This first book on high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM) is intended for students and biologists who want to use HS-AFM in their research. It provides straightforward explanations of the principle and techniques of AFM and HS-AFM. Numerous examples of HS-AFM studies on proteins demonstrate how to apply this new form of microscopy to specific biological problems. Several precautions for successful imaging and the preparation of cantilever tips and substrate surfaces will greatly benefit first-time users of HS-AFM. In turn, the instrumentation techniques detailed in Chapter 4 can be skipped, but will be useful for engineers and scientists who want to develop the next generation of high-speed scanning probe microscopes for biology. The book is intended to facilitate the first-time use of this new technique, and to inspire students and researchers to tackle their own specific biological problems by directly observing dynamic events occurring in the nanoscopic world. Microscopy in biology has recently entered a new era with the advent of high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM). Unlike optical microscopy, electron microscopy, and conventional slow AFM, it allows us to directly observe biological molecules in physiological environments. Molecular "movies" created using HS-AFM can directly reveal how molecules behave and operate, without the need for subsequent complex analyses and roundabout interpretations. It also allows us to directly monitor morphological change in live cells, and dynamic molecular events occurring on the surfaces of living bacteria and intracellular organelles. As HS-AFM instruments were recently commercialized, in the near future HS-AFM is expected to become a common tool in biology, and will enhance and accelerate our understanding of biological phenomena.

Adoptive Cell Transfer, Volume 371 in the International Review of Cell and Molecular Biology series highlights advances in the field, with this new volume presenting interesting chapters written by an international board of authors who expound on topics such as the Impact of tumor microenvironment on Adoptive Cell Transfer activity, Dendritic Cell Transfer, CAR-T Cell dysfunction and exhaustion, NK Cell-based cancer immunotherapy, Enabling CAR-T cells for solid tumors: rage against the suppressive tumor microenvironment, Improving Adoptive T-Cell therapy with cytokines administration, and What will (and should) be improved in Immunotherapy with CAR?

The suppression of apoptosis by the IGF system is critical for normal cell development, proliferation, differentiation and motility. Aberrations in IGF signalling mechanisms contribute to cell transformation, tumour progression and metastasis. Many questions remain to be answered as to how exactly the IGF system mediates its effects both in normal and tumour cells and how the IGF-1R interacting proteins and downstream signalling cascades are regulated. The importance of the IGF system is underscored by the significant interest in the development of anti-IGF therapies for IGF sensitive cancers. Future developments in cancer therapy are likely to focus on methods to target these therapies to diseased but not normal cells. 14. Acknowledgements We would like to thank Kurt Tidmore for preparing the illustrations. The Health Research Board of Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland are grateful acknowledged for funding. 15. References Adamo M., Roberts C. T., Jr. and LeRoith D. (1992) How distinct are the insulin and insul- like growth factor I signalling systems? Biofactors 3, 151-7. Adams T. E., Epa V. C., Garrett T. P. and Ward C. W. (2000) Structure and function of the type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor. Cell Mol Life Sci 57, 1050-93. Adler V., Polotskaya A., Wagner F. and Kraft A. S. (1992) Affinity-purified c-Jun ami- terminal protein kinase requires serine/threonine phosphorylation for activity. J Biol Chem 267, 17001-5.

This volume provides detailed methods on the mechanisms of underlying cancer cell biology. Chapters guide readers through techniques for culturing cancer cell lines, xenografts, cryopreservation of tumor cells, analyzing the co-culture of breast cancer cells, protein secretion by ELISA, flow cytometry-based, multi-parametric immunofluorescence analysis, protein expression by western blot, analysis of surface protein levels, protein recycling by biotinylation assay, and proteomics analysis by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Written in the format of the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, each chapter includes an introduction to the topic, lists necessary materials and reagents, includes tips on troubleshooting and known pitfalls, and step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Cancer Cell Biology: Methods and Protocols aims to provide a comprehensive set of tools for the analysis of cancer cell biology in the lab.

Advances in Applied Microbiology, Volume 120 continues the comprehensive reach of this widely read and authoritative review source in microbiology, providing invaluable references and information on a variety of areas relating to the topics of microbiology.

