This volume reviews numerous reaction mechanisms and applications of nucleic acids with catalytic activity. Written by an interdisciplinary team of authors, it provides an essential overview of these acids' fundamental aspects, while also addressing associated methodologies such as nucleic acid enzyme engineering, peroxidase-mimicking DNAzymes and Aptazymes. After the discovery of natural ribozymes - RNA molecules that mediate the cleavage and formation of phosphodiester bonds and the formation of peptide bonds - numerous artificial ribozymes with altered catalytic activities were produced by in vitro and in vivo selection. Unlike ribozymes, DNAzymes do not occur in nature. Although the catalytic activity of nucleic acid enzymes is usually much slower than that of proteins, nucleic acid enzymes with comparable catalytic activity have been obtained using stringent selection processes. The key advantages of these enzymes: they are e.g. smaller, easier to produce and purify than proteins, and can withstand denaturation, e.g. by heat. Over the last few years, the number of publications on the applications of enzymatic nucleic acids has grown steadily. Summarizing the fundamentals and applications of these acids, this book will not only be an excellent resource for experts in the field but will also guide young researchers just starting out in this significant area.

Enzyme Technology is one the most promising disciplines in modern biotechnology. In this book, the applications of a wide variety of enzymes are highlighted. Current studies in enzyme technology are focused towards the discovery of novel enzymes (termed "bio-discovery" or "bio-prospecting") and the identification and elucidation of novel pathways of these novel enzymes with emphasis on their industrial relevance. With the development of molecular techniques and other bioinformatics tools, the time to integrate this subject with other fields in the life sciences has arrived. A rapid expansion of the knowledge base in the field of enzyme biotechnology has occurred over the past few years. Much of this expansion has been driven by the bio-discovery of many new enzymes from a wide range of environments, some extreme in nature, followed by subsequent protein (enzyme) engineering. These enzymes have found a wide range of applications, ranging from bioremediation, bio-monitoring, biosensor development, bioconversion to biofuels and other biotechnologically important value-added products. Hydrolases constitute a major component of the global annual revenue generated by industrial enzymes and the emphasis has therefore been placed on these enzymes and their applications. With the immense interest of researchers active in this area, this book will serve to provide information on current aspects in this field of study. In the current edition, the contributions of many diversified topics towards establishing new directions of research in the area of enzyme biotechnology are described. This book serves to provide a unique source of information to undergraduates, post graduates and doctoral courses in microbiology and biotechnology along with allied life sciences. The present edition of the book covers all important areas of enzyme biotechnology i.e. the wide variety of enzymes in the field of enzyme biotechnology and their industrial applications, new methods and state-of-the-art information on modern methods of enzyme discovery. This book will act as good resource on most of the current facets of enzyme technology for all students engaged in bioengineering and biotechnology.

This book reviews current techniques used in membrane protein structural biology, with a strong focus on practical issues. The study of membrane protein structures not only provides a basic understanding of life at the molecular level but also helps in the rational and targeted design of new drugs with reduced side effects. Today, about 60% of the commercially available drugs target membrane proteins and it is estimated that nearly 30% of proteins encoded in the human genome are membrane proteins. In recent years much effort has been put towards innovative developments to overcome the numerous obstacles associated with the structure determination of membrane proteins. This book reviews a variety of recent techniques that are essential to any modern researcher in the field of membrane protein structural biology. The topics that are discussed are not commonly found in textbooks. The scope of this book includes: Expression screening using fluorescent proteins The use of detergents in membrane protein research The use of NMR Synchrotron developments in membrane protein structural biology Visualisation and X-ray data collection of microcrystals X-ray diffraction data analysis from multiple crystals Serial millisecond crystallography Serial femtosecond crystallography Membrane protein structures in drug discovery The information provided in this book should be of interest to anyone working in the area of structural biology. Students will find carefully prepared overviews of basic ideas and advanced protein scientists will find the level of detail required to apply the material directly to their day to day work. Chapters 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9 of this book are published open access under a CC BY 4.0 license at link.springer.com.

This book focuses on recent advances in our understanding of the signal transduction pathway of ethylene, its interaction with other hormones and its roles in biological processes. It discusses at which point plants could have acquired ethylene signaling from an evolutionary perspective. Ethylene was the first gaseous hormone to be identified and triggers various responses in higher plants. Our grasp of ethylene signaling has rapidly expanded over the past two decades, due in part to the isolation of the components involved in the signal transduction pathway. The book offers a helpful guide for plant scientists and graduate students in related areas.

