examination of circadian biology, presented by leading researchers in the field. Methods for analysis of rhythmic readouts in select model organisms are included. This cutting-edge collection of protocols is adaptable for research at every level, and represents the huge strides that chronobiologists have made over the past two decades. Circadian biologists at all research levels will realize tremendous benefit from this extraordinary collection.

This title develops from the 24th Stadler symposium. It explores the general theme "GENOME EXPLOITATION: Data Mining the Genomes." The idea behind the theme is to discuss and illustrate how scientists are going to characterize and make use of the massive amount of information being accumulated about plant and animal genomes. The book presents a state-of-the-art picture on mining the Genome databases. Its chapters are authored by key stars in the field.

Animal welfare is attracting increasing interest worldwide, but particularly from those in developed countries, who now have the knowledge and resources to be able to improve the welfare of farm animals. The increased attention given to farm animal welfare in the West derives largely from the fact that the relentless pursuit of ?nancial reward and ef?ciency has led to the development of intensive animal production systems that disturb the conscience of many consumers. In developing countries, human survival is still a daily uncertainty, so that provision for animal welfare has to be balanced against human welfare. Welfare is usually provided for only if it supports the output of the animal, be it food, work, clothing, sport or companionship. In reality there are resources for all if they are properly husbanded in both developing and developed countries. The inequitable division of the world's riches creates physical and psychological poverty for humans and animals alike in many sectors of the world. Livestock are the world's biggest land user (FAO, 2002) and the population is increasing rapidly to meet the need of an expanding human population. Populations of farm animals managed by humans are therefore incre- ing worldwide, and in some regions there is a tendency to allocate fewer resources, such as labour, to each animal with potentially adverse consequences on the a- mals' welfare.

The Welfare of Animals is an exciting book that will stimulate and provoke its readers. It describes many problems faced by animals - those we use for food, for pleasure or in research, and those simply but harshly affected by shrinking habitats in the face of the ever-growing human population. And yet it is not a depressing read. It focuses not only on the difficulties that animals face, but on their capacity for free-choice, for joy and excitement, and on the possible ways in which the planet can be shared between species if only we take the time and trouble to think more carefully about the impact of our actions. Clive Phillips moved from the United Kingdom to take up a Foundation Chair in Animal Welfare at the University of Queensland, becoming Australia's first Professor of Animal Welfare in 2003. This cultural leap, combined with his travels in countries like Malaysia and Borneo, permits him the unique and broad perspective that forms the backbone of this book. Eschewing the normal territory patrolled by the animal scientist (explaining the physiological basis of the stress response or causation of abnormal behaviour), Clive ventures into jungles and deserts, city centres and tribal homelands, and presents a book that remarkably and successfully combines travel-diary, nature notes, social and cultural history.

This volume provides an overview of the latency strategies developed during the estimated 200 Myears long coevolution of Alpha-, Beta- and Gammaherpesvirinae and their host species. The main emphasis is on herpesviruses infecting humans. However, relevant cases if herpesviruses infecting animals are covered as well. Special emphasis is drawn on results on molecular mechanisms regulating latent promoters of herpesvirus genomes and signals and molecular pathways resulting in reactivation of latent viral genomes. To balance the volume, epigenetic mechanisms (DNA methylation, histone modification, chromatin structure) involved in cell type specific expression of growth-transformation-associated Gammaherpesvirus genes will also be discussed at length)

Although aquaculture as a biological production system has a long history, systematic and efficient breeding programs to improve economically important traits in the farmed species have rarely been utilized until recently, except for salmonid species. This means that the majority of aquaculture production (more than 90 %) is based on genetically unimproved stocks. In farm animals the situation is vastly different: practically no terrestrial farm production is based on genetically unimproved and undomesticated populations. This difference between aquaculture and livestock production is in spite of the fact that the basic elements of breeding theory are the same for fish and shellfish as for farm animals. One possible reason for the difference is the complexity of reproductive biology in aquatic species, and special consideration needs to be taken in the design of breeding plans for these species. Since 1971 AKVAFORSK, has continuously carried out large scale breeding research projects with salmonid species, and during the latest 15 years also with a number of fresh water and marine species. Results from this work and the results from other institutions around the world have brought forward considerable knowledge, which make the development of efficient breeding programs feasible. The genetic improvement obtained in selection programs for fish and shellfish is remarkable and much higher than what has been achieved in terrestrial farm animals.