This volume covers the most up-to-date methods and techniques used to further the understanding of chromaffin cell biology and pharmacology. Chapters guide readers through the basic mechanisms that regulate the stimulus-secretion coupling, chromaffin, tumor-derived cell PC-12 , morphology, biochemistry, pharmacology, electrophysiology, and electrochemistry. Written in the 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 protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Chromaffin Cells: Methods and Protocols aims to be a useful practical guide to researches to help further their study in this field.

Interaction of antigen-antibody complexes with cells via specific immunoglobulin Fc receptors (FcR) triggers major immunological reactions such as efficient uptake of antigen, phagocytosis of microorganisms, cytotoxicity towards tumor or virus infected cells, mast cell degranulation and inflammation, etc. This book reviews the FcR for the different immunoglobulin isotypes, focusing on the structural bases of their biological functions, and on the regulation of their expression in physiology and pathology.

Animal cell technology has undergone a rapid transformation over the last decade from a research tool and highly specialised technology to a central resource for innovation in pharmaceutical research and development. These proceedings of the 14th Meeting of the European Society for Animal Cell Technology (Vilamoura, Portugal, May 1996) bring up to date the historical perspective of animal cell technology for the benefit of society, `From Vaccines to Genetic Medicine', and will charter this vital technology for the years to come. Strong contributions are grouped in the traditional ESACT areas of 'Cell and Physiology Engineering' dealing with cell state, including genetics, and its environment, and 'Animal Cell Process Engineering' covering integration of bioreaction with bioseparation coupled with on-line monitoring to improve protein production and consistency. Extensive coverage of metabolic engineering on synthesis, folding, assembly, transiting and secretion is dealt with in the session on 'Recombinant Proteins: Biosynthesis and Bioprocessing'. Two traditional but expanding areas of animal cell technology relevance are highlighted in the broad sessions of 'Animal Cells as Tools for Discovery and Testing' and 'Animal Cell Vaccines: Present and Future'. Two sessions finally cover the more recent domains of animal cell technology work - 'Tissue Engineering and Biomedical Devices' and 'Cells and Vectors for Genetic Medicine' - where one can foresee a very bright future.

This book presents the latest knowledge and the most recent research results on glycobiology of innate immunology. Innate immunity is the crucial part of the immunological defense system that exerts their distinct functions through binding to certain functional glycoproteins. They play a role in various human diseases and also function against microbial invaders and self-associated molecular patterns. Co-regulated expression of glycan-binding is associated with many biological components such as cellular oncotransformation, phenotype change, neuronal or embryonic development, regulation of cell division, cell-cell interaction, cell attachment, adhesion, and motility, and intracellular signaling via protein-carbohydrate or carbohydrate-carbohydrate interactions. This book opens by providing the key background on glycans in innate immunity and its mechanisms behind the Dendritic cell interactions during infection and inflammation are examined in depth, and the concluding chapter is devoted to signaling tumor immunotherapy. Up-to-date information is then presented on all aspects of glycan structure-recognizing signaling. The book should assist in the further development of new strategies against emerging infectious agents and intractable diseases.

Much research has focused on the basic cellular and molecular biological aspects of stem cells. Much of this research has been fueled by their potential for use in regenerative medicine applications, which has in turn spurred growing numbers of translational and clinical studies. However, more work is needed if the potential is to be realized for improvement of the lives and well-being of patients with numerous diseases and conditions.This book series 'Cell Biology and Translational Medicine (CBTMED)' as part of Springer Nature's longstanding and very successful Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology book series, has the goal to accelerate advances by timely information exchange. Emerging areas of regenerative medicine and translational aspects of stem cells are covered in each volume. Outstanding researchers are recruited to highlight developments and remaining challenges in both the basic research and clinical arenas. This current book is the 15th volume of a continuing series.

This volume provides a collection of state-of-the-art approaches addressing key aspects of multiplexed imaging. Chapters focus on labeling and imaging techniques for multiplexed imaging, as well as on the application of these techniques for the study of cells and tissues. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Multiplexed Imaging: Methods and Protocols aims to be helpful for researchers interested in implementing multiplexed imaging or in developing novel, cutting-edge multiplexed imaging approaches.

