Concentrating on proven data and adopting a structure-function approach, this text provides grounding for an intricate understanding of the molecular biology, physiological mechanisms, and routine clinical use in disease settings of colony-stimulating factors (CSFs). This edition includes eight additional chapters, with updates of recently-discovered and established CSFs, each indexed individually.

The dangers and drawbacks inherent in radioactivity-based methods along with a demonstrated and dramatic increase in sensitivity have precipitated a major shift towards luminescence measurements and visualization techniques. Their use has now spread even to traditional clinical environments, and their applications have grown from clinical assays to DNA sequencing, antioxidant detection, and high-throughput screening. Luminescence Biotechnology: Instruments and Applications furnishes a thorough w review of the principles and applications of luminescence. With a consistent focus on practical considerations, contributions from a team of internationally acclaimed authors take you from the fundamentals of the different luminescence-based assay systems, calculation methods, and instruments through the spectrum of applications and latest research advances. Topics include gene and protein assays, oxidative stress and tissue aging, applications of luminescent microspheres, and proton image analysis. This book clearly identifies the advantages of luminescence over other assay techniques, discusses its potential pitfalls, and illustrates the broad range of its utility. Whether you are a newcomer to the field or a seasoned professional, this book provides a wealth of information that will bring you quickly up to date on the technology, recent research developments, and cutting-edge applications.

Various methodologies designed to study cell walls are compiled in this book. Methods in Cell Wall Cytochemistry covers the use of modern dyes, fluorescent chemicals, lectins, and antibody technology (immunocytochemisty.) Cell wall morphology and chemical composition is covered as well as light and fluorescent cytochemistry; transmission electron microscopic cytochemistry; lectin cytochemistry; and, special emphasis on immunocytochemistry. Addressing an emerging area of research and technology, this book will appeal to plant pathologists, cell biologists, as well as workers interested in stress response and those employing cell walls for biotechnological research.

From quantum theory to statistical mechanics, the methodologies of physics are often used to explain some of life's most complex biological problems. Exploring this challenging yet fascinating area of study, Molecular and Cellular Biophysics covers both molecular and cellular structures as well as the biophysical processes that occur in these structures. Designed for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students in biophysics courses, this textbook features a quantitative approach that avoids being too abstract in its presentation. Logically organized from small-scale (molecular) to large-scale (cellular) systems, the text first defines life, discussing the scientific controversies between mechanists and vitalists, the characteristics of living things, and the evolution of life. It then delves into molecular structures, including nucleic acids, DNA, RNA, interatomic interactions, and hydrogen bonds. After looking at these smaller systems, the author probes the larger cellular structures. He examines the cytoplasm, the cytoskeleton, chromosomes, mitochondria, motor proteins, and more. The book concludes with discussions on biophysical processes, including oxidative phosphorylation, diffusion, bioenergetics, conformational transitions in proteins, vesicle transport, subcellular structure formation, and cell division.

Since the first Handbook of Cell-Penetrating Peptides was prepared in 2001, the wealth of new information on the use of these peptides as transport systems has in fact served to confound the field. The constant internal change in the field of cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) is due to recent research uncovering apparent ambiguities in cellular uptake. There is still neither a common terminology nor a uniform explanation for the penetrative mechanism of cell-penetrating peptides. In this second edition of the Handbook of Cell-Penetrating Peptides, the authors summarize the current state of the field including recent reevaluations of earlier studies of CPP mechanisms. Beginning with an overview of the classes of peptides and their individual uptake mechanisms, from the earlier lipid models to the more recent endocytotic pathways, the book demonstrates the diversity and the opportunity for these biologically active proteins to serve as future drug leads. The text then covers the use of CPPs in gene modulation, addressing the application of antisense and decoy oligonucleotides, as well as the new avenue of research targeting specific tumors and other tissues-questions that had barely been asked when the first edition was published. By summarizing the diffuse information regarding CPPs, including the ambiguities and variety of mechanisms, the Handbook of Cell-Penetrating Peptides provides the most solid foundation available from which to expand the potential of this rapidly growing field of medicine.