The domestic pig is perceived as an animal with intelligence and character and yet, in the industrialized world, the majority of people have had little or no contact with them. Pigs are subject to a wide range of environments from the tropics to the sub-arctic, ranging from small-scale, extensive systems to large-scale intensive systems. They may spend their whole life on one farm or may be subject to long-distance transport multiple times. Not surprisingly, many aspects of their life experiences can impact their welfare.

This book brings together a team of leading pig welfare research scientists to review the natural history of the pig, the welfare of pigs at different stages of life and to indicate what the future holds in terms of pig welfare. The text is aimed at researchers and teachers working in veterinary and animal science together with those working in the pig industry and for governmental and non-governmental animal welfare organizations.

This work offers a fascinating insight into a crucial genetic process. Recombination is, quite simply, one of the most important topics in contemporary biology. This book is a totally comprehensive treatment of the subject, summarizing all existing views on the topic and at the same time putting them into context. It provides in-depth and up-to-date analysis of the chapter topics, and has been written by international experts in the field.

The book helps the reader to better understand cytogenetics and the intricacies of the methodology. The different methods of fluorescence in situ hybridization are discussed and the results achieved are presented. The book provides a comprehensive review of basic and applied aspects of cytogenetics and thus is of intense interest to all those interested in chromosomes and their alterations by different types of mutagens, including chemical mutagens and ionizing and nonionizing radiation, with special reference to electromagnetic fields.

The sense of smell has an essential role in locating food, detecting predators, navigating, and communicating social information. Accordingly, the olfactory system has evolved complex repertoires of receptors to face these problems. Although the sense of taste has less far-reaching tasks, they are every bit as essential for the animals well-being, allowing it to reject toxic materials and to select nutritionally valuable food. The last decade has seen a massive advance in understanding the molecular logic of chemosensory information processing, beyond that already achieved in the rst few years following Linda Bucks discovery of odorant receptors. Shortly afterwards, the major principles of olfactory representation had been established in mammals as the one neuron/ one receptor rule and the convergence of neurons, which express the same receptor, onto individual modules in the olfactory bulb. In recent years, such studies have been extended to lower vertebrates, including shes and other phyla, i. e. , arthropods, worms, and insects, showing both the general validity of these concepts and some exceptions to the rule. In parallel, hallmarks of the molecular logic of taste sensation have been deciphered and found to differ in interesting ways from those of smell sensation.

Population and evolutionary genetics have been quickly developing ?elds of biological research over the past decades. This book compiles our current understanding of genetic processes in natural populations. In addition, the book provides the author's original ideas and concepts based on the data obtained by himself and his close coworkers. The author introduces his pioneering concept of population genetic stability, and much of thebook is concerned with the factors and conditions of such stability. Why does genetic stability matter so much? Altukhov argues that the sustainable use of natural resources, including genetic resources of popu- tions, critically depends on the maintenance of their stability. The preser- tion of well-adapted genetic characteristics from one generation to the next is essential for this stability. Traditionally, population genetics has been - cusedonevolution andthe role of evolutionary factorsinshapinggenetic structures of populations. While the idea of a population as a dynamic unit of evolution has been widely accepted, the signi?cance of genetic stability and its implications for the long-term survival of populations and species have not been fully appreciated.

The study of alternative reproductive tactics (the behavioural strategies used by individuals to increase their reproductive success) is an evolutionary puzzle, and one of great interest to researchers. For instance, why do some males guard both nest and eggs, while others sneak into nests while pairs are spawning and fertilise those eggs? The field offers a special opportunity to study the evolution and functional causes of phenotypic variation, which is a general problem in the field of evolutionary biology. By integrating both mechanistic (psychological) and evolutionary (behavioural ecology) perspectives and by covering a great diversity of species, Alternative Reproductive Tactics addresses this integrated topic of longstanding interest, bringing together a multitude of otherwise scattered information in an accessible form that is ideal for graduate students and researchers.

