Molecular networks provide descriptions of the organization of various biological processes, including cellular signaling, metabolism, and genetic regulation. Knowledge on molecular networks is commonly used for systems level analysis of biological function; research and method development in this area has grown tremendously in the past few years. This book will provide a detailed review of existing knowledge on the functional characterization of biological networks. In 15 chapters authored by an international group of prolific systems biology and bioinformatics researchers, it will organize, conceptualize, and summarize the existing core of research results and computational methods on understanding biological function from a network perspective.

The concept of 'biomineralization' signifies mineralization processes that take place in close association with organic molecules or matrices. The awareness that mineral formation can be guided by organic molecules notably contributed to the understanding of the formation of the inorganic skeletons of living organisms. Modern electron microscopic and spectroscopic analyses have successfully demonstrated the participation of biological systems in several mineralization processes, and prominent examples include the formation of bio-silica in diatoms and sponges. This insight has already made the application of recombinant technology for the production of valuable inorganic polymers, such as bio-silica, possible. This polymer can be formed by silicatein under conditions that cannot be matched by chemical means. Similarly, the efforts described in this book have elucidated that certain organisms, bacteria in deep-sea polymetallic nodules and coccoliths in seamount crusts, are involved in the deposition of marine minerals. Strategies have already been developed to utilize such microorganisms for the biosynthesis and bioleaching of marine deposits. Moreover, studies reveal that bio-polymers enhance the hydroxyapatite formation of bone-forming cells and alter the expression of important regulators of bone resorption, suggesting a potential for bone regeneration and treatment / prevention of osteoporosis.

This is the first broad treatment of carbohydrate chemistry in many years, and presents the structures, reactions, modifications, and properties of carbohydrates. Woven throughout the text are discussions of biological properties of carbohydrates, their industrial applications, and the history of the field of carbohydrate chemistry. Written for students as well as practising scientists, this textbook and handy reference will be of interest to a wide range of disciplines: biochemistry, chemistry, food and nutrition, microbiology, pharmacology, and medicine.

Mitochondria from mammalian tissues possess an elaborate system for 2+ 2+ transporting Ca across their inner membrane which consists of Ca import, 2+ via the Ca uniporter, in response to the mitochondrial membrane 2+ + potential ?? and of Ca release by an antiport system in exchange for H + 9,23 or Na (see Fig. l) . Because the uniporter is dependent upon the external 2+ 2+ 2+ 2+ Ca concentration ([Ca ]), mitochondria accumulate Ca until the [Ca ] o o 2+ decreases to the level at which the uniporter activity balances the Ca efflux. 2+ The [Ca ] at which the uniporter and efflux activities are equal is defined o the "setpoint" andcorresponds to values between 0.3-3M. 2+ Figure 1. The Ca transport system of the inner membrane of mammalian mitochondria. U, + 2+ + + uniporter. I, Na -independent efflux mechanism or Ca /2H exchanger. D, Na -dependent 2+ + efflux mechanism or Ca /2Na exchanger. PTP, permeability transition pore. FP, 11 flavoprotein. ?? membrane potential. ? pH gradient. Adapted from .

This book results from a symposium on the theme of 'The Physiology and Biochemistry of Plant Productivity' which was held at the University of Calgary from July 14-18, 1980, and was jointly sponsored by the Canadian Society of Plant Physiologists and the International Association of Plant Physiologists. The subject matter of the book deals with various aspects of nitrogen and carbon metabolism, their interrelationships and interdependence. The topics covered in the chapters highlight various interesting and important lines of research that are in progress. There is no attempt to provide a comprehensive coverage of the basic physiological knowledge upon which this research depend- important references are to be found at the end of each chapter, however, and the reader will be able to pursue these as necessary. An introductory chapter by Dr. R.G.S. Bidwell (winner of the C.S.P.P. Gold Medal in 1979) considers some implications of plant physiological research and the aims and responsibilities of plant physiologists. In the next two chapters Drs. J. Rigaud and L.E. Schrader (with R.J. Thomas) elaborate on current research on nitrate metabolism and nitrogen fixation, and how an understanding of these phenomena might be usefully applied towards the manipulation of plants to improve productivity. Dr. J.S.

