The aim of "The Adhesive Interaction of Cells" has been to assemble a series of reviews by leading international experts embracing many of the most important recent developments in this rapidly expanding field. The purpose of all biological research is to understand the form and function of living organisms and, by comprehending the normal, to find explanations and remedies for the abnormal and for disease conditions. The molecules involved in cell adhesion are of fundamental importance to the structure and function of all multicellular organisms. In this book, the contributors focus on the systems of vertebrates, especially mammals, since these are most relevant to human disease. It would have been equally possible to concentrate on developmental processes and adhesion in lower organisms.
A major function of adhesion molecules is to bind cells to each other or to the extracellular matrix, but they are much more than "glue." Adhesions in animal tissues must be dynamic-forming, persisting, or declining in regulated fashion- to facilitate the mobility and turnover of tissue cells. Moreover, the majority of adhesion molecules are transmembrane molecules and thus provide links between the cells and their surroundings. This gives rise to another major function of adhesion molecules, the capacity to transduce signals across the hydrophobic barrier imposed by the plasma membrane. Such signal transduction is crucially important to many aspects of cellular function including the regulation of cell motility, gene expression, and differentiation.
The work in this book progresses through four sections. Part I discusses the four major families of adhesion molecules themselves, the integrins (Green and Humphries), the cadherins (Stappert and Kemler), the selectins (Tedder et al.) and the immunoglobulin superfamily (Simmons); part 2 considers junctional complexes involved in cell interactions: focal adhesions and adherens junctions (Ben Ze'ev), desmosomes (Garrod et al.), and tight junctions (Citi and Cordenonsi). The signaling role of adhesion molecules is the focus of part 3, through integrins and the extracellular matrix (Edwards and Streuli), through platelet adhesion (Du and Ginsberg), and in the nervous system (Hemperley). In part 4, the aim is to show how adhesive phenomena contribute to important aspects of cell behavior and human health. Leukocyte trafficking (Haskard et al.), cancer metastasis (Marshall and Hart), cell migration (Paleck et al.), and implantation and placentation (Damsky et al.) are the topics considered in depth.
The different sections are, of course, not mutually exclusive: it is both undesirable and impossible to separate structure from function when considering cell adhesion. Each chapter has its unique features, but some overlap is both invevitable and valuable since it provides different perspectives on closely related topics. We hope that the whole contributes a valuable and stimulating consideration of this important topic.

Transcriptional Gene Regulation in Health and Disease, Volume 335, the latest release in the International Review of Cell and Molecular Biology reviews and details current advances in cell and molecular biology. The IRCMB series has a worldwide readership, maintaining a high standard by publishing invited articles on important and timely topics that are authored by prominent cell and molecular biologists. The articles published in IRCMB have a high impact and an average cited half-life of nine years. This great resource ranks high amongst scientific journals dealing with cell biology.

Cell Surface GRP78, a New Paradigm in Signal Transduction Biology presents a new paradigm that has emerged in the past decade with the discovery that various intracellular proteins may acquire new functions as cell surface receptors. Two very prominent examples are ATP synthase and GRP78. While the role of cell surface ATP synthase has been reviewed in various books, this book directs its attention to the story of cell surface GRP78.

Mitosis and Meiosis, Part A, Volume 144, a new volume in the Methods in Cell Biology series, continues the legacy of this premier serial with quality chapters authored by leaders in the field. Unique to this updated volume are chapters on Analyzing the Spindle Assembly Checkpoint in human cell culture, an Analysis of CIN, a Functional analysis of the tubulin code in mitosis, Employing CRISPR/Cas9 genome engineering to dissect the molecular requirements for mitosis, Applying the auxin-inducible degradation (AID) system for rapid protein depletion in mammalian cells, Small Molecule Tools in Mitosis Research, Optogenetic control of mitosis with photocaged chemical, and more.

This thesis offers a unique guide to the development and application of ultrasensitive optical microscopy based on light scattering. Divided into eight chapters, it covers an impressive range of scientific fields, from basic optical physics to molecular biology and synthetic organic chemistry. Especially the detailed information provided on how to design, build and implement an interferometric scattering microscope, as well as the descriptions of all instrumentation, hardware interfacing and image processing necessary to achieve the highest levels of performance, will be of interest to researchers now entering the field.