This book provides new structural, biochemical, and clinical information on ABC transporters. The authors explore and describe the state of the art of research, knowledge, and prospects for the future for this important family of proteins. The first ABC transporter was discovered in 1973 and was named P-glycoprotein. It elicits resistance to cytotoxic drugs, chiefly in human tumours, within which chemotherapy failure is observed in about 50% of cases. Together with its complex pharmacology, and even a suspected role in Alzheimer's disease, this ABC transporter still eludes a clinical solution to its multidrug resistance property. ABC transporters are integral membrane active proteins and they belong to one of the largest protein families across all species. Their myriad roles encompass the import or export of a diverse range of allocrites, including ion, nutrients, peptides, polysaccharides, lipids, and xenobiotics. They are of major medical importance with many members elaborating multidrug resistance in bacteria, fungi, yeast, parasites, and humans. Other ABC transporters are involved in a number of inherited diseases, including cystic fibrosis, macular degeneration, gout, and several other metabolic disorders

These sulfur-rich chelators, being important in metal ion homeostasis, find increasing attention. MILS-5, written by 30 internationally recognized experts, focuses on this hot topic. The reader is supported by about 20 tables, more than 80 illustrations and nearly 2000 references. This book is an essential resource for scientists working in a wide range of disciplines from environmental toxicology and inorganic biochemistry all the way through to physiology and medicine.

This volume details the importance of multiple experimental techniques and computational methods needed to obtain the comprehensive picture of protein complex structure, dynamics and assembly afforded by the emerging field of integrative structural biology. Chapters guide readers through the broad spectrum of approaches required for a complete representation of protein complexes, including expression and purification, experimental characterization of structure and assembly, and computational methods for identifying protein complexes and modelling their assembly. Written in the highly 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 laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Protein Complex Assembly: Methods and Protocols aims to ensure successful results in the further study of this vital field.

This book focuses on C-type lectin receptors, a newly emerging family of pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs) and a crucial part of the human innate immune system. Above all, the authors highlight these receptors' role in the recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) - one of the first steps in responding to foreign and potentially dangerous structures in the human body. The respective chapters chiefly examine various C-type lectin receptors, their corresponding ligands, and signalling. In addition to offering immunologists and clinicians important insights from the latest research, they may also provide novel points of departure for future drug development.

It is widely recognized that analytical technologies and techniques are playing a pioneering role in a range of today's foremost challenging scientific endeavours, including especially biological and biomedical research. Worthy of mention, for example, are the role that high performance separation techniques played in mapping the human genome and the pioneering work done within mass spectrometry.
It is also apparent that state-of-the-art pharmaceutical and biomedical research is the major driving force of the development of new analytical techniques. Advancements in genomics research has provided the opportunity for a call for new drug targets for new technologies, which has speeded up drug discovery and helped to counteract the trend towards inflation of R&D costs.
This book has been designed to be a reference covering a wide range of protein and genomic material analysis techniques. Emerging developments are presented with applications where relevant, and biological examples are included. It was developed to meet the ever growing need for a comprehensive and balanced text on an analytical technique which has generated a tremendous amount of interest in recent years.
In addition, this book also serves as a modern textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in various disciplines including chemistry, biology and pharmacy.
Authors of the individual chapters are recognized champions of their individual research disciplines and also represent contemporary major research centres in this field.
.Contains state-of-the-art knowledge of the field and detailed descriptions of new technologies
.Provides examples of relevant applications and case studies
.Contributing authors are leading scientists in their own respective research fields"

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is a relatively new separation technique suitable for handling small amounts of sample very important in bioanalytical research and in various clinical, diagnostic, genetic, and forensic applications. In Capillary Electrophoresis of Biomolecules: Methods and Protocols, expert researchers in the field provide key techniques to investigate CE focusing on simple and complex carbohydrates (polysaccharides), aminoacids, peptides and proteins, enzymes, and nucleic acids. Along with practical procedures, reviews discussing CE applications related to bio(macro)molecules are also included. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Capillary Electrophoresis of Biomolecules: Methods and Protocols provides the reader with the latest break throughs and improvements in CE and CE techniques applied to several classes of bio(macro)molecules.

