The central role of RNA in many cellular processes, in biotechnology, and as pharmaceutical agents, has created an interest in experimental methods applied to RNA molecules. This book provides scientists with a comprehensive collection of thoroughly tested up-to-date manuals for investigating RNA-protein complexes "in vitro." The protocols can be performed by researchers trained in standard molecular biological techniques and require a minimum of specialized equipment. The procedures include recommendation of suppliers of reagents.

This unique book provides a comprehensive and comparative guide to the immune systems of major vertebrate species, including domestic and wild animals of veterinary or medical interest, fish and amphibia. Data in this essential reference work has been compiled by world-renowned editors and an international group of authors. For each species, the information is presented in a structured 'user-friendly' format allowing easy cross reference and comparison between the various species.
This book will be considered the definitive reference work on vertebrate immunology and will be essential for scientists and professionals working in Immunology, Vaccinology or with Animal Models, for students of Veterinary or Human Medicine, Biology and researchers in Comparative Medicine and Physiology.
Each section, devoted to a major animal group covers:
* Lymphoid organs and their anatomical disposition
* Leukocytes and their markers
* Leukocyte traffic and associated molecules
* Cytokines
* T cell receptors
* Immunoglobulins
* MHC antigens
* Ontogeny of the immune system
* Passive transfer of immunity
* Neonatal immune responses
* Non-specific immunity
* Complement system
* Mucosal immunity
* Immunodeficiencies
* Tumours of the immune system
* Autoimmunity

The research papers in this book present current knowledge of the sources, pathways, behavior, and effects of trace elements in soils, waters, plants, and animals. It is of interest to a variety of readers, including public health and environmental professionals, consultants, and academicians.

The Academic Press FactsBooks series has established itself as the best source of easily-accessible and accurate facts about protein groups. Described as 'a growing series of excellent manuals' by "Molecular Medicine Today," and 'essential works of reference' by "Trends in Biochemical Sciences," the FactsBooks have become the most popular comprehensive data resources available. As they are meticulously researched and use an easy-to-follow format, the FactsBooks will keep you up-to-date with the latest advances in structure, amino acid sequences, physicochemical properties, and biological activity.
In a set of four interrelated volumes, The Ion Channel FactsBook provides a comprehensive framework of facts about channel molecules central to electrical signaling phenomena in living cells. The fourth volume is devoted to Voltage-gated Channel Families, including those molecular complexes activated or modulated by calcium, potassium, and chloride.
Key Features
* Nomenclature
* Expression
* Sequence Analyses
* Structure and function
* Electrophysiology
* Pharmacology
* Information retrieval

This book deals with chromatographic and electrophoretic methods applied for the separation (quantitation and identification) of biologically relevant compounds. It is assumed that the potential reader is familiar with the basics of chromatographic and electromigration methods. Individual separation modes are dealt with to an extent which follows their applicability for biomedical purposes: liquid chromatography and electromigration methods are therefore highlighted.

Each chapter is completed with a list of recent literature covering the 1987-1997 period, which can be used for further guidance of the reader in his/her own field. The chapters have been written by specialists in a particular area and with an emphasis on applications to the biomedical field. This implies that theoretical and instrumental aspects are kept to a minimum which allows the reader to understand the text. Considerable attention is paid to method selection, detection and derivatization procedures and troubleshooting. The majority of examples given represent the analyses of typical naturally-occurring mixtures. Adequate attention is paid to the role of the biological matrix and sample pretreatment, and special attention is given to forensic, toxicological and clinical applications. The book is completed with an extensive Index of Compounds Separated.

Parkinson s Disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with a prevalence of 0.1% of the global population, and 5-10% patients are under 40 years of age. Several text books have been published on various aspects of PD to date, including research and clinical aspects. However these do not emphasize the inflammatory pathways and pathways of neurodegeneration in PD. "Inflammation in Parkinson s Disease" brings advances in research together with current literature and evidence.This concise volume covers the fundamentals of neuroimmunology and inflammatory models, the interactions between pathways of neurodegeneration and follows the concept of research work undertaken from basic science to clinical trials. Researchers, clinicians, and students interested in Parkinson's Disease are provided with a comprehensive view of translational research methods and an insight needed for developing future therapies aimed at disease modulation."