This book highlights the role of the Translationally Controlled Tumor Protein (TCTP) in cell signaling, cell fate and the resulting connection to disease development. It begins by discussing the structure/function of TCTP, before exploring its role in different species ranging from plants to Drosophila and covering fields such as development, the cytoskeleton, cell division, DNA fragility and apoptosis. In turn, the book's final section is devoted to the role of TCTP in disease, namely asthma and diverse cancers, and ultimately as a target for the treatment of malignancies. What is the common denominator between all these processes and why is TCTP necessary in order for them to occur, even in the worst case such as cancer? The book seeks to provide meaningful answers to this and other key questions. Presenting a broad and revealing view on the topic, it offers an informative guide for scientists and students alike.

Natural Variances and Clocks, Volume 99 in the Advances in Genetics series provides the latest information on the rapidly evolving field of genetics, presenting new medical breakthroughs and advances. This updated release includes chapters on a variety of new research, including the Natural variation of the circadian clock in Neurospora, Natural variation and genetics of the photoperiodic timer in the pitcher-plant mosquito, Natural variation in human clocks, and Natural variation in the circadian clock genes in Drosophila and other insects. This series continually publishes important reviews that are ideal for geneticists and their colleagues in affiliated disciplines, critically analyzing future directions.

This book focuses on emerging themes in the molecular mechanisms of calcium signal transduction through calmodulin-regulated pathways. It provides the reader with selected examples and experimental precedents that underlie current models of cell regulation through calmodulin-regulated pathways and their linkage with other regulatory pathways.
Highlights:
* Molecular mechanisms of calcium signal transduction through calmodulin-regulated enzymes
* Selected case studies and precedents related to molecular mechanisms
* Protein-protein recognition between calmodulin and the enzymes it regulates
* Cross-talk and interdigitation with other signal transduction pathways

This book addresses all the major mechanisms by which endophytes are thought to impact plant growth and health. A unique aspect of this publication is that it is multidisciplinary, covering plant microbiology, plant physiology, fungal and bacterial endophytes, plant biochemistry, and genomics. Just as research on the mammalian microbiome has demonstrated its importance for overall health of the host, the plant microbiota is essential for plant health in natural environments. Endophytes, the microorganisms living fully within plants, can provide a multitude of benefits to the host including N-fixation, P solubilization, increased photosynthetic efficiency and water use efficiency, stress tolerance, pathogen resistance, and overall increased growth and health. A variety of culturable endophytes have been isolated and shown to be mutualistic symbionts with a broad range of plant species. These studies point to the functional importance of the microbiota of plants and suggest the potential for tailoring plant microbiota for improved vigor and yields with reduced inputs. This review covers the major benefits of microbial endophytes to plants and discusses the implications of using symbiosis as an alternative to chemical inputs for agriculture, forestry, and bioenergy.

This book discusses the main stem cell niches under distinct pathophysiological conditions. The role of tissue microenvironments in stem cell regulation, as well as modern methodologies and new techniques for the identification and characterization of stem cell niches, are discussed by leading experts in the field. Chapters describe the major components of various stem cell microenvironments, such as cellular components, soluble factors, cell-cell interactions, extra-cellular matrix proteins, and physical forces. Stem Cell Microenvironments and Beyond is part of the highly successful Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology series. It is essential reading for graduate students and researchers in the field of stem cells or cell biology as well as clinicians.

Sterol Regulation of Ion Channels, Volume 80, the latest in the Current Topics in Membranes series provides outstanding content to the scientific community on relevant topics that relate to the broad field of membranes. Topics of note in this new release include Membrane structure and general mechanisms of sterol regulation of ion channels, the Regulation of ion channels by sterols as boundary lipids, the Differential effects of sterols on ion channels: specific vs. non-specific interactions, the Structural determinants of cholesterol-ion channels interactions, and the Regulation of Ca2+-sensitive K+ channels by cholesterol and bile acids via distinct channel subunits and sites, amongst other specialized chapters. The serial is targeted towards scientists and researchers in biochemistry and molecular and cellular biology, providing the necessary membrane research to assist them in discovering the current state of a particular field. The authors and editors associated with the Current Topics in Membranes series are recognized as world-renowned scientists in their respective fields, making CTM one of the premier serials on membranes

This book describes human hereditary ion channel diseases of voltage- and ligand-gated ion channels covering the diverse fields of medicine myology, neurology, cardiology, and nephrology requiring a wide and interdisciplinary readership. Interesting parallels in pathogenetic mechanisms of disease are especially emphasized to interest even highly specialized readers in entities outside of their fields. Each author has written an objective overview of his or her particular subject in a way that should allow the reader within a short period of time to obtain a comprehensive picture of the present state of art.

