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. 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.

This book presents the versatile and pivotal role of electron spin interactions in nature. It provides the background, methodologies and tools for basic areas related to spin interactions, such as spin chemistry and biology, electron transfer, light energy conversion, photochemistry, radical reactions, magneto-chemistry and magneto-biology. The book also includes an overview of designing advanced magnetic materials, optical and spintronic devices and photo catalysts. This monograph will be of interest to scientists and graduate students working in the areas related to spin interactions physics, biophysics, chemistry and chemical engineering.

This book is the self-contained third volume of a comprehensive series on nitrogen fixation. It presents the state-of-the-art in regards to genomic sciences applied to nitrogen-fixation research. The advent of genomic sciences represents a new era for biology. The classic paradigm based on the gene has now changed to a paradigm that is based on the genome. The knowledge of the complete nucleotide sequence of a genome and its consequences with regard to both transcription and translation lead to an integral and comprehensive view of the biochemistry and physiology of an organism. Moreover, comparative genomic studies provide new insights for a better understanding of the evolutionary process. Nitrogen-fixation research has fully entered the genomics era since the first complete nucleotide sequences of a rhizobial symbiotic plasmid and a methanogenic archaeon were first reported in 1997. Now, the complete nucleotide sequences of many genomes of nitrogen-fixing organism from different taxonomic groups are available. This volume includes chapters devoted to the genomes of specific organisms as well as chapters that cross organismal lines and analyse general aspects centred on functional genomics, genome dynamics, taxonomy, and evolution. No other available work provides the up-to-date and in-depth coverage of this volume, which is intended to serve as an indispensable reference work for academic, governmental, and industrial scientists working in the areas of genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics, including those studying evolution and taxonomy; to assist students to enter this challenging area of research; and to provide science administrators with ready access to vital relevantinformation.

At the forefront of life sciences today is the emerging discipline of chembiomolecular science. This new term describes the integration of the frontier fields of chemical biology, chemistry, and pharmacology. Chembiomolecular science aims to elucidate new biological mechanisms as potential drug targets and enhance the creation of new drug therapies. This book comprises the proceedings of the Uehara Memorial Foundation Symposium 2011, which focused on the most recent advances in chembiomolecular science made by leading experts in the field. The book is divided into three main topics. The first is the chemical approach to understanding complex biological systems on a molecular level using chemical compounds as a probe. The second describes the biological approach used to develop new lead drug compounds. The third focuses on the biological system that serves as the potential drug target, the beginning step in the process of developing new drugs. Replete with the latest research, the book will draw the attention of all scientists interested in the synergies between chemistry and biology to elucidate life on a molecular level and to promote drug discovery. Ultimately, the book helps promote the understanding of biological functions at the molecular level and create new pharmaceuticals that can contribute to improving human health.

Historically we have separated the disciplines of Chemistry and Biochemistry by recognizing that the distinguishing characteristic of Biochemistry is the catalysis of reactions by enzymes. Enzymes permit metabolic reactions which would otherwise require extremes of temperature, pressure or pH, often associated with Chemistry, to proceed under ambient conditions of the body. Under some conditions chemical reactions occur in vivo in which products of enzymatic reactions proceed to undergo further reactions non- enzymatically with cellular macromolecules. The results can often be seen as toxic or carcinogenic responses. The chemicals that initiate these reactions are termed "biological reactive intermediates. " The International Symposia on Biological Reactive Intermediates (BRI) began in 1975 at the University of Turku, Finland and have since convened at the University of Surrey, Guildford, The United Kingdom (1980), the University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland (1985), the University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (1990), the GSF Forschungszentrum and Technical University of Munich (1995) and, most recently, at the Universite Rene Descartes, Paris, France (2000). The Symposium was organized by an International Planning Committee co-chaired by P. Dansette (Paris, France) and TJ. Monks (Austin, Texas). The committee included: P. H. Beaune (Paris, France), M. De\aforge (Saclay, France), G. P. Gervasi (Pisa, Italy), G. G. Gibson (Guildford, UK), H. Greim (Munich, Germany), DJ. Jollow (Charleston, South Carolina), P. Moldeus (Sodertalje, Sweden), I. G. Sipes (Tucson, Arizona), R. Snyder PJ. van Bladderen (Zeist, The Netherlands). They were (Piscataway, New Jersey), and assisted by an International Scientific Program Advisory Committee which included: TJ.