Assisting Oxidative Protein Folding: How Do Protein Disulphide-Isomerases Couple Conformational and Chemical Processes in Protein Folding?, by A. Katrine Wallis and Robert B. Freedman Peptide Bond cis/trans Isomerases: A Biocatalysis Perspective of Conformational Dynamics in Proteins, by Cordelia Schiene-Fischer, Tobias Aumuller and Gunter Fischer Small Heat-Shock Proteins: Paramedics of the Cell, by Gillian R. Hilton, Hadi Lioe, Florian Stengel, Andrew J. Baldwin und Justin L. P. Benesch Allostery in the Hsp70 Chaperone Proteins, by Erik R. P. Zuiderweg, Eric B. Bertelsen, Aikaterini Rousaki, Matthias P. Mayer, Jason E. Gestwicki and Atta Ahmad Hsp90: Structure and Function, by Sophie E. Jackson Extracellular Chaperones, by Rebecca A. Dabbs, Amy R. Wyatt, Justin J. Yerbury, Heath Ecroyd and Mark R. Wilson"

The critically acclaimed laboratory standard for more than forty years, Methods in Enzymology is one of the most highly respected publications in the field of biochemistry. Since 1955, each volume has been eagerly awaited, frequently consulted, and praised by researchers and reviewers alike. More than 285 volumes have been published (all of them still in print) and much of the material is relevant even today-truly an essential publication for researchersin all fields of life sciences.
Key Features
* Prokaryotic ABC Transporters
* Eukaryotic ABC Transporters
* Nonmammalian ABC Transport Systems
* Mammalian P-Glycoproteins
* Multidrug Resistance Associated Protein
* Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator
* Sulfonylurea Receptor
* Intracellular ABC Transporters

Piperonyl Butoxide contains 20 chapters contributed by world experts in the field on the properties, uses, plant metabolism, and mammalian and environmental toxicology of piperonyl butoxide. The mode of action of piperonyl butoxide is discussed as well as many other specialist topics, including the measurement of synergism in the laboratory, and the potential use of this chemical alone for the control of whiteflies, as well as with insect growth regulators.
This book will prove to be a valuable reference for all concerned with the designing of safe and cost-effective insecticide formulations, particularly those used in the home, industry, or on or near animals and food.

The new edition of P.J. Bentley's established text describes the physiological mechanisms utilized by different vertebrate species to adapt to the differences and vicissitudes of water and salt availability in their natural environments. The book is especially concerned with the roles of endocrine glands in coordinating and maintaining such osmoregulation. It provides information about the environmental stresses and physiological and endocrine processes involved in the osmoregulation in each phyletic order of the vertebrates, and it describes the physiological adaptations they have evolved to foster their survival in osmotically hostile habitats. The second edition provides a comprehensive update utilizing the considerable amount of new data which have been collected over the past years. From a review of the previous edition: "I strongly recommend it as an essential reading and reference book for younger and older workers alike". Nature

George Britton, Synnl/Jve Liaaen-Jensen and Hanspeter Pfander This book, Volume 2 in the series Carotenoids, is the first book to be published that is devoted entirely to the total synthesis of carotenoids, but it is timely in view of the rapid development and the growing diversification of the carotenoid field. The 1971 Carotenoids book contained a major chapter of 250 pages on total synthesis by H. Mayer and O. Isler. That comprehensive and authoritative review described systematically the construction of many synthons and the synthesis of many natural and unnatural carotenoids and related compounds. Twenty five years on, that chapter remains an essential reference work and source of information, with its extensive collection of tabulated data and lists of references to the original literature. Surveys of progress since 1971 have been presented at the IUPAC International Symposia on Carotenoids and are included in the published proceedings of these symposia. The history of major publications in the carotenoid field, leading to the development of this series, was outlined in the preface to the series published in Vol. IA. The general philo sophy outlined in that preface, with emphasis on practical guidance and the inclusion of worked examples of some of the most useful procedures, is maintained in Vol. 2. In kceping with this philosophy, Vol. 2 is not intended to be an exhaustive review of the literature, but is planned as a practical book, as well as a source of information."

