This book was first published in 1994. Vitamins are essential micronutrients available to animal organisms through the diet. This book takes a fresh approach to vitamin-binding proteins, with emphasis on the nature of the binding of the vitamin ligand to a protein and its sequela. The role of vitamin-binding proteins as initiators of the metabolic response is evaluated. Experts in the field from around the world present an account of their work on the interaction of vitamins with specific intracellular systems through the appropriate binding proteins and how this interaction results in the biological action of vitamins. The book will be of interest to research workers and postgraduate students in the field of biochemistry and nutrition.

Regulation of Downstream Targets, Volume 134 in the Advances in Protein Chemistry and Structural Biology series, presents interesting chapters on topics such as Transcriptional regulatory mechanisms and signaling networks in Viral Infections, Identification of potential key genes associated with pathogenesis and prognosis of endometrial cancer based on Integrated Bioinformatics Approaches, Differential regulation of genes in stage IB pancreatic cancer associated with increased risk of metastasis, AMPK-related LKB1-downstream targets, A compilation of bioinformatic approaches to identify novel downstream targets for the detection and prophylaxis of cancer, Protein phosphatases and their targets: Critical determinants of signaling pathway in plants, and more. Other sections cover Calcium decoders and their targets: The holy alliance that regulate cellular responses, Importin alpha family NAAT/IBB domain: functions of a multi-faceted long chameleon sequence, Aurora Kinase A and related downstream molecules: A Potential Network for Cancer Therapy, Emerging Role of Heat Shock Proteins in Cardiovascular Diseases, Function, Structure, Evolution, Regulation and Drug Target Relevance of Arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase, and Analysis of signaling cascades from myeloma cells treated with pristimerin.

This book, by a leading thinker with 30 years experience in the field, is the first devoted to fibrous composites in biology. It tackles a major unsolved problem in developmental biology - how does chemistry create architecture outside cells? Fibrous composites occur in all skeletal systems including plant cell walls, insect cuticles, moth eggshells, bone and cornea. They function like man-made fibreglass, with fibres set in a matrix. The fibrous molecules are long, extracellular and water-insoluble and to be effective they must be orientated strategically. The underlying hypothesis of this book is that the fibres are orientated by self-assembly just outside the cells during a mobile liquid crystalline phase prior to stabilization. The commonest orientations of the fibres are plywood laminates (orthogonal and helicoidal), and as parallel fibres. These may be imitated in vitro by liquid crystalline chemicals. The book takes an interdisciplinary approach and will be relevant to biologists, biochemists, biophysicists, material scientists and to liquid crystals chemists.

The study of the interactions of proteins, whether they be enzymes, regulatory proteins or structural proteins, with nucleic acids is one of the most exciting areas of modern molecular biology. In this 1993 text, Professor Steitz reviews the wide-ranging research in structural studies of DNA-binding proteins and their complexes with DNA. The author clearly and concisely describes the uses of techniques in molecular genetics, DNA synthesis, protein crystallography and nuclear magnetic response. The book, by a now Nobel Prize-winning author, will continue to be enjoyed by anyone with an interest in this exciting area of research.

Development of the shapes of living organisms and their parts is a field of science in which there are no generally accepted theoretical principles. What form these principles are likely to take, when they emerge, is a subject in which there is a wide gulf of disagreement between physical scientists and experimental biologists. This book contains both an extensive philosophical commentary on this dichotomy in views and an exposition of the type of theory most favoured by physical scientists. In this theory living form is a manifestation of the dynamics of chemical change and physical transport or other physics of spatial communication. The reaction-diffusion theory, as initiated by Turing in 1952 and since elaborated by Prigogine and by Gierer and Meinhardt among others, is discussed in detail at a level that requires a good knowledge of a first course in calculus, but no more than that.

The Organizing Committee of the 15th International Conference on Bioactive Lipids in Cancer, Inflammation and Related Diseases compiled a group of junior investigators to provide reviews on the topics they presented at the Puerto Vallarta Bioactive Lipids conference, as part of the book series, Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology (AEMB). The book in this series will be titled Bioactive Lipids in Cancer, Inflammation and Related Diseases. Topics range from all classes of lipids including prostaglandins, resolvins, spingolipids, P450-derived lipids, endocannabanoids and phospholipids. The focus includes physiology, cell biology, and structural studies in organisms from bacteria to humans and how these studies addressed the role of lipids in various disease i.e. cancer, inflammation, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and others.