In this PhD thesis, Yue Yanan addresses a long-overlooked and critical question in the development of non-viral vectors for gene delivery. The author determines that those uncomplexed and cationic polymer chains free in the solution mixture of polymer and DNA facilitate and promote gene transfection. Furthermore, by using a combination of synthetic chemistry, polymer physics and molecular biology, Yue confirms that it is those cationic polymer chains free in the solution mixture, rather than those bound to DNA chains, that play a decisive role in intracellular trafficking. Instead of the previously proposed and widely accepted "proton sponge" model, the author's group propose a new hypothesis based on the results of several well-designed and decisive experiments. These results show that free polycationic chains with a length of more than ~10 nm are able to partially block the fusion between different endocytic vesicles, including the endocytic-vesicle-to-endolysosome pathway. This thesis is highly original and its results greatly deepen our understanding of polymer-mediated gene transfection. More importantly, it provides new insights into the rational design of next-generation superior polymeric gene-delivery vectors.

This text explores the means, processes and mechanisms by which plants change the orientation and juxtapositions of various organs in order to optimize their harvest of energy, and examines the major stumuli which provokes such responses. These interactions are re-described for higher plants through to ferns, fungi and algae, and the text constantly emphasizes the functional significance of particular growth movements to plants in their natural surroundings. This book should be of interest to research students and lecturers in plant physiology; research workers in agriculture and plant biochemistry.

Death receptors play a central role in directing apoptosis in mammalian cells. This process of active cell death is important for a number of biological processes, e.g. for the regulation of the immune system. Death receptors are cell surface receptors that transmit apoptotic signals initiated by corresponding death ligands. Many complex signaling pathways are activated and apoptosis is the final result of a complex biochemical cascade of events.

Besides their role in the induction of cell death, evidence now exists that death receptors are able to activate several non-apoptotic signaling pathways which, depending on cellular context, may lead to apoptosis resistance, secretion of pro-inflammatory proteins, proliferation and invasive growth of cancer cells.

This book looks at the molecular basis of death receptor signaling and the role of death receptors in cancer development.

During the past several years tremendous advancements have been made in the field of pharmacology and therapeutics. While new therapeutic strategies are coming up, old ones are being improved by modifications, or being replaced with newer ones. The major topics covered in this book include: endothelins, current topics in cardiovascular research, molecular pharmacology, recent developments in cancer research, antioxidants, oxidants and human disease, herbal drugs, developments in neuropharmacology, myelin biology and demyelinating disease, pharmacovigilance, role of cytokines in health and disease, ocular pharmacology, detoxification of xenobiotics-biotransformation and transport, and several other topics of current interest. The aim of this book is to fulfill the needs of the basic and clinical researchers as well as the students, particularly related to areas of current interest in pharmacology and therapeutics.

In vivo nuclear magnetic and electron spin resonance spectroscopy is concerned, inter alia, with the noninvasive observation of metabolic changes in living systems, including animals and humans. Typically, the physiologi cal (or pathological) state of an organ or tissue is monitored. This multi faceted approach was developed during the 1980s. It is still a research technique, but will undoubtedly become a clinical tool. We are proud to present this volume (the eleventh of our series) in which some of the pioneers in this area summarize their contributions and review related literature. Bolinger and Lenkinski describe a variety of localization methods suitable for clinical applications of NMR spectroscopy. Schleich, Caines, and Rydzewski summarize their contributions to approaches involving off-resonance rotating frame relaxation and critically compare these with other NMR techniques that may yield similar information. Chang and James outline their approach and share their experience with the technical aspects 1 31 of H and P NMR spectroscopy and spatially localized spectroscopy in studies of brain ischemia. Sodium plays an important role in living systems, a key aspect being the large gradient between intra- and extracellular concentrations of sodium that is maintained by a variety of transport mechanisms. Miller and Elgavish give us a comprehensive review of an important research tool in this 23 area- Na NMR spectroscopy as aided by shift reagents."