This book surveys the current knowledge concerning the expression and function of stress proteins in different organisms, ranging from prokaryotes to humans. It provides an overview of the diversity and complex evolutionary history of cell stress proteins and describes their function and expression in different eukaryote models. The book will appeal to researchers and scientists in biochemistry, cell biology, microbiology, immunology, and genetics.

This book offers an overview of salt stress, which has a devastating effect on the yields of various agricultural crops around the globe. Excessive salts in soil reduce the availability of water, inhibit metabolic processes, and affect nutrient composition, osmotic balance, and hydraulic conductivity. Plants have developed a number of tolerance mechanisms, such as various compatible solutes, polyamines, reactive oxygen species and antioxidant defense mechanisms, ion transport and compartmentalization of injurious ions. The exploitation of genetic variation, use of plant hormones, mineral nutrients, soil microbe interactions, and other mechanical practices are of prime importance in agriculture, and as such have been the subject of multidisciplinary research. Covering both theoretical and practical aspects, the book provides essential physiological, ecological, biochemical, environmental and molecular information as well as perspectives for future research. It is a valuable resource for students, teachers and researchers and anyone interested in agronomy, ecology, stress physiology, environmental science, crop science and molecular biology.

The problem of the long-term proliferation of cells is a seminal one. It has always been a hot subject in biology, a source of far-reaching hypotheses, even more so now when explanations for the mechanisms of cell prolifera tive mortality or immortality seem within our reach. A question which is still debated is whether an infinite division potential can be a normal trait or is always the result of modifications leading to abnormal cell growth and escape from homeostasis. In general, investigators have been advocates of one of the two extremes, universal limited or unlim ited normal proliferative potential. Since the long-term proliferative potential of cells concerns regulation of development, regeneration of tissues, and homeostatic control of cell growth, in brief survival of living organisms, and since the regulation of these processes is so different along the evolutionary scale, it is not surpris ing that there does not seem to be any universal trait. The question of whether cells are endowed with finite or infinite prolifera tive phenotypes has to be seen using the perspective of comparative biology."

Respiratory allergy is constantly encountered and is sharply on the rise, particularly in the two most vulnerable age-groups: young children and seniors. Allergy results in airway hyperactivity and increased airway resistance, with all inflammatory sequelae being ensued. The chapters show how respiratory allergy research is interconnected with other disciplines by discussing neurotransmitter, membrane receptor, and ionic channel mechanisms of allergy and by giving diagnostic and pharmacological cues on desensitization and therapy.

Communication is defined as an interaction between at least two living agents which share a repertoire of signs. These are combined according to syntactic, semantic and context-dependent, pragmatic rules in order to coordinate behavior. This volume deals with the important roles of soil bacteria in parasitic and symbiotic interactions with viruses, plants, animals and fungi. Starting with a general overview of the key levels of communication between bacteria, further reviews examine the various aspects of intracellular as well as intercellular biocommunication between soil microorganisms. This includes the various levels of biocommunication between phages and bacteria, between soil algae and bacteria, and between bacteria, fungi and plants in the rhizosphere, the role of plasmids and transposons, horizontal gene transfer, quorum sensing and quorum quenching, bacterial-host cohabitation, phage-mediated genetic exchange and soil viral ecology.

This detailed volume is devoted to the recent development of quantitative experiments and computational methods driving new transforming growth factor beta (TGF- ) and other cell signaling knowledge. Many chapters cover quantitative assays for TGF- signaling studies, with others exploring the increasing role of both modeling and computational methods. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, 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 up-to-date, TGF-Beta Signaling: Methods and Protocols serves as a vital resource for researchers seeking to move the TGF- field into the quantitative realm.

This volume brings together cutting-edge laboratory protocols to characterize the novel fluorescent proteins (FPs) and approaches based on fluorescent proteins that aim to answer some of the key cell biological questions. The book covers topics ranging from the database of fluorescent proteins to their characterization and adaptation to a wide range of biological systems. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step and readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Fluorescent Proteins: Methods and Protocols serves as an ideal guide for students and academicians enthusiastic about the recent progress in the practical application of fluorescent protein technology.

