This book provides a detailed description and analysis of the reduction and metabolism of metals and metalloids by sulfate reducing bacteria. The molecular mechanisms of bacterial resistance to copper are examined as well as extracellular electron transfer and bacterial metal oxide respiration. Furthermore, in this book enrichment, isolation, and physiology of magnetotactic bacteria are discussed. The interactions of bacteria with metals in natural environments and their role in metal cycling have been studied for decades. Advances in studies of bacteria-metal interactions identified numerous important aspects of these interactions, such as bioremediation of metal-contaminated environments, the role of metals in redox reactions and other cellular functions, as well as the role of metals in toxicity and infection. Microbiologists, environmental scientists, and students interested in microbe interactions with metals and their effect on the environment and their application in biotechnology will be interested in the topics discussed in the book.

The cytoskeleton is comprised of a variety of specialized proteins, and is a dynamic structure that is involved in the majority of key cellular events. There is increasing interest in the role of the cytoskeleton in human disease. This volume brings together human disease states where cytoskeletal disruptions are driving disease. Our emerging understanding of the molecular and cellular events that drive cytoskeletal mediated diseases including cancer, heart disease, myopathies and skin disorders, are also helping shape targeted therapeutic approaches to treating these diseases.

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.

Structural genomics is the systematic determination of 3D structures of proteins representative of the range of protein structure and function found in nature. The goal is to build a body of structural information that will predict the structure and potential function for almost any protein from knowledge of its coding sequence. This is essential information for understanding the functioning of the human proteome, the ensemble of tens of thousands of proteins specified by the human genome.
While most structural biologists pursue structures of individual proteins or protein groups, specialists in structural genomics pursue structures of proteins on a genome wide scale. This implies large-scale cloning, expression and purification. One main advantage of this approach is economy of scale.
Key Features
*Examines the three dimensional structure of all proteins of a given organism, by experimental methods such as X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy
* Looks at structural genomics as a foundation of drug discovery as discovering new medicines is becoming more challenging and the pharmaceutical industry is looking to new technologies to help in this mission

First published in 1943, "Vitamins and Hormones" is the longest-running serial published by Academic Press. The Editorial Board now reflects expertise in the field of hormone action, vitamin action, X-ray crystal structure, physiology, and enzyme mechanisms.
Under the capable and qualified editorial leadership of Dr. Gerald Litwack, "Vitamins and Hormones" continues to publish cutting-edge reviews of interest to endocrinologists, biochemists, nutritionists, pharmacologists, cell biologists, and molecular biologists. Others interested in the structure and function of biologically active molecules like hormones and vitamins will, as always, turn to this series for comprehensive reviews by leading contributors to this and related disciplines.
This volume focuses on activins and inhibins.

"Homeostasis and Toxicology of Non-Essential Metals" synthesizes the explosion of new information on the molecular, cellular, and organismal handling of metals in fish in the past 15 years. These elements are no longer viewed by fish physiologists as "heavy metals" that kill fish by suffocation, but rather as interesting moieties that enter and leave fish by specific pathways, which are subject to physiological regulation. The metals featured in this volume are those about which there has been most public and scientific concern, and therefore are those most widely studied by fish researchers. Metals such as Ag, Al, Cd, Pb, Hg, As, Sr, and U have no known nutritive function in fish at present, but are toxic at fairly low levels.

The companion volume, "Homeostasis and Toxicology of Essential Metals, " Volume 31A, covers metals that are either proven to be or are strongly suspected to be essential in trace amounts, yet are toxic in higher doses. Metals such as Cu, Zn, Fe, Ni, Co, Se, Mo and Cr. In addition, three chapters in Volumes 31A and 31B on Basic Principles (Chapter 1, 31A), Field Studies and Ecological Integration (Chapter 9, 31A) and Modeling the Physiology and Toxicology of Metals (Chapter 9, 31B) act as integrative summaries and make these two volumes a vital set for readers.
All major essential metals of interest are covered in metal-specific chaptersEach metal-specific chapter is written by fish physiologists/toxicologists who are recognized authorities for that metalA common format is featured throughout this two volume edition

Calcium ions represent Mother Nature's 'ion-of-choice' for regulating fundamental physiological functions, as they initiate a new life at the time of fertilization and guide subsequent developmental and physiological functions of the human body. Calcium channels, which act as gated pathways for the movement of calcium ions across the membranes, play a central part in the initiation of calcium signals, and defects in calcium channel function have been found to result in a plethora of human diseases, referred to as the calcium channelopathies. Pathologies of Calcium Channels brings together leading international experts to discuss our current understanding of human diseases associated with the various calcium channels, from their molecular basis to potential future therapeutic targeting of calcium channels.