Examining the chemical modification of biological polymers and the emerging applications of this technology, Chemical Modification of Biological Polymers reflects the change in emphasis in this subsection of biotechnology from the study of protein structure and function toward applications in therapeutics and diagnostics.

Highlights

• The basic organic chemistry of the modification proteins, nucleic acids, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, and their applications
• New analytical technologies used to characterize the chemical modification of biological polymers
• Identification of in vivo, non-enzymatic chemical modification of biological polymers
• Specific chemical modifications to generate biopharmaceutical products

This book covers the basics on the organic chemistry underlying the chemical modification of biopolymers, including updates on the use of various chemical reagents. It describes the current status of chemical modification of biological polymers and emerging applications of this technology in biotechnology. These technologies are important for the manufacture of conjugate proteins used in drug delivery, for the preparation of nucleic acid microarrays, and for the preparation of hydrogels and other materials used in tissue engineering.

The aim of this volume is to provide a comprehensive overview of optical tweezers setups, both in practical and theoretical terms, to help biophysicists, biochemists, and cell biologists to build and calibrate their own instruments and to perform force measurements on mechanoenzymes both in isolation in vitro and in living cells. Chapters have been divided in three parts focusing on theory and practical design of optical tweezers, detailed protocols for performing force measurements on single DNA- and microtubule/actin-associated mechanoenzymes in isolation, and describing recent advances that have opened up quantitative force measurements in living cells. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Optical Tweezers: Methods and Protocols aims help to further expand the accessibility and use of optical traps by scientists of diverse disciplines.

In recent years there has been an unprecedented expansion of knowledge about anthocyanins pigments. Indeed, the molecular genetic control of anthocyanins biosynthesis is now one of the best understood of all secondary metabolic pathways. There have also been substantial improvements in analytical technology that have led to the discovery of novel anthocyanin compounds. Armed with this knowledge and the tools for genetic engineering, plant breeders are now introducing vibrant new colors into horticultural crops. The food industry has also benefited from the resurgence of interest in anthocyanins. A greater understanding of the chemistry of these pigments has led to improved methods for stabilizing the color of anthocyanins extracts, so that they are more useful as food colorings. Methods for the bulk production of anthocyanins from cell cultures have been optimized for this purpose. Possible benefits to human health from the ingestion of anthocyanin-rich foods have also been a major feature of the recent scientific literature. Anthocyanins are remarkably potent antioxidants, and their ingestion has been postulated to stave off the effects of oxidative stress. These pigments, especially in conjunction with other flavonoids, have been associated with reductions in the incidence and severity of many other non-infectious diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. An industry is developing around anthocyanins as nutritional supplements. Finally, there has been significant progress in our understanding of the benefits of anthocyanins to plants themselves. Originally considered an extravagance without a purpose, anthocyanins are now implicated in multifarious vital functions. These include the attraction of pollinators and frugivores, aposematic defense from herbivores, and protection from environmental stressors such as strong light, UVB, drought, and free radical attacks. Anthocyanins are evidently highly versatile, and enormously useful to plants. This book covers all aspects of the biosynthesis and function of anthocyanins (and related compounds such as proanthocyanidins) in plants, and their applications in agriculture, food products, and human health. Featured areas include their relevance to: * Plant stress * Flower and fruit color * Human health * Wine quality and health attributes * Food colorants and ingredients * Cell culture production systems * The pastoral sector