A number of techniques to study ion channels have been developed since the electrical basis of excitability was first discovered. Ion channel biophysicists have at their disposal a rich and ever-growing array of instruments and reagents to explore the biophysical and structural basis of sodium channel behavior. Armed with these tools, researchers have made increasingly dramatic discoveries about sodium channels, culminating most recently in crystal structures of voltage-gated sodium channels from bacteria. These structures, along with those from other channels, give unprecedented insight into the structural basis of sodium channel function. This volume of the Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology will explore sodium channels from the perspectives of their biophysical behavior, their structure, the drugs and toxins with which they are known to interact, acquired and inherited diseases that affect sodium channels and the techniques with which their biophysical and structural properties are studied.

This thesis describes a series of investigations designed to assess the value of metalloenzymes in systems for artificial and adapted photosynthesis. The research presented explores the interplay between inherent enzyme properties such as structure, rates and thermodynamics, and the properties of the semiconducting materials to which the enzyme is attached. Author, Andreas Bachmeier provides a comprehensive introduction to the interdisciplinary field of artificial photosynthesis, allowing the reader to grasp the latest approaches being investigated, from molecular systems to heterogeneous surface catalysis. Bachmeier's work also uses metalloenzymes to highlight the importance of reversible catalysts in removing the burden of poor electrocatalytic rates and efficiencies which are common characteristics for most artificial photosynthesis systems. Overall, this thesis provides newcomers and students in the field with evidence that metalloenzymes can be used to establish new directions in artificial photosynthesis research.

This book offers in a single volume a unique collection of the state-of the-art experimental procedures utilized for the induction, detection, and modeling of this complex cellular program of oncogene-induced senescence. The book encompasses protocols for studying this multi-step program in human specimens and a variety of experimental models including cultured mammalian cells, laboratory mice, and Drosophila melanogaster, as well as offering a description of high throughput approaches. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Oncogene-Induced Senescence: Methods and Protocols represents a valuable asset for a wide audience of medical oncologists and researchers in the fields of oncology, molecular and cellular biology, biochemistry, and animal development.

The Subcellular Biochemistry series has recently embarked upon an almost encyclopaedic coverage of topics relating to the structure and function of macromolecular complexes (Volumes 82, 83 and 87). The present multi-author text covers numerous aspects of current research into molecular virology, with emphasis upon viral protein and nucleoprotein structure and function. Structural data from cryo-electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography is displayed throughout the book. The 17 chapters in the book cover diverse interesting topics, all currently under investigation, contributed by authors who are active actively involved in present-day research. Whilst structural aspects predominate, there is much consideration of the structure-function relationship. In addition, the book correlates with and extends from Volume 68 of the series "Structure and Physics of Viruses: An Integrated Textbook". This book is directed primarily at professionals that work in the broad field of Structural Biology and will be of particular interest to Structural Virologists. The editors, David Bhella and Robin Harris, have much experience in virology and protein structure, respectively. Dr Bhella is Director of the Scottish Macromolecular Imaging Centre. Professor Robin Harris is the long-standing Series Editor of the Subcellular Biochemistry series. He has edited and contributed to several books in the series.

This book presents an overview of the RNA networks controlling gene expression in fungi highlighting the remaining questions and future challenges in this area.

It covers several aspects of the RNA-mediated mechanisms that regulate gene expression in model yeasts and filamentous fungi, organisms of great importance for industry, medicine and agriculture. It is estimated that there are more than one million fungal species on the Earth. Despite their diversity (saprophytic, parasitic and mutualistic), fungi share common features distinctive from plants and animals and have been grouped taxonomically as an independent eukaryotic kingdom. In this book, 15 chapters written by experts in their fields cover the RNA-dependent processes that take place in a fungal cell ranging from formation of coding and non-coding RNAs to mRNA translation, ribosomal RNA biogenesis, gene silencing, RNA editing and epigenetic regulation.

This contributed volume sheds new light on waste management and the production of biofuels. The authors share insights into microbial applications to meet the challenges of environmental pollution and the ever- growing need for renewable energy. They also explain how healthy and balanced ecosystems can be created and maintained using strategies ranging from oil biodegration and detoxification of azo dyes to biofouling. In addition, the book illustrates how the metabolic abilities of microorganisms can be used in microbial fuel-cell technologies or for the production of biohydrogen. It inspires young researchers and experienced scientists in the field of microbiology to explore the application of green biotechnology for bioremediation and the production of energy, which will be one of the central topics for future generations.