Essential Reproduction provides an accessible account of the fundamentals of reproduction within the context of cutting-edge knowledge and examples of its application. The eighth edition of this internationally best-selling title provides a multidisciplinary approach integrating anatomy, physiology, genetics, behaviour, biochemistry, molecular biology and clinical science, to give thorough coverage of the study of mammalian reproduction. Key features: Contains discussion of the latest on conceptual, informational and applied aspects of reproduction New pedagogical features such as clinical case studies at the end of each chapter Better use of boxed material to improve separation of narrative text from ancillary information Highlighted key words for ease of reference relate to summary of key points Introduction now split into two sections Expanded content in Fetal challenges, and Society and reproduction Substantial rearrangement and updating in Making sperm, Controlling fertility, and Restoring fertility

Echinoderms and prochordates occupy a key position in vertebrate evolution. The genomes of sea urchin share 70% homology with humans. Researches on cell cycle in sea urchin and phagocytosis in asteroids have fetched Nobel Prizes. In this context, this book assumes immense importance. Echinoderms are unique, as their symmetry is bilateral in larvae but pentamerous radial in adults. The latter has eliminated the development of an anterior head and bilateral appendages. Further, the obligate need to face the substratum for locomotion and acquisition of food has eliminated their planktonic and nektonic existence. Egg size, a decisive factor in recruitment, increases with decreasing depths up to 2,000-5,000 m in lecithotrophic asteroids and ophiuroids but remains constant in their planktotrophics. Smaller (< 18 mm) ophiuroids do not produce a lecithotrophic eggs but larger (> 110 mm) asteroids generate planktotrophic eggs only. Publications on sex ratio of echinoderms indicate the genetic determination of sex at fertilization but those on hybridization, karyotype and ploidy induction do not provide evidence for heterogametism. But the herbivorous echinoids and larvacea with their gonads harboring both germ cells and Nutritive Phagocytes (NPs) have economized the transportation and hormonal costs on gonadal function. Despite the amazing potential just 2 and 3% of echinoderms undergo clonal reproduction and regeneration, respectively. Fission is triggered, when adequate reserve nutrients are accumulated. It is the most prevalent mode of clonal reproduction in holothuroids, asteroids and ophiuroids. However, budding is a more prevalent mode of clonal reproduction in colonial hemichordates and urochordates. In echinoderms, fission and budding eliminate each other. Similarly, autoregulation of early development eliminates clonal reproduction in echinoids and solitary urochordates. In pterobranchs, thaliaceans and ascidians, the repeated and rapid budding leads to colonial formation. Coloniality imposes reductions in species number and body size, generation time and life span, gonad number and fecundity as well as switching from gonochorism to simultaneous hermaphorditism and oviparity to ovoviviparity/viviparity.

About 95 per cent of all known animal species are invertebrates. A knowledge of their sexual, reproductive, and developmental biology is essential for the effective management of species that are economically useful to man or are harmful to him, his crops, and livestock. This treatise is the first to cover all aspects of reproduction and development of the entire spectrum of invertebratesterrestrial, marine, freshwater, brackish-water, free-living, and parasitic. The chapters, by leading world experts in their fields, are up-to-date and informative, and suggest a number of problems for future research.

This successful text examines the ecological processes that determine the size and structure of a population, and demonstrates that there are many fundamental principles that apply to populations of both animals and plants. The authors have sought to involve the text in areas where particular progress has been made and consolidated. The third edition therefore addresses the problem of the detection of chaos, buried sea-banks and herbivorey implants and looks more closely at the role of spatial scale in two-species interactions. It also introduces a major new section on the concept of the meta-population. The book is designed to be readily understood by undergraduates with little or no previous knowledge of the subject, and also to stimulate wider debate and discussion.

Sex differences are observed in various physiological, behavioral, and psychic functions, including reproductive behavior, aggres sion, emotions, and cognition. Such differences are expressed even in early childhood with preferences to definite activities. It has been generally accepted that differences between genders are formed under the influence of biological as well as environmental factors. The existence of sex differences in functions of the central nervous system has suggested that there are also morphological sex differences. In recent years several reports on sexual dimorphism in the brain of vertebrates have been published. However, the mecha nisms of sexual differentiation of the central nervous system remain unclear in most cases. It is often difficult to correlate morphological sex differences to differences in definite function or behavior. We set out to explore the sexual dimorphism of the limbic system and especially the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and the amygdala, which are considered generally to be occupied with the control of reproductive behavior and autonomic and compli cated psychic functions. Several reports on sexual dimorphism of these structures have been published. Some of them have been directed to the total neuronal number and the volume of the nuclei, while others have concentrated on definite subpopula tions of neurons. In many cases the mechanisms of sexual differ entiation were tested, but sometimes they could not be estab lished."