Biological inorganic chemistry is a field of research at the interface of inorganic and biological chemistry. The rapidly developing insights into the role of metals in biological systems has far-reaching implications not only for biological science but also for related disciplines, ranging from molecular medicine to the environment. In each volume the reader, whether engaged in chemistry, biochemistry, biology or molecular medicine, receives a comprehensive summary and critical overview of a topic of high current interest written by leading international experts.

This book provides current glycoinformatics methods and protocols used to support the determination of carbohydrate structures in biological samples as well as carbohydrate structure databases, the interaction of carbohydrates with proteins, and theoretical and experimental methods to study their three-dimensional structure and dynamics. Glycoinformatics explores this recently emerged field, which has come into being in order to address the needs of encoding, storing, and analyzing carbohydrate 'sequences' and their taxonomy using computers. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters contain the kind of detailed description and key implementation advice to ensure successful results. Authoritative and timely, Glycoinformatics demonstrates the progress that has been achieved in glycoinformatics, which indicates that it is no longer a niche subject covered by only a few scientists but is truly coming of age.

"Steroid Receptors: Methods and Protocols" presents a selection of techniques that have been recently applied to the analysis of steroid receptors, powerful tools for the advancement of our understanding of both the mechanisms regulating gene transcription and the rapid signaling responses of tissues to signals. Research in this area has generated a wealth of data allowing the elucidation of steroid receptor mechanisms and improving the treatment of many endocrine disorders, above all cancers. Chapters cover methods to analyze gene transcription, chromatin and proteomic modifications, extra-nuclear signaling regulation, development of cell and animal models, and preparation of new antibodies. Written in the successful "Methods in Molecular Biology" series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Authoritative and easily accessible, "Steroid Receptors: Methods and Protocols" offers an updated view on a variety of modern methods that will hopefully contribute to improving our knowledge on the integration of steroid receptors in single or different functionally connected cellular contexts under a variety of physiological and pathological conditions, above all tumors.

The interfacial behaviour of surfactants and proteins, and their mixtures, is of importance in a wide range of areas such as food technology, detergency, cosmetics, coating processes, biomedicine, pharmacy and biotechnology. Methods such as surface and interfacial tension measurements and interfacial dilation and shear rheology characterise the relationships between these interfacial properties and the complex behaviour of foams and emulsions is established. Recently-developed experimental techniques, such as FRAP which enable the measurement of molecular mobility in adsorption layers, are covered in this volume. The development of theories to describe the thermodynamic surface state or the exchange of matter for proteins and protein/surfactant mixtures is also described.

Features of this book:

- Reflects the state-of-the-art research and application of protein interfacial layers rather than a snapshot of only some recent developments.

- Emphasis is placed on experimental details as well as recent theoretical developments.

- New experimental techniques applied to protein interfacial layers are described, such as FRAP or ADSA, or rheological methods to determine the mechanical behaviour of protein-modified interfaces.

- A large number of practical applications, ranging from emulsions relevant in food technology for medical problems such as lung surfactants, to the characterisation of foams intrinsic to beer and champagne production.

The book will be of interest to research and university institutes dedicated to interfacial studies in chemistry, biology, pharmacy, medicine and food engineering. Industrial departments for research and technology in food industry, pharmacy, medicine and brewery research will also find this volume of value.

Efforts to describe and model the molecular structure of biological membranes go back to the beginning of the last century. In 1917, Langmuir described membranes as a layer of lipids one molecule thick [1]. Eight years later, Gorter and Grendel concluded from their studies that "the phospholipid molecules that formed the cell membrane were arranged in two layers to form a lipid bilayer" [2]. Danielli and Robertson proposed, in 1935, a model in which the bilayer of lipids is sequestered between two monolayers of unfolded proteins [3], and the currently still accepted fuid mosaic model was proposed by Singer and Nicolson in 1972 [4]. Among those landmarks of biomembrane history, a serendipitous observation made by Alex Bangham during the early 1960s deserves undoubtedly a special place. His fnding that exposure of dry phospholipids to an excess of water gives rise to lamellar structures [5] has opened versatile experimental access to studying the biophysics and biochemistry of biological phospholipid membranes. Although during the following 4 decades biological membrane models have grown in complexity and functionality [6], liposomes are, besides supported bilayers, membrane nanodiscs, and hybrid membranes, still an indisputably important tool for membrane b- physicists and biochemists. In vol. II of this book, the reader will fnd detailed methods for the use of liposomes in studying a variety of biochemical and biophysical membrane phenomena concomitant with chapters describing a great palette of state-of-the-art analytical technologies.