Protein functionality is big business in the food industry, both academic and commercial. This reflects the fascination of protein chemistry and the commercial value of proteins in giving texture and substance to foods. My first encounter with the subject came about through an interest in assessing the extent of thermal damage in spray-dried proteins. A change in functional properties seemed a useful guide to the thermal damage. I found the literature replete with methods (and theory) and so did what everybody else seemed to do - I devised my own methods which were slight variations on the general theme. However, being an analyst at heart I thought there must be a systematic approach to the various tests available. This book is an attempt to assess the practice of protein functionality testing, keeping theory to a minimum, followed by a suggested 'standard' method or protocol to follow. Each chapter is devoted to a single functional property and the reader will see that attempts to 'standardise' them have had varied success, perhaps reflecting the complexity of the mechanisms at work. As mentioned above theory has been kept to a minimum but hopefully it supports the practical methodology described. I hope that the book stimulates debate on the subject; it is certainly not the last word! G. H. Contributors Dr G. E. Arteaga Centro de Investigacion en Alimentation y Desarrollo, Hermosillo, Sonora AP 1735, Mexico Dr. S.

Conversion of biomass into chemicals and biofuels is an active research and development area as trends move to replace traditional fossil fuels with renewable resources. By integrating processing methods with ultrasound and microwave irradiation into biorefineries, the time-scale of many operations can be greatly reduced while the efficiency of the reactions can be remarkably increased so that process intensification can be achieved. "Production of Biofuels and Chemicals with Ultrasound" and "Production of Biofuels and Chemicals with Microwave" are two independent volumes in the Biofuels and Biorefineries series that take different, but complementary approaches for the pretreatment and chemical transformation of biomass into chemicals and biofuels. The volume "Ultrasound" provides current research advances and prospects in mechanistic principles of acoustic cavitation in sonochemistry, physical and chemical mechanisms in biofuel synthesis, reactor design for transesterification and esterification reactions, lipid extraction from algal biomass, microalgae extraction, biodiesel and bioethanol synthesis, practical technologies and systems, pretreatment of biomass waste sources including lignocellulosic materials, manures and sludges for biogas production, vibration-assisted pelleting, combined chemical-mechanical methods, valorization of starch-based wastes and techno-economic methodology. Each of the 12 chapters has been peer-reviewed and edited to improve both the quality of the text and the scope and coverage of the topics. Both volumes "Ultrasound" and "Microwave" are references designed for students, researchers, academicians and industrialists in the fields of chemistry and chemical engineering and include introductory chapters to highlight present concepts of the fundamental technologies and their application. Dr. Zhen Fang is Professor in Bioenergy, Leader and founder of biomass group, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden and is also adjunct Professor of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China. Dr. Richard L Smith, Jr. is Professor of Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Research Center of Supercritical Fluid Technology, Tohoku University, Japan. Dr. Xinhua Qi is Professor of Environmental Science, Nankai University, China.

This volume has a strong focus on homo-oligomerization, which is surprisingly common. However, protein function is so often linked to both homo- and hetero-oligomerization and many heterologous interactions likely evolved from homologous interaction, so this volume also covers many aspects of hetero-oligomerization.

Every year between three and four hundred papers are published on the topic of insulin action. This extraordinary publication rate prevents any author from includ ing an exhaustive bibliography in any review or book. Perhaps due to this there is no single text that attempts to cover the effects and the mechanism of action of insulin. This book is such an attempt. I intend to present a review of the physiological effects of insulin, the pathology of defects in the action of insulin, and the current views on the mechanism of action of this hormone. I make no apology for the fact that the bibliography will not be extensive and that the amount of experimental detail and data discussed will be kept to a relevant minimum. This book is not intended for the expert in the field, but for the second- or third-year undergraduate and graduate student of medicine, biochemistry, physiology or related disciplines, and will be valuable as a reference source for research workers. The book is presented as a guide, a summary of the ideas and facts; it will present a reader with a foretaste of a fascinating and ever-changing field. I have attempted to be up-to-date with published research work. Any significant contributions to the field not included in the first draft have been added as footnotes. I assume a basic knowledge of the metabolic pathways of carbohydrates, fats and proteins."