Required reading for anyone involved in cell signaling research with articles written and edited by experts in the field. This title covers disease states such as lymphoid leukemia, breast cancer, pulmonary fibrosis, systemic sclerosis, andinflammatory bowel disease, along with up-to-date research on signaling systems and mutations in
transcription factors that provide new targets for treating disease.
Articles written and edited by experts in the field
Thematic volume covering disease states such as lymphoid leukemia, breast cancer, pulmonary fibrosis, systemic sclerosis, and inflammatory bowel disease
Up-to-date research on signaling systems and mutations in transcription factors that provide new targets for treating disease

"Homeostasis and Toxicology of Essential Metals" synthesizes the explosion of new information on the molecular, cellular, and organismal handling of metals in fish in the past 15 years. These elements are no longer viewed by fish physiologists as "heavy metals" that kill fish by suffocation, but rather as interesting moieties that enter and leave fish by specific pathways, which are subject to physiological regulation. The metals featured in this volume are those about which there has been most public and scientific concern, and therefore are those most widely studied by fish researchers. Metals such as Cu, Zn, Fe, Ni, Co, Se, Mo and Cr are either proven to be or are strongly suspected to be essential in trace amounts, yet are toxic in higher doses.

The companion volume, "Homeostasis and Toxicology of Non-Essential Metals, " Volume 31B, covers metals that have no known nutritive function in fish at present, but which are toxic at fairly low levels, such as Ag, Al, Cd, Pb, Hg, As, Sr, and U. In addition, three chapters in Volumes 31A and 31B on Basic Principles (Chapter 1, 31A), Field Studies and Ecological Integration (Chapter 9, 31A) and Modeling the Physiology and Toxicology of Metals (Chapter 9, 31B) act as integrative summaries and make these two volumes a vital set for readers.
All major essential metals of interest are covered in metal-specific chaptersEach metal-specific chapter is written by fish physiologists/toxicologists who are recognized authorities for that metalA common format is featured throughout this two volume edition

This volume of Current Topics in Membranes focuses on Membrane Fusion, beginning with fusion and fission of lipid bilayers, with reviews focused on hemifusion and dynamic remodeling of membranes catalyzed by dynamin. Other topics discussed include viral fusion, intracellular fusion, developmental cell fusion, and theoretical modeling.

Medicinal chemistry is both science and art. The science of medicinal chemistry offers mankind one of its best hopes for improving the quality of life. The art of medicinal chemistry continues to challenge its practitioners with the need for both intuition and experience to discover new drugs. Hence sharing the experience of drug research is uniquely beneficial to the field of medicinal chemistry. Drug research requires interdisciplinary team-work at the interface between chemistry, biology and medicine. Therefore, the topic-related series Topics in Medicinal Chemistry covers all relevant aspects of drug research, e.g. pathobiochemistry of diseases, identification and validation of (emerging) drug targets, structural biology, drugability of targets, drug design approaches, chemogenomics, synthetic chemistry including combinatorial methods, bioorganic chemistry, natural compounds, high-throughput screening, pharmacological in vitro and in vivo investigations, drug-receptor interactions on the molecular level, structure-activity relationships, drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination, toxicology and pharmacogenomics. In general, special volumes are edited by well known guest editors

The publication of the extensive seven-volume work "Comprehensive Molecular Insect Science" provided a complete reference encompassing important developments and achievements in modern insect science. One of the most swiftly moving areas in entomological and comparative research is molecular biology, and this volume, "Insect Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, " is designed for those who desire a comprehensive yet concise work on important aspects of this topic.