Following the original initiative of the International Organisation for Biological Control some 15 years ago, research groups and agrochemical companies have been investigating the effects of pesticides on beneficial organisms, devising laboratory and field test methods and lately developing protocols for regulatory testing requirements in Europe. This work, and the application of agreed protocols for testing, is of crucial importance to the environmentally acceptable use of pesticides and to the further development of Integrated Pest Management systems, and the objective of this book is to review the origins and progress of the research - what has been accomplished, what is the current position and what still needs to be done.

Cell membranes are not, as once believed, inert structures designed to contain the cell contents, but are in fact dynamic structures that are as me- bolically active as the cytosol and other cellular compartments they surround. Thus membranes not only contain mixtures of lipid and phospholipids, but also many proteins both embedded deeply within the membrane structure itself and also more loosely attached on the membrane surfaces. Though many such proteins have long been known to act as transport proteins, ion channels, hormone receptors, G proteins, cytoskeletal anchorage points, and so on, the major advance of recent years is the increasing understanding that the lipids and phospholipids in the membrane bilayer itself are also metabolized to b- logically active products that can diffuse either in the cytosol or in the m- brane bilayer to control the function of other proteins. Thus the concept of lipid-derived second messengers is now firmly established.

A team of expert investigators and clinical researchers comprehensively review complement's basic biology, its role in disease, methods to measure its activity, and strategies for its inhibition in patients. Each chapter focuses on a specific area of basic and applied complement biology, spelling out the activation pathways and complement receptors. Informative animal models are discussed in detail, including the relative values of each model and the important interspecies differences that can distort the interpretation of preclinical studies. The emphasis throughout is on the pros and cons of the therapeutic use of recombinant complement inhibitors in specific diseases. Cutting-edge and innovative, Therapeutic Interventions in the Complement System highlights for today's researcher and biotechnologist effective strategies of drug discovery and development that are producing valuable new complement inhibitors for the treatment of a wide variety of clinically important diseases.

How do you keep track of basic information on the proteins you work with? Where do you find details of their physicochemical properties, amino acid sequences, and structure? Are you tired of scanning review articles, primary papers, and databases to locate that elusive fact?
The Academic Press FactsBook Series has established itself as the best source of easily-accessible and accurate facts about protein groups. Described as "a growing series of excellent manuals" by "Molecular Medicine Today" and "essential works of reference" by "Trends in Biochemical Sciences," the FactsBooks have become the most popular comprehensive data resources available. Using an easy-to-follow format, the FactsBooks will keep you up-to-date with the latest advances in structure, amino acid sequences, physicochemical properties, and biological activity. Meticulously researched and compiled by experts in the field, keeping abreast of developments has never been so easy
The Transporter FactsBook contains entries covering almost 800 transporters. Organized into 55 families of structurally related transporters, this volume includes ATPases, ABC transporters, H+-dependent antiporters and symporters, Na+-dependent antiporters and symporters, and other transporters such as mitochondrial transporters.
Key Features
* Nomenclature, biological sources and substrates
* Phylogenetic relationships
* Predicted structures
* Physical and genetic characteristics
* Multiple amino acid sequence alignments
* Database accession numbers
* Key references

Neurotransmitter Methods is intended as a bench-side companion for researchers who seek to identify, locaHze, or measure neurotransmitters and/or to identify sites of neurotransmitter action. Each method is detailed in a user-friendly "recipe" format and the protocols are accompanied by extensive notes to high light and explain crucial steps. Approaches utilizing an incredibly diverse array of modem techniques are presented: methods including HPLC, histochemistry, immunocytochemistry, in situ hybridization, mass spectrometry, microdialysis, and electrochemistry all make at least one appearance. In addition, protocols for associated methodologies, including the production of brain slices, dissociated neurons, synaptosomes/synaptoneurosomes, and neuronal plasma membranes are presented. Methods applicable to most of the recognized chemical types of neu rotransmitter are to be found and, although you may find absent any mention of your favorite neurotransmitter, many of the protocols are sufficiently general to be adapted to alternative uses. So, how does this book contribute usefiilly to the horde of methods volumes stampeding across our bookshelves? 1 hope that the strength oiNeurotransmitter Methods lies in the variety of its content. The book provides in a single volume an array of techniques that could take a researcher from selection and preparation of a tissue source through to identification and measurement of neurotransmitter content and even onto characterization of neurotransmitter sites of action. Furthermore, the diversity of approaches presented reflects the need for today's bench neuroscientist to be a bit of a "jack (or a "jill" ) of all trades."