Prion-related diseases, known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), are infectious, fatal neurodegenerative disorders for which there is no cure, treatment, nor even a means for early diagnosis. The horrific advent of Mad Cow Disease -- transmitted to humans through eating meat from steers sickened by bovine spongiform encephalopathy --brought prion-related diseases international attention. Exceptionally dramatic, these diseases progressively and inexorably destroy the cognitive, motor, and sensorial skills that are the essence of human beings. Prions: The New Biology of Proteins provides a well-organized overview of what is known about prion-related diseases. This comprehensive work reviews the symptoms, epidemiology, and neuropathology of the disease. It focuses on evidence supporting the idea that TSEs result from a novel disease mechanism: transmission by replication of the misfolding of a single protein in the absence of nucleic acids. Following this hypothesis, the book examines the structure, conversion, and mechanism of prion propagation and details its cellular biology. It explores the transmission, discusses the challenges involved with diagnosis, and considers various therapeutic avenues that are presently being explored. A cohesive volume that integrates the pioneering work of many researchers, this book is authored by Claudio Soto, an internationally renowned researcher whose innovative work has led to an increased understanding of the heretical biology of prions and the development of novel strategies for treating and diagnosing neurodegenerative diseases. As protein misfolding diseases are his specialty, Soto also looks at the phenomenon from a wider perspective. He examines other diseases that display folding aberrations, considers how commonly such aberrations occur in nature, and asks readers to open their minds to consider the impact of prions on broader areas of biology, public health, and biotechnological

Human cells produce at least 30,000 different proteins. Each has a specific function characterized by a unique sequence and native conformation that allows it to perform that function. While research in this post-genomic era has created a deluge of invaluable information, the field has lacked for an authoritative introductory text needed to inform researchers and students in all of those fields now concerned with protein research. Introduction to Peptides and Proteins brings together some of the most respected researchers in protein science to present a remarkably coherent introduction to modern peptide and protein chemistry. The first sections of the book delve into - Basic peptide and protein science from assembly through degradation Traditional and emerging research methods including those used in bioinformatics and proteomics New computational approaches and algorithms used to find patterns in the vast data collected by sequencing projects After providing a foundation in tools and methods, the authors closely examine six protein families, including representative classes such as enzymes, cell-surface receptors, antibodies, fibrous proteins, and bioactive peptide classes. They concentrate on biochemical mechanisms and where possible indicate therapeutic or biotechnical possibilities. Then focusing on clinical aspects, the authors investigate misfolding as found in prion diseases, miscleavage as found in Alzheimer's, and mis-sequencing as found with some cancers. Drawing from some of their own research, the authors summarize recent achievements and emerging applications. They discuss the use of proteins and peptides as drugs and the solid-phase synthesis required for drug production. They also look at the use of peptides as functional biomolecules and research tools. No longer just th

Cell Membrane Nanodomains: From Biochemistry to Nanoscopy describes recent advances in our understanding of membrane organization, with a particular focus on the cutting-edge imaging techniques that are making these new discoveries possible. With contributions from pioneers in the field, the book explores areas where the application of these novel techniques reveals new concepts in biology. It assembles a collection of works where the integration of membrane biology and microscopy emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of this exciting field. Beginning with a broad description of membrane organization, including seminal work on lipid partitioning in model systems and the roles of proteins in membrane organization, the book examines how lipids and membrane compartmentalization can regulate protein function and signal transduction. It then focuses on recent advances in imaging techniques and tools that foster further advances in our understanding of signaling nanoplatforms. The coverage includes several diffraction-limited imaging techniques that allow for measurements of protein distribution/clustering and membrane curvature in living cells, new fluorescent proteins, novel Laurdan analyses, and the toolbox of labeling possibilities with organic dyes. Since superresolution optical techniques have been crucial to advancing our understanding of cellular structure and protein behavior, the book concludes with a discussion of technologies that are enabling the visualization of lipids, proteins, and other molecular components at unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution. It also explains the ins and outs of the rapidly developing high- or superresolution microscopy field, including new methods and data analysis tools that exclusively pertain to these techniques. This integration of membrane biology and advanced imaging techniques emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of this exciting field. The array of contributions from leading world experts makes this book a valuable tool for the visualization of signaling nanoplatforms by means of cutting-edge optical microscopy tools.