Abiotic Stresses in Wheat: Unfolding the Challenges presents the current challenges, possibilities, and advancements in research-based management strategies for the adaptation of wheat crops under abiotic-stressed growth conditions. This book comprehensively discusses different abiotic stress conditions in wheat, and also covers current trends in their mitigation using advanced tools to develop resilience in wheat crops. Chapters provide insight into the genetic, biochemical, physiological, molecular, and transgenic advances and emerging frontiers for mitigating the effects of wheat abiotic stresses. This text is the first resource to include all abiotic stresses in one volume, providing important translational insights and efficient comparison.

The aim of this volume is to review the state-of-the-art in analytical voltammetry with regard to theory and instrumentation, and show how these relate to the analysis of inorganic, organometallic, organic and biological molecules. Modern voltammetric techniques have practical applications in biological, pharmaceutical and environmental chemistry. The growing importance of voltammetry in the development of modified electrodes and biological electrodes and chemical and biological sensors is also highlighted.

The observation that neuropeptide Y (NPY) is the most abundant peptide present in the mammalian nervous system and the finding that it elicits the most powerful orexigenic signal have led to active investigations of the properties of the NPY family of hormones, including peptide YY (PYY) and pancreatic polypeptide (PP). Nearly two decades of research have led to the identification of several NPY receptor subtypes and the development of useful receptor selective ligands. Moreover, these investigations have imp- cated NPY in the pathophysiology of a number of diseases, including feeding disorders, seizures, memory loss, anxiety, depression, and heart failure. Vigorous efforts are therefore continuing, not only to understand the bioche- cal aspects of NPY actions, but also toward developing NPY-based treatments for a variety of disorders. To facilitate these efforts, it was decided to produce the first handbook on NPY research techniques as part of the Methods in Molecular Biology Series. In compiling Neuropeptide Y Protocols, I have gathered contributions on techniques considered critical for the advancement of the NPY field from experts in various disciplines. Each chapter starts with a brief introduction, with Materials and Methods sections following. The latter sections are presented in an easy to follow step-by-step format. The last section of the chapter, Notes, highlights pitfalls and the maneuvers employed to overcome them. This information, not usually disseminated in standard research pub- cations, may prove extremely useful for investigators employing these te- niques in NYP research.

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.

Endosomes are a heterogeneous population of endocytic vesicles and tubules that have captivated the interest of biologists for many years, partly due to their important cellular functions and partly due to their intriguing nature and dynamics. Endosomes represent a fascinating interconnected network of thousands of vesicles that transport various cargoes, mainly proteins and lipids, to distant cellular destinations. How endosomes function, what co-ordinates the molecular determinants at each step of their dynamic life cycle and what their biological and medical relevance is, are among the questions addressed in this book.

This compendium presents some of the major applications of neutron scattering techniques to problems in biology. It is a record of the papers presented at the Neutrons in Biology Conference, the third in an occasional series held to highlight progress in the field and to provide a focus for future direction. The strength ofthe neutron scattering technique remains principally in the manipula tion of scattering density through hydrogen and deuterium atoms. The development ofad vanced detectors, innovative instrument and beamline components, and sophisticated data acquisition systems through the 1970s and early 1980s provided a sound foundation for the technique. With continued development, some of the exotic and expensive equipment has become affordable by the medium-sized facilities, thereby broadening the user base considerably. Despite problems with the major neutron sources in the late 1980s and early 1990s, some spectacular results have been achieved. Whilst the high and medium flux beam reac tors will continue to make a major impact in the field, the results from the first experi ments, and the planned developments on spallation neutron sources, clearly indicate that the technique has enormous potential.