This volume contains ten fully revised or rewritten chapters from the original series as well as five completely new chapters on topics such as insect immunology, insect genomics, RNAi, and molecular biology of circadian rhythms and circadian behavior. The topics included are key to an understanding of insect development, with emphasis on the cuticle, digestive properties, and the transport of lipids; extensive and integrated chapters on cytochrome P450s; and the role of transposable elements in the developmental processes as well as programmed cell death. This volume will be of great value to senior investigators, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and advanced undergraduate research students. It can also be used as a reference for graduate courses and seminars on the topic. Chapters will also be valuable to the applied biologist or entomologist, providing the requisite understanding necessary for probing the more applied research areas related to insect control.
Topics specially selected by the editor-in-chief of the original major reference workFully revised and new contributions bring together the latest research in the rapidly moving fields of insect molecular biology and insect biochemistry, including coverage of development, physiology, immunity and proteomicsFull-color provides readers with clear, useful illustrations to highlight important research findings

The volumes of this classic series, now referred to simply as "Zechmeister" after its founder, L. Zechmeister, have appeared under the Springer Imprint ever since the series' inauguration in 1938. It is therefore not really surprising to find out that the list of contributing authors, who were awarded a Nobel Prize, is quite long: Kurt Alder, Derek H.R. Barton, George Wells Beadle, Dorothy Crowfoot-Hodgkin, Otto Diels, Hans von Euler-Chelpin, Paul Karrer, Luis Federico Leloir, Linus Pauling, Vladimir Prelog, with Walter Norman Haworth and Adolf F.J. Butenandt serving as members of the editorial board. The volumes contain contributions on various topics related to the origin, distribution, chemistry, synthesis, biochemistry, function or use of various classes of naturally occurring substances ranging from small molecules to biopolymers. Each contribution is written by a recognized authority in his field and provides a comprehensive and up-to-date review of the topic in question. Addressed to biologists, technologists and chemists alike, the series can be used by the expert as a source of information and literature citations and by the non-expert as a means of orientation in a rapidly developing discipline.

Cell-cell adhesion is fundamental for the development and homeostasis of animal tissues and organs. Adherens junctions (AJs) are the best understood cell-cell adhesion complexes. In this volume, internationally recognized experts review AJ biology over a wide range of organization; from atoms to molecules, to protein complexes, molecular networks, cells, tissues, and overall animal development. AJs have also been an integral part of animal evolution, and play central roles in cancer development, pathogen infection and other diseases. This book addresses major questions encompassing AJ biology. - How did AJs evolve? - How do cadherins and catenins interact to assemble AJs and mediate adhesion? - How do AJs interface with other cellular machinery to couple adhesion with the whole cell? - How do AJs affect cell behaviour and multicellular development? - How can abnormal AJ activity lead to disease? Valuable for both newcomers and experts in the field, this book offers a comprehensive resource for the research laboratory and a teaching tool for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in cell and developmental biology.

The combination of faster, more advanced computers and more quantitatively oriented biomedical researchers has recently yielded new and more precise methods for the analysis of biomedical data. These better analyses have enhanced the conclusions that can be drawn from biomedical data, and they have changed the way that experiments are designed and performed. This volume, along with the 2 previous "Computer Methods" volumes for the "Methods in Enzymology" serial, aims to inform biomedical researchers about recent applications of modern data analysis and simulation methods as applied to biomedical research.

* Presents step-by-step computer methods and discusses the techniques in detail to enable their implementation in solving a wide range of problems * Informs biomedical researchers of the modern data analysis methods that have developed alongside computer hardware *Presents methods at the "nuts and bolts" level to identify and resolve a problem and analyze what the results mean

Cytosol, the liquid found inside cells, is the site for multiple cell processes, including signaling from the cell membrane to sites within the cell. Cytosolic signaling mechanisms are researched and studied in graduate programs in cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, pharmacology, molecular and cellular physiology, pharmacy, and biomedical sciences.

Articles written and edited by experts in the field
Thematic volume covering material needed for young professionals joining the field of research and graduate students taking survey courses
Up-to-date research on signaling systems and mutations in transcription factors that provide new targets for treating disease

State-of-the-art update on methods and protocols dealing with the detection, isolation and characterization of macromolecules and their hosting organisms that facilitate nitrification and related processes in the nitrogen cycle as well as the challenges of doing so in very diverse environments.

Provides state-of-the-art update on methods and protocols Deals with the detection, isolation and characterization of macromolecules and their hosting organisms deals with the challenges of very diverse environments.