This unique resource-the first book of its kind exclusively devoted to the subject-offers timely coverage of the cells, mechanisms, and proteins involved in allergic inflammation, emphasizing the latest advances in local cell recruitment.

Hormones as Tokens of Selection addresses deep questions in biology: How are biological systems controlled? How can one formulate general theories of homeostasis and control and instantiate such theories in mathematical models? How can one use evolutionary arguments to guide our answers to these questions, recognising that the control mechanisms themselves are a product of evolution? Biological systems are exceptionally varied and extremely difficult to understand, because they are complex and experimentation remains limited relative to the challenges at hand. Moreover, biological phenomena occur at a wide range of temporal and spatial scales. Such a deeply convoluted subject calls for a unifying and coherent theoretical foundation - one which recognises and departs from the primary importance of mathematical modelling and key physicochemical principles to theory formation in the life sciences. This Focus monograph proposes and outlines such a foundation, departing from the deceptively simple proposition that hormones are tokens of evolutionary pressures. Features Provides a coherent and unified approach to a multifaceted problem Pays close attention to both the biological and mathematical modelling aspects of the subject matter, exploring the philosophical background where appropriate Written in a concise and innovative style

This book examines how the growing knowledge of the huge range of protist-, animal-, and plant-bacterial interactions, whether in shared ecosystems or intimate symbioses, is fundamentally altering our understanding of biology. The establishment and maintenance of these interactions and their contributions to the health and survival of all partners relies on continuous cell-to-cell communication between them. This dialogue may be concerned with all aspects of the biology of both partners. The book includes chapters devoted to exploring, explaining, and exposing these dialogues across a broad spectrum of plant and animal eukaryotes to a broad field of biologists. Key Features Explores the nature of the interactions between eukaryotic hosts and their microbial symbionts Examines the links between prostist, animal, and plant evolution and microbial communities Reviews specific taxa and the microbial diversity associated with these taxa Illustrates the role microbes play in the physiology and etiology of several model species Includes chapters by an international team of leading scholars

Provides a multidisciplinary approach to the study of energetics of secretion responses by combining the knowledge and expertise of leading authorities from various fields.

In an intriguing series of experiments carried out many years ago, a common scientific belief, feted by no less than three Nobel prizes, was brought into question. The observations were about proteins-the molecules that the genetic code specifies and that are in one way or another central to all of life's activities. The experiments however were not about what proteins do, but how they are moved, in particular how they are moved from where they are made to where they act. The results of these studies conflicted with the standard view of how this happens, and thus became controversial. The standard view, the vesicle theory of protein secretion, envisions proteins being carried within and out of cells en masse in membrane-bound sacs or vesicles. The controversial experiments demonstrated that to the contrary individual protein molecules cross the relevant membranes as a result of their own motion. This was thought to be impossible at the time. Proteins Crossing Membranes is a personal narrative that tells the story of the controversy. Among other things, the author illustrates that scientists, like the rest of us, can rigidly hold onto their beliefs despite evidence that they are misguided. Key Features Reviews the data in support and critical of the vesicle theory of protein secretion Explores the ways scientists respond to evidence that challenges a favored theory Documents the author's personal experiences in this conflict-laden situation

Provides a multidisciplinary approach to the study of energetics of secretion responses by combining the knowledge and expertise of leading authorities from various fields.