This book describes the recent advancement of basic research on the biology of aging and longevity studies in various organisms, as well as the neurobiology of aging and neurodegeneration mechanisms. Chapters present new findings and conceptual developments concerning the basic mechanisms of aging and longevity determination. As a follow-up volume to the previous book Aging Mechanisms (2015), it overviews the rapid progress of aging research introducing new topics from leading laboratories in Japan. Chapter contributors are selected based on recent scientific achievements on the mechanisms of aging in various model organisms, including yeast, worm (C. elegans), fly (Drosophila), mice, and rats. Chapters are ordered from the discussion on molecular and cellular levels to physiological and systemic levels. The book also provides an overview of aging science in the region and helps readers quickly grasp who is doing what in this research area. As the aging of population becomes an ever more pressing issue in Asia, advancing the understanding of basic mechanisms of organism aging and longevity determination will be crucial to developing more effective therapies and protective strategies. Researchers and graduate students in biomedical aging research will find this as a rich source of information and a stimulus to novel research directions.

Regeneration, the homeostatic ability to maintain tissue structure in the face of normal cell turnover or loss of tissue damaged by trauma or disease, is an essentialdevelopmental process that continues throughout life. As recently as a decade ago, any serious discussion of the possibility of regeneration becoming a practical medical tool in the near future had the air of science fiction or over-optimistic speculation. The term regenerative medicine was certainly on many lips but few actually expected to soon see it applied in a clinical setting. A tidal wave of discovery has changed that and investigating the cellular mechanisms of natural regeneration has become one of the hottest topics in developmental biology and biomedicine in general. Many researchers entering the field find that the regeneration literature is still quite diffuse perhaps owing to the disparate biological systems that have been the object of study including hydra, planaria, newts, axolotls and more recently several mouse strains. The volume editors believe that an attempt to organize or systematize the literature is long overdue. In this volume, respected experts highlight the latest findings in vertebrate (including mammals) wound healing and regeneration. They present eleven reviews that cover a wide range of topics, from wound repair and its relationship to regeneration, through systems including lenticular, neural, and musculoskeletal tissues and limbs, to epigenetics and the role of the cell cycle. Nuclear reprogramming and cellular plasticity, which open the door for potential regenerative medical therapies for injury and degenerativedisease, are recurring themes throughout the book. We are all now part of the regeneration revolution."

The study of plant cell expansion involves many different disciplines and technical approaches, and this book brings this diversity together to present a multifaceted view of the most up-to-date knowledge. Coverage includes data ranging from biophysical measurements and chemical analysis to molecular biological approaches and microscopy.

This volume provides a collection of protocols from leading researchers in the dynein field. The enclosed chapters guide readers through a broad range of powerful techniques that can be used to understand the complexities of dynein activity and regulation. These include how to perform live-cell microscopy on various fungi and metazoan cells, how to purify, assemble, and measure the force generation and motility characteristics of various dynein assemblies. 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. Cutting-edge and thorough, Dynein: Methods and Protocols is a valuable resource for both novice and expert scientists in this developing field.

The book helps the reader to better understand cytogenetics and the intricacies of the methodology. The different methods of fluorescence in situ hybridization are discussed and the results achieved are presented. The book provides a comprehensive review of basic and applied aspects of cytogenetics and thus is of intense interest to all those interested in chromosomes and their alterations by different types of mutagens, including chemical mutagens and ionizing and nonionizing radiation, with special reference to electromagnetic fields.

This book provides an essential overview of the role of phosphoinositide-3-phosphate kinase (PI3K) isoforms in modulating the function of immune system cells and their involvement in disease. PI3K is a family of kinases involved in basic cellular processes such as proliferation, migration and cell death. Recent work has highlighted the multiple roles of PI3K classes and subunits and their involvement in the immune response to the body's own and foreign antigens and diseases such as cancer and autoimmunity. This book offers a detailed introduction to the biology of the three PI3K classes, followed by an extensive discussion of the diverse roles of AKT and PI3K isoforms in immune cells. Based on this knowledge, it subsequently explains in more detail how specific isoforms are connected to immune-mediated diseases. The book concludes by highlighting the latest advances in the production of isoform-specific inhibitors and their use in various human diseases. This book is intended as a reference guide for students and researchers interested in the multifaceted aspects of PI3K biology.