Plants are able to respond and adapt to changing environmental and endogenous signals by the induction of the synthesis of specific proteins, acting to modify cellular metabolism. Environmental signals include temperature, anaerobiosis and pathogen attack amongst others, whilst endogenous signals include changes in the level of plant growth regulators. In this 1992 text, leading researchers discuss the role that inducible proteins play in cellular metabolism, and the approaches being used to delineate the molecular events leading to their synthesis. Chapters discuss molecular approaches to the study of gene expression, the identification and characterisation of trans-acting transcription factors and attempts to dissect other parts of the signal transduction pathway by the search for pathway mutants. This review volume will be of great value and interest to final year undergraduates, graduate students and researchers in the fields of plant biochemistry and molecular biology.

The cellular events underlying rapid cellular damage are being intensively studied in a number of different organs. Examples are the reperfused ischaemic heart, muscular dystrophy, liver damage, malignant hyperthermia and the preservation of kidneys for transplantation. Many hypotheses are extant concerning the biochemical pathways involved in these damage processes and, in particular, the roles of calcium and active oxygen metabolytes are of great current interest. There is considerable literature on both these triggering agents and good evidence for their involvement in the genesis of damage, although little agreement on their precise roles. This volume presents a record of the proceedings of a meeting held by the Society of Experimental Biology that attempted to determine whether there are common mechanisms for rapid cellular damage and to explore the ways in which calcium and oxygen radicals may interact to cause damage. The central problem is whether oxygen radicals modify intracellular calcium levels, with the calcium then triggering the damage, or whether changes in calcium fluxes stimulate the generation of oxygen radicals, the radicals then producing the damage.

The phenomenon of sexual reproduction in eukaryotes poses a special problem: with each union of gametes, how does the species avoid a doubling of chromosome numbers? The solution that eukaryotes invented, early in their evolutionary history, is a unique form of nuclear division, meiosis. Meiosis serves to reduce chromosome numbers by a factor of two in the gamete or gamete-forming cells, with the result that each gamete (or gamete precursor) has a single copy of each chromosome, the haploid state; the union of gametes then restores the pre-gametic or diploid chromosome number. In this book, Bernard John presents a complete review of meiosis, describing its mechanics, position in the life cycle in different species, genetics and, finally, its significance in eukaryotic evolution. For students and researchers interested in eukaryotic cellular biology and genetics, this book may prove useful. Upper division students and research workers in genetics, cytology, and cell biology will also be able to refer to this book.

Cells are the basis of all life in the universe. Our bodies are made up of billions of them: an incredibly complex society that governs everything, from movement to memory and imagination. When we age, it is because our cells slow down; when we get ill, it is because our cells mutate or stop working. In How We Live and Why we Die, Wolpert provides a clear explanation of the science that underpins our lives. He explains how our bodies function and how we derived from a single cell - the embryo. He examines the science behind the topics that are much discussed but rarely understood - stem-cell research, cloning, DNA - and explains how all life evolved from just one cell. Lively and passionate, How We Live and Why we Die is an accessible guide to understanding the human body and, essentially, life itself.

Alternating between topic discussions and hands-on laboratory experiments that range from the in vitro flowering of roses to tissue culture of ferns, Plant Tissue Culture Concepts and Laboratory Exercises, Second Edition, addresses the most current principles and methods in plant tissue culture research.

The editors use the expertise of some of the top researchers and educators in plant biotechnology to furnish students, instructors and researchers with a broad consideration of the field. Divided into eight major parts, the text covers everything from the history of plant tissue culture and basic methods to propagation techniques, crop improvement procedures, specialized applications and nutrition of callus cultures. New topic discussions and laboratory exercises in the Second Edition include "Micropropagation of Dieffenbachia," "Micropropagation and in vitro flowering of rose," "Propagation from nonmeristematic tissue-organogenesis," "Variation in culture" and "Tissue culture of ferns."

It is the book's extensive laboratory exercises that provide a hands-on approach in illustrating various topics of discussion, featuring step-by-step procedures, anticipated results, and a list of materials needed. What's more, editors Trigiano and Gray go beyond mere basic principles of plant tissue culture by including chapters on genetic transformation techniques, and photographic methods and statistical analysis of data. In all, Plant Tissue Culture Concepts and Laboratory Exercises, Second Edition, is a veritable harvest of information for the continued study and research in plant tissue culture science.