Hepatocyte and Kupffer Cell Interactions presents a comprehensive discussion of historical and recent information regarding this diverse field of research. The role of Kupffer cells and hepatoctyes in normal physiology, nonseptic pathological states, and in sepsis is examined. Microanatomy and methods of experimental study are covered as well. In each of the book's chapters, the role of the Kupffer cell and hepatocyte interaction is placed in context with information on particular liver functions or disease states. Hepatocyte and Kupffer Cell Interactions is an essential reference for leukocyte specialists, gastroenterologists, immunologists, and other researchers working in this fascinating field.

In a fast-moving field it is unlikely that articles written more than a year ago would be completely up to date. The purpose of this book is to bring to the nonspecialist an overall view as well as an update on the state of the art as it existed in the beginning of 1982, and to the specialist the opportunity to have a single source of information for how the other organisms do it, and also to enable him to find out the status of the various aspects of RNA processing with which he might not be to familiar. even if only some of these goals are achieved, all those who labored so diligently to bring about the publication of this book would be more than gratified.

Volume I of this book provides a comprehensive discussion of the factors involved in regulation of the cell cycle, the general biological properties of growth factors, and the receptor and postreceptor mechanisms of action of these signaling agents. It evaluates the possible role of growth factors in the regulation of proto-oncogene and tumor suppressor gene expression, and the development of neoplastic processes is discussed in detail.

This book offers a conceptual explanation of the interrelationships that exist between the stages in the progression of initiated epithelial cells in culture compared with the diverse tissue of organs and the progression of tumors from different organ sites. The fate of the modification of adducts is discussed at the molecular level. The role that modifications in hot spots in oncogenes and supressor genes play at the molecular level and how these molecular modifications can lead to an explanation of molecular control in the formation of tumor phenotypes is also examined. Researchers in cell biology and toxicology, applied pharmacology, carcinogenesis, teratogenesis, mutagenesis, and molecular toxicology will find the book useful, interesting reading.

Intended for cell biologists, biophysicists, biochemists, molecular biologists, physiologists, researchers in hemostatsis and thrombosis and pathologists, this book provides an insight into cell adhesion from three interdisciplinary perspectives: fundamental facts of adhesion; molecular biochemistry of adhesion and physiological aspects. It summarizes the basic aspects of surfaces in general and describes the theoretical and experimental tools necessary to investigate cell adhesion, including the basic biochemistry and molecular biology of adhesion. The book offers concise treatment of individual topics, features current material, and provides key references as a guide to further study.

Arthropods are important to worldwide agriculture, food safety, human health, and energy production. Besides their practical significance, various species represent excellent model systems for biological investigations of evolution, development, physiology, reproduction, and social interaction. For these reasons, arthropod genomics is receiving increasing attention from researchers around the globe. Protocols for Cytogenetic Mapping of Arthropod Genomes is a collection of up-to-date, detailed protocols for physical chromosome mapping and their applications for studying genome organization and evolution in insects and ticks. This book brings together the expertise of cytogeneticists working on diverse groups of arthropods. Each chapter demonstrates approaches to tissue dissection, chromosome preparation, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and imaging. The book is a timely and complementary effort to the i5K initiative, which will obtain whole-genome sequences for 5,000 insect and related arthropod species. This comprehensive resource provides cytogeneticists with the necessary background and protocols to understand and develop chromosome-based genome assemblies from such whole-genome sequence data.

These two volumes demonstrate the role of cellular mechanisms in the production of the many specialized traits defining primates. By exploring gene activity transforming into evolutionary change through the work of cellular mechanisms, the goal is to encourage others to adopt evolutionary cell biology as an approach to the genotype-phenotype map of the diversification of primates, human variation, and human evolution. Contributors highlight how genetic analysis, visualization of cells and tissues, and merging Evo-Devo with evolutionary cell biology combine to answer questions central to understanding the human and primate evolution. Key Features Explores the developmental basis of characteristics that define the primate lineage Documents cellular mechanisms associated with everything from skin and eneregetics to the brain and communication. Chapters by a team of leading international researchers