This book provides a comprehensive, up-to-date review of the distribution, pharmacology and physiology of central 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)4 receptors. The 5-HT receptor subtypes exhibit a unique pharmacology, distribution and function, of which the 5-HT4 receptor has been one of the most intensively studied in recent years, both from a basic research standpoint and as a target for novel therapeutics.

Advances in Aggregation Induced Emission Materials in Biosensing and Imaging for Biomedical Applications - Part B, Volume 185 presents many aspects of AIE materials that can help future investigators, researchers, students and stakeholders perform research with ease. This volume covers various topics, including tissue and protein fibrils imaging by AIE active molecules, theranostic and photodynamic therapy applications of AIE materials for cancer cell treatment, and AIE active polymers and MOF materials for biological applications. Fluorescence-based monitoring and diagnosis platforms furnish extensive insights into the molecular mechanisms of cellular processes, helping us precisely guide therapeutics.

Not since the late 1970s has a single work presented the biology of this heterogenous group of secondary alkaloids in such depth. Alkaloids, a unique treatise featuring leaders in the field, presents both the historical use of alkaloids and the latest discoveries in the biochemistry of alkaloid production in plants alkaloid ecology, including marine invertebrates, animal and plant parasites, and alkaloids as antimicrobial and current medicinal use . Highlights include chapters on the chemical ecology of alkaloids in host-predator interactions, and on the compartmentation of alkaloids synthesis, transport, and storage. Extensive cross-referencing in tabular format makes this volume an excellent reference.

Specialist Periodical Reports provide systematic and detailed review coverage of progress in the major areas of chemical research. Written by experts in their specialist fields the series creates a unique service for the active research chemist, supplying regular critical in-depth accounts of progress in particular areas of chemistry. For over 80 years the Royal Society of Chemistry and its predecessor, the Chemical Society, have been publishing reports charting developments in chemistry, which originally took the form of Annual Reports. However, by 1967 the whole spectrum of chemistry could no longer be contained within one volume and the series Specialist Periodical Reports was born. The Annual Reports themselves still existed but were divided into two, and subsequently three, volumes covering Inorganic, Organic and Physical Chemistry. For more general coverage of the highlights in chemistry they remain a 'must'. Since that time the SPR series has altered according to the fluctuating degree of activity in various fields of chemistry. Some titles have remained unchanged, while others have altered their emphasis along with their titles; some have been combined under a new name whereas others have had to be discontinued. The current list of Specialist Periodical Reports can be seen on the inside flap of this volume.