International Review of Cell and Molecular Biology, Volume 332 reviews current advances in cell and molecular biology. This latest release covers Metabolic alterations at the crossroad between aging and oncogenesis, Molecular and cellular mechanisms of auto-immunity, Old and novel functions of caspase-2, Organelle crosstalk in oncogenic metabolic reprogramming, a Molecular Biology Digest of Cellular Mitophagy, the Regulation of cell calcium and role of plasma membrane calcium ATPases, and Mechanisms of cortical differentiation. The IRCMB series has a worldwide readership, maintaining a high standard by publishing invited articles on important and timely topics that are authored by prominent cell and molecular biologists. Users will find that the articles published in IRCMB have a high impact and average cited half-life of nine years. This great resource ranks high amongst scientific journals dealing with cell biology.

In this book, renowned scientists describe the role of steroid chirality and modification of lipid membrane physical properties in the modulation of G protein-coupled receptors and ion channels. The application of commonly-used technical approaches such as mass spectrometry and nucleic magnetic resonance transfer spectroscopy for studies on cholesterol distribution and alteration of lipid bilayer characteristics is also discussed. This book offers comprehensive insights into the current understanding of cholesterol-driven modulation of protein function via mechanisms that extend beyond lipid-protein direct interactions. In the first part, the chapters introduce the reader to the use of the chemical derivatives of cholesterol as a valuable laboratory tool in the studies of cholesterol-driven modulation of protein function. In the second part, examples of cholesterol-induced changes in membrane physical characteristics are presented and discussed in light of their multifaceted contribution to the effect of cholesterol on protein function. The book will be of interest to undergraduate and graduate students as well as basic science and medical researchers with a keen interest in the biophysical properties of cholesterol and physiological consequences of cholesterol presence in biological systems.

Tumor-Induced Immune Suppression - Prospects and Progress in Mechanisms and Therapeutic Reversal presents a comprehensive overview of large number of different mechanisms of immune dysfunction in cancer and therapeutic approaches to their correction. This includes the number of novel mechanisms that has never before been discussed in previous monographs. The last decades were characterized by substantial progress in the understanding of the role of the immune system in tumor progression. Researchers have learned how to manipulate the immune system to generate tumor specific immune response, which raises high expectations for immunotherapy to provide breakthroughs in cancer treatment. It is increasingly clear that tumor-induced abnormalities in the immune system not only hampers natural tumor immune surveillance, but also limits the effect of cancer immunotherapy. Therefore, it is critically important to understand the mechanisms of tumor-induced immune suppression to make any progress in the field and this monograph provides these important insights.

All living cells are surrounded by a lipidic membrane that isolates them from the often harsh environment. However, to take up nutrients, to excrete waste, and to communicate among each other, Nature has invented an incredibly diverse set of transmembrane transport proteins. Specialized transporters exist to shuttle electrically charged ions, positive cations like sodium or negative anions like chloride, across the membrane. In the recent years, tremendous progress has been made in the field of chloride transport. The present book presents the state of the art of this rapidly expanding and interest-gaining field of membrane transport. It is addressed at a broad medically, physiologically, biologically, and biophysically interested readership.
* Describes the state-of-the-art in anion transport research
* Written by leaders in the field
* Presents a timely discussion of this rapidly emerging and expanding field

This volume takes a closer look how the cell organelles Golgi apparatus (also known as the Golgi complex or Golgi body), and centriole are structurally and functionally intertwined. Initially, it was believed that the role of Golgi complex is limited to the packaging and preparation for secretion of various cellular proteins, while the centriole participates in cell division and cilia formation. However, since their discovery nearly 200 years ago, it became clear that these two organelles are interacting, and that their functions are much more complex and far reaching than previously thought. Recent findings indicate that the Golgi-Centriole relationship may be important for directional protein transport, cell polarization and cell cycle progression. Current studies indicate that Golgi and centriole also participate in development and act as cellular and immunological sensors, and that their abnormalities lead to cell and developmental abnormalities, Alzheimer, cancer, various lipid disorders and neurological and immunological diseases in humans. This volume combines the latest information on the structure, molecular composition, and roles of Golgi and centriole in various cellular functions and diseases. The better understanding of the Golgi-centriole interactions may lead to the development of novel therapies for the treatment of various diseases, including cancer.