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

The mechanics underlying the form and structure of biological tissues is being increasingly investigated and appreciated, with new results appearing at a fast pace. Cellular Patterns covers the salient elements of this thriving field of research in a textbook style, including both historic landmark results and recent achievements. By building on concepts such as packing, confinement, surface tension, and elastic instabilities, the book explains the structure and the shape of sheet-like and bulk tissues by adapting the mechanics of continuous media to living matter. It reviews experimental results and empirical laws, and wherever possible, it discusses more than a single theoretical interpretation of a given phenomenon. The in-depth treatment of technical details, the many boxes summarizing essential physical and biological ideas, and an extensive set of problems make this book suitable as a complementary textbook for a graduate course in biophysics and as a standalone reference for students and researchers in biophysics, bioengineering, and mathematical biology interested in the mechanics of tissue. Features: Provides an overview of patterns and shapes seen in animal tissues in addition to an interpretation of these structures in terms of physical forces and processes Contains detailed analysis and a critical comparison of mechanical models of cells, tissues, and morphogenetic movements Presents a visually rich style which is accessible to physicists and biologists alike

This volume presents an assortment of traditional and emerging experimental procedures relevant to Schwann cell research. The chapters are divided into four parts. Part I contains protocols for in vitro culture, purification, and characterization of primary Schwann cells from diverse species and stages of nerve development. It also contains protocols to create cancer cell lines and engineered Schwann cells from unconventional sources via chemical conversion, induced differentiation or genetic intervention. Parts II and III outline a wide range of methodologies used to study Schwann cells within in vitro and in vivo systems relevant to the analysis of peripheral nerve development, cancer, axon degeneration/regeneration, and myelination. Last but not least, part IV outlines protocols for Schwann cell production, collection, labeling and transplantation in the injured peripheral nerve and spinal cord of experimental animals and human subjects. Authoritative and practical, Schwann Cells: Methods and Protocols aims to aid both experienced and new investigators to make progress in their research endeavors involving Schwann cells.

This description of a model system for cell differentiation and organogenesis is written by one of the foremost researchers in the area. The main emphasis is on the mammalian kidney, but the book also deals with the development of the transien excretory organs. It includes discussions of induction, proliferation, early cytodifferentiation and morphogenesis and organogenesis. This authoritative account will be valuable to developmental biologists and also to scientists working in paediatric nephrology. As it gives the background of normal development and of control systems, it will also be of use to nephrologists working on abnormalities in the urinary tract.

This book, first published in 1987, was intended as an introduction to biological survey methods for estuaries and coasts (excluding specifically tropical features such an mangroves and coral reefs). The main habitats and groups of organisms are dealt with in chapters on salt marshes, intertidal and subtidal sediments, intertidal and subtidal rock, meiofauna, bacteria and fungi, plankton, fish and birds. Chapters on planning biological surveys, remote sensing and safety are of general application. A guide to identification literature is included. The aim of the book is to introduce readers to a wide range of techniques (together with their advantages and limitations for achieving particular objectives) and to indicate where further information on particular topics can be found.

Herbal Biomolecules in Healthcare Applications presents extensive detailed information on all the vital principles, basics and fundamental aspects of multiple herbal biomolecules in the healthcare industry. This book examines important herbal biomolecules including alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, anthraquinones, steroids, polysaccharides, tannins and polyphenolic compounds, terpenes, fats and waxes, proteins and peptides, and vitamins. These herbal biomacromolecules are responsible for different bioactivities as well as pharmacological potentials. A systematic understanding of the extraction, purification, characterization, applications of these herbal biomolecules and their derivatives in healthcare fields is developed in this comprehensive book. Chapters explore the key topics along with an emphasis on recent research and developments in healthcare fields by leading experts. They include updated literature review of the relevant key topics, good quality illustrations, chemical structures, flow charts, well-organized tables and case studies. Herbal Biomolecules in Healthcare Applications will be useful for researchers working on natural products and biomolecules with bioactivity and nutraceutical properties. Professionals specializing in scientific areas such as biochemistry, pharmacology, analytical chemistry, organic chemistry, clinics, or engineering focused on bioactive natural products will find this book useful.

The detection and measurement of the dynamic regulation and interactions of cells and proteins within the living cell are critical to the understanding of cellular biology and pathophysiology. The multidisciplinary field of molecular imaging of living subjects continues to expand with dramatic advances in chemistry, molecular biology, therapeutics, engineering, medical physics and biomedical applications. Molecular Imaging: Principles and Practice, Volumes 1 and 2, Second Edition provides the first point of entry for physicians, scientists, and practitioners. This authoritative reference book provides a comprehensible overview along with in-depth presentation of molecular imaging concepts, technologies and applications making it the foremost source for both established and new investigators, collaborators, students and anyone interested in this exciting and important field.