Metabolome analysis is now recognized as a crucial component of functional genomic and systems biology investigations. Innovative approaches to the study of metabolic regulation in microbial, plant and animal systems are increasingly facilitating the emergence of systems approaches in biology. This book highlights analytical and bioinformatics strategies now available for investigating metabolic networks in microbial, plant and animal systems.

The contributing authors are world leaders in this field and they present an unambiguous case for pursuing metabolome analysis as a means to attain a systems level understanding of complex biological systems.

The B7-CD28 family molecules are probably the most intensively studied receptor-ligand systems in the field of immunology. This is evident from the explosive accumulation of literature, particularly in the last ten years. Recent years have witnessed rapid discoveries and characterization of new receptors and ligands in the family. These new pathways, although still in their infancy, have already brought much excitement to the field. However, until now, there has been no single volume to cover this entire area. This book was created to bring together state-of-the-art information and critical thinking from the leading investigators. This book covers significant territory of this rapidly moving field from structural biology and biochemical signalling to immunological functions and their potential applications in the treatment of human diseases. This is an excellent handbook and reference for immunologists, health professionals as well as medical students and graduate students in life science field.

This book is an indispensable tool for anyone involved in the research, development, or manufacture of new or existing vaccines. It describes a wide array of analytical and quality control technologies for the diverse vaccine modalities. Topics covered include the application of both classical and modern bio-analytical tools; procedures to assure safety and control of cross contamination; consistent biological transition of vaccines from the research laboratory to manufacturing scale; whole infectious attenuated organisms, such as live-attenuated and inactivated whole-cell bacterial vaccines and antiviral vaccines using attenuated or inactivated viruses; principles of viral inactivation and the application of these principles to vaccine development; recombinant DNA approaches to produce modern prophylactic vaccines; bacterial subunit, polysaccharide and glycoconjugate vaccines; combination vaccines that contain multiple antigens as well as regulatory requirements and the hurdles of licensure.

In organizing the present volume, we had two intentions. The first was to present the best current understanding of the mechanisms of calcium mobilization during excitation contraction coupling of smooth muscle at a level suited to the needs of professionals interested in smooth muscle pharmacology and pathophysiology, while remaining appreciable by graduate and medical students. The second intention was to provide in sight into present-day controversies, as well as the latest ad vances achieved by researchers in this field. Thus, we have thor oughly discussed both the techniques and the concepts derived from their application. An attempt has also been made here to answer a number of profoundly important questions: What are the mechanisms and agents responsible for the control of contractility? What are the accompanying changes in the state of intracellular calcium ions and the mechanisms responsible for them? How does the regula tion of contractility occur directly at the level of the actomyosin activity? What role do gap junctions play in cell-to-cell coupling? What are the roles of cholinergic, adrenergic, peptidergic, and nonadrenergic noncholinergic interactions in calcium mobiliza tion in smooth muscle? What changes occur in hypertension? The impact of these recent techniques on future research is also reflected upon."

The transduction of signals from the extracellular space across the plasma membrane into the interior of cells and ultimately to the nucleus, where in - sponse to such external signals the transcription of the genetic code is inf- enced,belongs to the most fundamental and important events in the regulation of the life cycle of cells. During recent years several signal transduction cascades have been elucidated which regulate,for instance,the growth and the prolife- tion of organisms as diverse as mammals, flies, worms and yeast. The general picture which emerged from these investigations is that nature employs a c- bination of non-covalent ligand/protein and protein/protein interactions together with a set of covalent protein modifications to generate the signals and transduce them to their destinations. The ligands which are recognized may be low molecular weight compounds like lipids, inositol derivatives, steroids or microbial products like cyclosporin. They may be proteins like, for instance, growth factors or intracellular adaptor proteins which carry SH2 or SH3 domains, and they may be specific DNA stretches which are selectively rec- nized by transcription factors. These and other aspects of biological signal transduction provide an open and rewarding field for investigations by scientists from various different dis- plines of biology,medical research and chemistry working in academic research institutions or in industry.