This volume examines cells set aside during development for use later in ontogeny or in adult life. There is no single term for such cells. The cells explored fall within several major categories - stem cells, set-aside cells (in echinoderm larvae), imaginal discs in insects such as Drosophila, meristems (plants), blastemata (regeneration in amphibians), neoblasts (regeneration in planarians). The book compares and contrasts these cell types and the environments (niches) in which they operate with the aim of unravelling any relationships between them, between their activation in development, and in their evolution. Key Features Explores the nature of deferred-use cells in evolutionary and developmental context. Reviews the mechanisms of development of set-aside cells, such as stem cells, meristems, and imaginal discs. Provides phylogenetic overview of different types of deferred-use cells. Compares and contrasts different theories on the origin of deferred-use cells. Related Titles Calegari, F. & C. Waskow, eds. Stem Cells: From Basic Research to Therapy (ISBN 978-1-4822-0775-0) Cabral, J. M. S. & C. L. da Silva, eds. Bioreactors for Stem Cell Expansion and Differentiation (ISBN 978-1-4987-9590-6) Kong, H., A. J. Putnam, & L. B. Schook, eds. Stem Cells and Revascularization Therapies (ISBN 978-1-4398-0323-3) Schaffer, D., J. D. Bronzino, & D. R. Peterson, eds. Stem Cell Engineering: Principles and Practices (ISBN 978-1-4398-7204-8)

Astrocytes play diverse roles in central nervous system (CNS) function and dysfunction, and the connections that the astrocyte makes with other cells of the brain are essential for a variety of important neural tasks. Bringing together contributions from international experts at the top of their field, Astrocytes: Wiring the Brain emphasizes cellular connections and surveys the most current findings on astrocyte activity. The first section of the book identifies major astrocyte biomarkers and describes how they define the different connectivity domains. Next, the book examines the role of these connections. It explains how their function can be manipulated under physiological conditions and how dysfunction of the connectivity leads to aberrant brain performance. The final section explores the alterations of glia that have been observed in specific diseases of the brain. These include epilepsy, autoimmune encephalitis, Alzheimer's disease, autism, and major depression. The book identifies key mechanisms responsible for these alterations. An important and emerging field, astrocytes and their functions are critical to neuroscientists and neurologists, both in academia and in industry, particularly in the search for and development of new drugs to combat a variety of diseases affecting the CNS. As research continues to grow in this area, this volume will spur heightened advances and understanding into the effects of these neural cells on a range of pathologies.

An innovative theory proposes a new therapeutic strategy to break the stalemate in the war on cancer. It is called cancer stem cell (CSC) theory, and Lucie Laplane offers a comprehensive analysis, based on an original interdisciplinary approach that combines biology, biomedical history, and philosophy. Rather than treat cancer by aggressively trying to eliminate all cancerous cells-with harmful side effects for patients-CSC theory suggests the possibility of targeting the CSCs, a small fraction of cells that lie at the root of cancers. CSCs are cancer cells that also have the defining properties of stem cells-the abilities to self-renew and to differentiate. According to this theory, only CSCs and no other cancer cells can induce tumor formation. To date, researchers have not agreed on the defining feature of CSCs-their stemness. Drawing from a philosophical perspective, Laplane shows that there are four possible ways to understand this property: stemness can be categorical (an intrinsic property of stem cells), dispositional (an intrinsic property whose expression depends on external stimuli), relational (an extrinsic property determined by a cell's relationship with the microenvironment), or systemic (an extrinsic property controlled at the system level). Our ability to cure cancers may well depend upon determining how these definitions apply to different types of cancers.

A Probabilistic Model of the Genotype/Phenotype Relationship provides a new hypothesis on the relationship between genotype and phenotype. The main idea of the book is that this relationship is probabilistic, in other words, the genotype does not fully explain the phenotype. This idea is developed and discussed using the current knowledge on complex genetic diseases, phenotypic plasticity, canalization and others.