This book review series presents current trends in modern biotechnology. The aim is to cover all aspects of this interdisciplinary technology where knowledge, methods and expertise are required from chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, genetics, chemical engineering and computer science. Volumes are organized topically and provide a comprehensive discussion of developments in the respective field over the past 3-5 years. The series also discusses new discoveries and applications. Special volumes are dedicated to selected topics which focus on new biotechnological products and new processes for their synthesis and purification. In general, special volumes are edited by well-known guest editors. The series editor and publisher will however always be pleased to receive suggestions and supplementary information. Manuscripts are accepted in English.

This volume aims to provide an update on recent developments in protein secretion studies in plants versus yeast and mammalian systems. This book also discusses case studies that analyze the use of plant protein secretion using various tools and systems. The chapters in this book explore topics such as the study of Golgi-mediated protein traffic in plant cells; actin-based intracellular trafficking in pollen tubes; secretion system for identification of cargo proteins of vacuolar sorting receptors; isolation of the plant exocyst complex; and plant autophagy. Written in the highly 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 laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Comprehensive and authoritative, Plant Protein Secretion: Methods and Protocols is a valuable resource for researchers interested in furthering their studies in plant protein secretion."

This volume presents an overview of nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) and polyketide synthase (PKS) structure and function. It then continues with methods for the analysis of these pathways including conventional enzymological assays, contemporary mass spectrometric analysis techniques, specialized molecular biological approaches applicable to NRPSs and PKSs, and small molecule analysis tools tailored to this very special class of natural products, and concludes by examining bioinformatics tools for the analysis of these enzymes, pathways, and molecules. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Nonribosomal Peptide and Polyketide Biosynthesis: Methods and Protocols serves as a valuable reference for those experienced in studying NRPS and PKS enzymes, pathways, and natural products as well as a gateway for those just entering the field.

One major function of the liver is the uptake of endo- and xenobiotics from the bloodstream and their excretion into bile. The transport systems involved in hepatobiliary transport have been recently cloned and characterized at the molecular level and it is becoming clear that mutations and polymorphisms of individual transporter molecules underlie a variety of liver diseases. Furthermore, new research has shown that bile acids, whose function in digestion is long known, also behave as signal molecules in a variety of organs, including the intestinal and biliary epithelia, sinusoidal endothelial and immune cells. This book provides indepth surveys on the structure and function of transport molecules involved in hepatobiliary transport, on the role of different bile acids receptors in various organs and their function in health and disease, the mechanisms of bile salt-induced apoptosis and hepatocyte protection, and the role of transporter mutations as causes and modifiers of liver diseases. The book will be of interest not only for biochemists, structural chemists and biologists, but also for clinicians.

This book presents the latest breakthrough results in glycobiology regarding the roles of glycans in relation to quality control and transport of protein, the immune system, viral infection, stem cells, the neural system, and various diseases such as cancer, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, muscular dystrophy, and schizophrenia. Although glycoscience has long been regarded as a very specialized field with no simple analytical method, the recent explosive progress in research continues to provide limitless evidence that glycan chains are the key component in various biological phenomena. Cell surface glycans, for example, change with developmental stages or environmental conditions and thus represent a "face" of the cell that is utilized for identification of iPS and ES cells and as biomarkers in diagnosis or detection of cancer. This book comprises 17 chapters, each of which poses outstanding "glyco-related" questions enabling non-specialists to have a clearer idea about what the future direction for further investigation of glycans in their own research fields will be. Also including basic information to understand the nature of glycans, this title serves as an excellent "textbook" for researchers in diverse research fields who are not familiar with, but nevertheless interested in, glycan chains or sugar chains.

This book reviews the fundamental aspects of quinoxaline chemistry: synthesis, reactions, mechanisms, structure, properties, and uses. The first four chapters present a survey of the developments in quinoxaline chemistry since the publication of the monograph on "Condensed Pyrazines" by Cheeseman and Cookson in 1979. These chapters give comprehensive coverage of all the methods of the synthesis of quinoxalines and the important quinoxaline-containing ring systems such as thiazolo[3,4-a]-, pyrrolo[1,2-a]-, and imidazo[1,5-a]quinoxalines. Chapter five describes many new methods for the construction of quinoxaline macrocycles, which are important in applications such as optical devices and materials. The final chapter reviews all previously known rearrangements of heterocyclic systems that lead to benzimidazole derivatives. Mamedov critically analyses these transformations to reveal a novel acid-catalyzed rearrangement of quinoxalinones giving 2-heteroarylbenzimidazoles and 1-heteroarylbenzimidazolones in the presence of nucleophilic reactants (MAMEDOV Heterocycle Rearrangement). This book is of interest to researchers in the fields of heterocyclic and synthetic organic chemistry.