This book provides an up-to-date overview of the architecture and biosynthesis of bacterial and archaeal cell walls, highlighting the evolution-based similarities in, but also the intriguing differences between the cell walls of Gram-negative bacteria, the Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, and the Archaea. The recent major advances in this field, which have brought to light many new structural and functional details, are presented and discussed. Over the past five years, a number of novel systems, e.g. for lipid, porin and lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis have been described. In addition, new structural achievements with periplasmic chaperones have been made, all of which have revealed amazing details on how bacterial cell walls are synthesized. These findings provide an essential basis for future research, e.g. the development of new antibiotics. The book's content is the logical continuation of Volume 84 of SCBI (on Prokaryotic Cytoskeletons), and sets the stage for upcoming volumes on Protein Complexes.

This book marries stem cell biology, tissue engineering, and regenerative biology into a single, interdisciplinary volume. The chapters also explore embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, cardiovascular regeneration, skeletal development, inflammation, polymeric biomaterials, neural injury, cartilage regeneration, regeneration in ambystoma, models for regeneration using salamander and zebrafish, and more. The volume also discusses recent advances and their potential in developing future therapies. Innovations in Molecular Mechanisms and Tissue Engineering combines perspectives from the biomedical, bioengineering, and medical fields to present a cutting-edge, multifaceted picture of the tissue engineering and regenerative medicine fields. This installment of Springer's Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine series is ideal for scientists, clinicians, and researchers in the fields of stem cell biology, regenerative medicine, biomedical engineering, and tissue engineering.

This volume looks at the study of oligodendrocytes through in vitro and in vivo techniques, multiple model organisms, using approaches that bridge scales from molecular through system. Chapters in this book cover topics such as fundamental molecular analyses of oligodendrocytes and myelin; in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo molecular-cellular-electrophysiology-based techniques; oligodendrocyte formation, homeostasis, and disruption in zebrafish and Xenopus; and parallel system-level imaging of animal and human models. 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 thorough, Oligodendrocytes: Methods and Protocols is a valuable reference guide that highlights the expansive and fast-paced nature of research into oligodendrocyte biology underlying health and function.

This book explains the anatomy and physiology of cartilage tissue in an integrated way. The emphasis is on how cartilage tissue functions and maintains homeostasis in a challenging mechanical environment. Supported by hundreds of references, the book posts new hypotheses explaining how cartilage adapts and achieves homeostasis in vivo, and tests them against available data. This exploratory approach creates a sense of discovery that the reader can join, or perhaps test themselves through their own research. The main benefit will be obtained by research students and professors looking to understand the deeper concepts that will further their own research, or clinicians (including health professionals and surgeons) who want to gain a deeper physiological understanding of cartilage tissue, which can then serve as a basis for more rational clinical decision-making they need to make on a daily basis. To help bridge the gap between basic science and clinically relevant joint disease, applications and interpretations of key physiological concepts are discussed in the context of osteoarthritis at the end of most chapters.

DNA Structure and Function, a timely and comprehensive resource, is intended for any student or scientist interested in DNA structure and its biological implications. The book provides a simple yet comprehensive introduction to nearly all aspects of DNA structure. It also explains current ideas on the biological significance of classic and alternative DNA conformations. Suitable for graduate courses on DNA structure and nucleic acids, the text is also excellent supplemental reading for courses in general biochemistry, molecular biology, and genetics.
Special Features
* Explains basic DNA Structure and function clearly and simply
* Contains up-to-date coverage of cruciforms, Z-DNA, triplex DNA, and other DNA conformations
* Discusses DNA-protein interactions, chromosomal organization, and biological implications of structure
* Highlights key experiments and ideas within boxed sections
* Illustrated with 150 diagrams and figures that convey structural and experimental concepts

Nuclear Receptors in Development and Disease, Volume 125, the latest volume in the Current Topics in Developmental Biology series, covers nuclear receptors in development and disease, and includes contributions from an international board of authors. New chapters in this release cover the Evolution of Nuclear Receptors and Ligand Signaling: Towards a Soft Key-Lock Model?, The Function and Evolution of Nuclear Receptors in Insect Embryonic Development, Nuclear Receptors in Skeletal Homeostasis, Estrogen Hormone Biology, and the Mechanisms of Glucocorticoid Action During Development. The book's chapters provide a comprehensive set of reviews that cover such topics as nuclear differentiation and remodeling, evolution of receptors, ligand signaling and neural development.