Why do living things and physical phenomena take the form they do? D'Arcy Thompson's classic On Growth and Form looks at the way things grow and the shapes they take. Analysing biological processes in their mathematical and physical aspects, this historic work, first published in 1917, has also become renowned for the sheer poetry of its descriptions. A great scientist sensitive to the fascinations and beauty of the natural world tells of jumping fleas and slipper limpets; of buds and seeds; of bees' cells and rain drops; of the potter's thumb and the spider's web; of a film of soap and a bubble of oil; of a splash of a pebble in a pond.

The book covers the possible story of emergence of life and its subsequent evolution, emphasizing the necessary evolutionary step negotiation of a common "language set" which kept all inhabitants in the biosphere together, ensuring a basic level of understanding among them. The book focuses on "protocols of communication" (both genetic and epigenetic) representing norms shared and understood across the whole biosphere, enabling a plethora of holobiotic relationships. Cooperative nature of organismal evolution and epigenetic processes as a major force in evolution are also covered. Topics discussed are illustrated in detail on selected casuistics.

After an introduction outlining the chemical and physical characteristics of the environment, the book goes on to look at the actual habitats in which algae occur. The communities of the individual habitats such as open water, sediments, rocky shores, coral reefs, hot springs, sea ice, soil, etc., are then discussed with special phenomena highlighted, for example rhythmic activity, nitrogen fixation and buoyancy. There are also chapters on seasonal cycles of algal growth, energy flow, geographical dispersion, palaeo-ecology and contribution to sediments. The importance of algae in symbiotic relationships and their considerable significance to animal grazers in aquatic food chains are also discussed. The final chapter deals with the relationships of algae to eutrophication and pollution of water. This is an important aspect, which can only be understood through an appreciation of algal ecology.

This digital reprint of the 1963 original is a companion volume to the text by A. R. Clapham, T. G. Tutin and E. F. Warbur. The drawings are by Sybil J. Roles. These volumes illustrate the Clapham-Tutin-Warburg Flora of the British Isles. The drawings assist users of the Flora to recognise species by supplying a visual supplement to the text. They are from fresh specimens and deliberately aim to give an impression of the living plant. As the compilers of the Flora put it, 'The intention is to provide a visual impression so as to assist with the appreciation of the technical descriptions given in Flora of the British Isles and the Excursion Flora'. The degree to which the illustrations planned to supplement the Flora itself greatly increases their value; the books are meant to be used together.

This digital reprint of the 1963 original is a companion volume to the text by A. R. Clapham, T. G. Tutin and E. F. Warbur. The drawings are by Sybil J. Roles. These volumes illustrate the Clapham-Tutin-Warburg Flora of the British Isles. The drawings assist users of the Flora to recognise species by supplying a visual supplement to the text. They are from fresh specimens and deliberately aim to give an impression of the living plant. As the compilers of the Flora put it, 'The intention is to provide a visual impression so as to assist with the appreciation of the technical descriptions given in Flora of the British Isles and the Excursion Flora'. The degree to which the illustrations planned to supplement the Flora itself greatly increases their value; the books are meant to be used together.

First published in 1984, this attractively illustrated volume surveys the world of marine biology as revealed to the underwater diver. Before the invention of the aqualung it was hardly possible for biologists to make detailed ecological studies below the low tide mark. This was particularly true on rocky substrates, in kelp forests and on coral reefs. Divers have now been able to study these environments at first hand and this book is an account of what they have found. the book is divided into four parts. Part I, on rocky substrates, introduces the sublittoral animal communities and the effects of important environmental variables such as light, water movement, turbidity and interactions with other community members. Part II on kelp forests deals with the growth and production of the plants and with the interactions between plants and animals. Part III focuses on reef structure, coral growth, nutrition, biological interactions affecting the corals and aspects of the behaviour of reef fish.

The series Advances in Stem Cell Biology is a timely and expansive collection of comprehensive information and new discoveries in the field of stem cell biology. Molecular Players in iPSC Technology, Volume 12 addresses the molecular players underlying induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) generation, maintenance, expansion, and differentiation. The discovery of iPSCs revolutionized biomedical research. iPSC technology involves multiple molecular mechanisms. This volume covers exosomal microRNAs, auxiliary pluripotency-associated genes, inducible caspase-9 suicide gene, cell cycle proteins, ion channels, Notch signaling, kinase signaling, SOCS3/JAK2/STAT3 pathway, NANOG, Kruppel-like factors, H1FOO, and much more in iPSCs. The volume is written for researchers and scientists in stem cell therapy, cellular and molecular biology, and regenerative medicine and is contributed by world-renowned authors in the field.