Heme and chlorophyll (Chl) are porphyrins. Porphyrins (also referred to as tetrapyrroles) are essential for life in the biosphere. Chlorophyll catalyzes the conversion of solar energy to chemical energy via the process of photosynthesis. Organic life in the biosphere is made possible by consumption of the chemical energy generated by photosynthesis. Hemes are the prosthetic groups of cytochromes which are involved in electron transport during oxidative phosphorylation and photosynthetic phosphorylation which generate ATP and NADPH. The latter are essential for many cellular functions. Chlorophyll on the other hands catalyzes the process of photosynthesis. Indeed, life in the biosphere depends on the process of photosynthesis which converts light energy, carbon dioxide and water into the chemical energy, required for the formation of food and fiber. Photosynthetic efficiency is controlled by extrinsic factors such as the availability of water, CO2, inorganic nutrients, ambient temperature and the metabolic and developmental state of the plant, as well as by intrinsic factors (Lien and San Pietro, 1975). The most important intrinsic factor is the efficiency of the photosynthetic electron transport system (PETS). Conventional agriculture is one of the few human activities that have not undergone a revolution to join other activities such as overcoming gravity by flying, and landing on the moon, crossing underwater the polar cap, and communicating wirelessly over long distances via electromagnetic waves. We now feel that enough biochemical and molecular biological knowledge has accumulated to render this dream amenable to experimentation. We believe that the time has come to bioengineer chloroplasts capable of synthesizing a short chain carbohydrate such as glycerol at rates that approach the upper theoretical limits of photosynthesis [Rebeiz, C. A. (2010) Investigations of possible relationships between the chlorophyll biosynthetic pathway and the assembly of chlorophyll-protein complexes and photosynthetic efficiency. In: Rebeiz, C. A. Benning, C., Bohnert, H.J., Daniell, H., Hoober J. K., Lichtenthaler, H. K., Portis , A. R., and Tripathy, B. C. eds. The chloroplast: Basics and Applications. Springer. The Netherlands, p 1-24]. In order to achieve this goal a thorough knowledge of the Chl biosynthetic pathway is needed along with knowledge in other domains (Rebeiz 2010). In this context, this monograph is devoted to an in depth discussion of our present knowledge of the Chl biosynthetic pathway. The complexity and biochemical heterogeneity of the Chl biosynthetic pathway and the relationship of this complexity to the structural and biosynthetic complexity of photosynthetic membranes will be emphasized. We will also emphasize in historical perspective, key stages in our understanding of the Chl biosynthetic heterogeneity. The reader should keep in mind that a complex biosynthetic process is only fully understood when it becomes possible to reconstitute in vitro every step of the process. We are not yet at this stage of understanding of thylakoid membrane biogenesis. Considerable progress has been achieved however, in the understanding of numerous facets of the Chl biosynthetic pathway, namely (a) detection and identification of various major and minor metabolic intermediates (b) precursor-product relationships between various intermediates, (c) structure and regulation of many enzymes of the pathway, and (d) the relationship of the Chl biosynthetic heterogeneity to the structural and functional heterogeneity of thylakoid membranes. In addition topics related to the development of Analytical techniques, Cell-free systems, Herbicides, Insecticides, and Cancericides are also discussed.

In the 100 years since the legume-Rhizobium symbiotic nitrogen fixation interaction was first described, interest in this field has grown rapidly. The types of studies have been cyclical in nature, involving a cross-section of disciplines. The availability of cheap nitrogenous fertilizers caused much of the biological nitrogen fixation research to become more theoretical in the developed world. The high cost of energy, coupled with environmental concerns and the interest in sustainable agriculture, has stimulated research in symbiotic nitrogen fixation. The development of modern genetic techniques has resulted in interdisciplinary research on plant-microbe interactions controlling nitrogen fixation. This has resulted in a better understanding of environmental factors influencing the nodulation process, chemical signalling between the symbiotic partners and the nature of the specificity between host plant and microsymbiotant. This volume summarizes the diverse research efforts in biological nitrogen fixation by presenting a collection of papers in the areas of physiology and metabolism, taxonomy and evolution, genetics and ecology.

Fluorescence spectroscopy and its applications to the physical and life sciences have evolved rapidly during the past decade. The increased interest in fluorescence appears to be due to advances in time resolution, methods of data analysis, and improved instrumentation. With these advances, it is now practical to perform time-resolved measurements with enough resolution to compare the results with the structural and dynamic features of mac- molecules, to probe the structures of proteins, membranes, and nucleic acids, and to acquire two-dimensional microscopic images of chemical or protein distributions in cell cultures. Advances in laser and detector technology have also resulted in renewed interest in fluorescence for clinical and analytical chemistry. Because of these numerous developments and the rapid appearance of new methods, it has become difficult to remain current on the science of fluorescence and its many applications. Consequently, I have asked the experts in particular areas of fluorescence to summarize their knowledge and the current state of the art. This has resulted in the initial two volumes of Topics in Fluorescence Spectroscopy, which is intended to be an ongoing series which summarizes, in one location, the vast literature on fluorescence spectroscopy. The third volume will appear shortly. The first three volumes are designed to serve as an advanced text. These volumes describe the more recent techniques and technologies (Volume 1), the principles governing fluorescence and the experimental observables (Volume 2), and applications in biochemistry and biophysics (Volume 3).