This book reviews the current strategies and challenges for the treatment of bacterial, fungal, parasitic and viral infectious diseases in developing countries. Contributing authors present expert analysis on the transmission, epidemiology, bacteriology, pathogenesis and treatment of Neglected Tropical Bacterial Diseases such as Leprosy, Buruli ulcer, and Trachoma. Particular attention is also given to current antifungal agents, their spectrum of activity, mode of action, limitations, and current challenges in antifungal therapy. The authors explore the medicinal chemistry efforts that gave rise to currently launched drugs and new anti-HIV agents, and they also highlight the latest vaccine and drug developments in the clinical management of the Ebola Virus Disease, ignited by the 2014-2016 outbreak. This work has an interdisciplinary appeal and will engage scholars and professionals in the burden of communicable diseases.

The global nitrogen cycle is the one most impacted by mankind. The past decade has changed our view on many aspects of the microbial biogeochemical cycles, including the global nitrogen cycle, which is mainly due to tremendous advances in methods, techniques and approaches. Many novel processes and the molecular inventory and organisms that facilitate them have been discovered only within the last 5 to 10 years, and the process is in progress. This volume provides state-of-the-art updates on methods and protocols dealing with the detection, isolation and characterization of macromolecules and their hosting organisms that facilitate nitrification and related processes in the nitrogen cycle as well as the challenges of doing so in very diverse environments.

Provides state-of-the-art update on methods and protocols Deals with the detection, isolation and characterization of macromolecules and their hosting organisms deals with the challenges ofvery diverse environments."

This book highlights the advances in essential oil research, from the plant physiology perspective to large-scale production, including bioanalytical methods and industrial applications. The book is divided into 4 sections. The first one is focused on essential oil composition and why plants produce these compounds that have been used by humans since ancient times. Part 2 presents an update on the use of essential oils in various areas, including food and pharma industries as well as agriculture. In part 3 readers will find new trends in bioanalytical methods. Lastly, part 4 presents a number of approaches to increase essential oil production, such as in vitro and hairy root culture, metabolic engineering and biotechnology. Altogether, this volume offers a comprehensive look at what researchers have been doing over the last years to better understand these compounds and how to explore them for the benefit of the society.

Medicinal chemistry is both science and art. The science of medicinal chemistry offers mankind one of its best hopes for improving the quality of life. The art of medicinal chemistry continues to challenge its practitioners with the need for both intuition and experience to discover new drugs. Hence sharing the experience of drug research is uniquely beneficial to the field of medicinal chemistry. Drug research requires interdisciplinary team-work at the interface between chemistry, biology and medicine. Therefore, the topic-related series Topics in Medicinal Chemistry covers all relevant aspects of drug research, e.g. pathobiochemistry of diseases, identification and validation of (emerging) drug targets, structural biology, drugability of targets, drug design approaches, chemogenomics, synthetic chemistry including combinatorial methods, bioorganic chemistry, natural compounds, high-throughput screening, pharmacological in vitro and in vivo investigations, drug-receptor interactions on the molecular level, structure-activity relationships, drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination, toxicology and pharmacogenomics. In general, special volumes are edited by well known guest editors.

This must-have cell signaling title will appeal to researchers across molecular biology, biochemistry, cell biology and genetics. The articles are written and edited by experts in the field and emphasize signaling to and from intracellular compartments including transcriptional responses to cytoplasmic and nuclear signaling events, chromatin remodeling and stress responses, the regulation of endoplasmic reticulum function, control of cell cycle progression and apoptosis and the modulation of the activities of mitochondria and other organelles.

Articles written and edited by experts in the field
Thematic volume covering regulation of endoplasmic reticulum function, regulation of cell cycle progression, and quality control and assurance in mitochondrion events
Up-to-date research on events in membrane proteins and proteins of intracellular matrix

A primary component of cell signaling research, this title covers the principal membrane-bound receptor families, including their structural organization. Written and edited by experts in the field, this book provides up-to-date research on transmembrane signaling entities and their initiating responses following extracellular stimulation.

Articles written and edited by experts in the field
Thematic volume covering effectors, cytosolic events, nuclear, and cytoplasmic events
Up-to-date research on signaling systems and mutations in transcription factors that provide new targets for treating disease

This second edition expands upon the previous edition with current, detailed developments in the field and brings together a multi-disciplinary team of leading researchers to provide their latest protocols for clinical proteomics analysis. 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 Practical, Clinical Proteomics: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition presents approaches that will serve as a reliable guide to researchers, including clinicians, chemists, molecular biologists, bioinformaticians and computational, biologists, and investigators working on biomarker development.