Gaining an understanding of the mechanisms by which cells process and respond to extracellular cues has become a major goal in many areas of bi- ogy and has attracted the attentions of almost every traditional discipline within the biological sciences. At the heart of these divergent endeavors are common methods that can aid biochemists, physiologists, and pharmacologists in ta- ling the specific questions addressed by their research. In Receptor Signal Transduction Protocols, a diverse array of meth- ologies employed to interrogate ligand--receptor and receptor-effector int- actions are described by authors who have devised and successfully applied them. The authors blend excellent descriptions and applications of fairly well established methodologies with new technologies at the cutting-edge of signal transduction research and as such I hope the present volume will complement and extend a previous excellent volume in this series edited by David Kendall and Stephen Hill (Methods Molecular Biology, vol. 41, Signal Transd- tion Protocols).

Protein informatics is a newer name for an already existing discipline. It encompasses the techniques used in bioinformatics and molecular modeling that are related to proteins. While bioinformatics is mainly concerned with the collection, organization, and analysis of biological data, molecular modeling is devoted to representation and manipulation of the structure of proteins.

Protein informatics requires substantial prerequisites on computer science, mathematics, and molecular biology. The approach chosen here, allows a direct and rapid grasp on the subject starting from basic knowledge of algorithm design, calculus, linear algebra, and probability theory.

An Introduction to Protein Informatics, a professional monograph will provide the reader a comprehensive introduction to the field of protein informatics. The text emphasizes mathematical and computational methods to tackle the central problems of alignment, phylogenetic reconstruction, and prediction and sampling of protein structure.

An Introduction to Protein Informatics is designed for a professional audience, composed of researchers and practitioners within bioinformatics, molecular modeling, algorithm design, optimization, and pattern recognition. This book is also suitable as a graduate-level text for students in computer science, mathematics, and biomedicine.

Bioelectrochemistry: Principles and Practice provides a comprehensive compilation of all the physicochemical aspects of the different biochemical and physiological processes. Macromolecules, essentially nucleic acids, proteins and complex carbohydrates, are the building blocks of cell structure and function. This fifth volume in the "Bioelectrochemistry" series deals essentially with water-soluble biomacromolecules, since the properties of membrane-bound proteins are considered in other volumes of this series. The first chapter provides an extensive review of the structure, chemical reactivity and electromagnetic properties of nucleic acids. The following five chapters concentrate on proteins, their structure, folding and function, the electrochemistry of redox proteins and voltammetric methods. Special attention is devoted to the field of thiol/disulfide exchange as well as to one particular class of proteins, the iron-sulfur proteins. The last chapter considers the chemistry and properties of glycosaminoglycans, the complex charged polysaccharides of the cell surface and extracellular matrix. This series is intended as a set of source books for graduate and postgraduate students as well as research workers at all levels in bioelectrochemistry.

Immunochemical techniques have been in use for many years with early examples of bacterial strain typing dating back to the 1940s. The basis for the science is the exquisite elegance of the mammalian immune system with its ability to recognize foreign proteins and to manufacture antibody m- ecules that strongly bind to the substances that elicited them. Not only are potentially harmful pathogens and toxins recognized by the immune system, but the system can be persuaded to manufacture antibodies to an astonishing array of substances. In the early days of this science, all antibodies for investigative work were produced by immunizing mammals with the substance of interest, followed by regular donor bleeds that yielded antisera. Serum produced in this way yields heterogenic populations of antibody molecules recognizing different epitopes on the target protein, which may be adequate for its intended p- poses, but can also cause problems of crossreactivity. In 1975, Kohler and Milstein reported that spleen cells from immune donor animals could be immortalized, cloned from single cells, and grown in continuous culture. This original work described the method for the production of monoclonal antibodies.