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.

Chronic inflammation is one of the major pathological bases manifesting the development of gastric cancers, hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma, cervical cancer, ulcerative colitis and colorectal cancer [1]. Microbial infections, viral infections and autoimmune responses can lead to chronic inflammation-associated cancer formation. Human herpesviruses, such as human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and Kaposi sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV) are known to be associated with tumorigenesis and tumor progression. HCMV infection potentiates malignancies of colon cancer and malignant glioma [2,3]. KSHV was initially discovered from Kaposi's sarcoma lesion of an AIDS patient [4]. It was subsequently discovered that KSHV contributed to the pathogenesis of KS, primary effusion lymphoma [5] and lymphoproliferative disorder multicentric Castleman's disease. Emerging evidence shows that herpesvirus infection interferes or inhibits host cell immune defense and maintains a tumor-promoting microenvironment by expressing virulent homologues of host cell proteins that disturb normal cell cycle progression and leads to apoptosis of the host cells. For example, cellular growth and transformation are induced by viral-encoded homologues of cytokines, chemokines or chemokine receptors [6]. The constitutive expression of viral chemokine GPCRs triggers prolonged activation of G protein signaling and eventually becomes the major inputs for chronic leukocyte infiltration and cancer development. GPCRs can serve as proto-oncogenes since overexpression of various wild type GPCRs can transform cells in the presence of their specific ligands. Mutations on GPCRs may result in constitutive signaling and oncogenesis [7]. Naturally occurring mutations in GPCRs have been identified in human tumors [8,9].

Since the late 1950's when proton n. m. r. spectroscopy was first used in organic natural products studies the technique has increasingly con of this important area of chemistry. tributed to the rapid advancement Although the potential utility of 13C n. m. r. was recognized very early, essentially no application of 13C n. m. r. appeared in the literature prior to 1966 and 95% of the existing data are less than five years old. The initially slow growth had its cause in inadequate instrumentation, insufficient sensitivity being the main obstacle. This situation drastically changed with the advent and commercial availability of broadband ex citation and Fourier transform methods, giving natural-abundance 13C n. m. r. and its numerous chemical applications a tremendous impetus. Today BC spectra can be recorded on sample quantities down to the submilligram level, which until recently even withstood proton n. m. r. Paralleling the development of experimental techniques considerable progress has also been made on an understanding of spectral parameters, in particular their stereochemical implications on natural products. Although the large majority of data present up to now deals with known structures, an adequate basis now exists which allows the chemist to use the technique for tackling real problems on unknown molecules."

The NATO Advanced Study Institute of "Molecular and Applied Aspects of Oxida- tive Drug Metabolizing Enzymes" was held in Tekirova, Antalya, Turkey, from August 31 to September 11, 1997. This Institute was the third of a series of the NATO ASIs on a similar topic relating to the enzymes of oxidative metabolism of xenobiotics. The first NATO ASI in this series, entitled "Molecular Aspects of Monooxygenases and Bioactiva- tion of Toxic Compounds" (NATO ASI Series A: Life Sciences, Vol. 202), was held in

This book focuses on the electronic properties of transition metals in coordination environments. These properties are responsible for the unique and intricate activity of transition metal sites in bio- and inorganic catalysis, but also pose challenges for both theoretical and experimental studies. Written by an international group of recognized experts, the book reviews recent advances in computational modeling and discusses their interplay using experiments. It covers a broad range of topics, including advanced computational methods for transition metal systems; spectroscopic, electrochemical and catalytic properties of transition metals in coordination environments; metalloenzymes and biomimetic compounds; and spin-related phenomena. As such, the book offers an invaluable resource for all researchers and postgraduate students interested in both fundamental and application-oriented research in the field of transition metal systems.