Integrins play pivotal roles not only across a wide range of physiological processes including tissue morphogenesis, immune responses, wound healing, and regulation of cell growth and differentiation, but also in numerous pathological phenomena such as autoimmunity, thrombosis, and cancer metastasis/progression. Therefore, investigations on integrins often demand multi-disciplinary approaches, making researchers long for a handy collection of comprehensive and practical protocols that detail experimental methods for studying integrin and related cell adhesion molecule functionality. "Integrin and Cell Adhesion Molecules: Methods and Protocols "aims to provide readers not only with basic protocols in studying integrin functions, but also with summaries on those state-of-the-art technologies that have been utilized for understanding integrin functionality at the cellular, molecular, structural, and organismal levels. Divided into six convenient sections, this detailed volume covers basic protocols for the study of integrin and related cell adhesion molecule functionality "in vitro," illustrates structural biology approaches for studying integrins and related cell adhesion molecules, focuses on emerging imaging technologies for investigating cell migration, presents strategies to elucidate signaling through cell adhesion molecules, includes experimental techniques to investigate integrin functions at organismal levels in a physiological context, and showcases the most promising methods and technologies for the development of novel therapeutics and diagnostics. 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.

Both experts and non-experts in the scientific community who wish to study cell adhesion molecules and diagnostics will find "Integrin and Cell Adhesion Molecules: Methods and Protocols" authoritative, easily accessible, and vastly informative.

This volume includes timely reviews of several aspects of chromatin biology written by scientists at the forefront of this rapidly moving field. Topics covered include the structure and function of protein modules within chromatin-remodeling proteins, newly characterized histone modifications (methylation, ubiquitylation) and their functional consequences, transcription and histone dynamics, roles of chromatin remodeling factors in DNA replication and repair, and current models of nucleosome-remodeling mechanisms.

The Biogenesis of Cellular Organelles represents a comprehensive summary of recent advances in the study of the biogenesis and functional dynamics of the major organelles operating in the eukaryotic cell. This book begins by placing the study of organelle biogenesis in a historical perspective by describing past scientific strategies, theories, and findings and relating these foundations to current investigations. Reviews of protein and lipid mediators important for organelle biogenesis are then presented, and are followed by summaries focused on the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi, lysosome, nucleus, mitochondria, and peroxisome. All chapters are written by experts in their fields and, though concentrated on particular topics, are integrated under the general themes of organelle structure, function, dynamics, and biogenesis. An understanding of these concepts is important for all researchers and students interested in general cell biology and particularly to those with interests in organelle function.

Phospholipidshavelongbeenknownfortheirkeyroleinmaintainingthebilayer structureofmembranesandinphysicallyseparatingthecytosolfromorganelles andtheextracellularspace. Inthepastdecade,acompletelynovelandunexpected functionemerged,full?llingacrucialroleincellsignaling. Itwasthediscoveryin animalcells,thatagonist-activatedcellsurfacereceptorsledtotheactivationofa phospholipase C (PLC), to hydrolyze the minor lipid, phosphatidylinositol 4- bisphosphateintotwosecondmessengers,inositol1,4,5-trisphosphate(InsP)and 3 2+ diacylglycerol(DAG). WhileInsP diffusesintothecytosol,whereitreleasesCa 3 2+ from an intracellular store by activating a ligand-gated Ca -channel, DAG remainsinthemembranetorecruitandactivatemembersoftheproteinkinase Cfamily. Overtheyears,avarietyofotherlipidbased-signalingcascadesweredisc- ered. Theseinclude,phospholipaseA,generatinglyso-phospholipidsandfreefatty acids(tobeconvertedintoprostaglandinsandleukotrienes),phospholipaseD,to generatethelipidsecondmessenger,phosphatidicacid(PA),andphosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), generating a distinct set of polyphosphoinositides (PPI) ph- phorylated at the D3-position of the inositol ring, all with separate signaling functions. Sphingolipids,representinganotherimportantgroupofsignalinglipids, alsocameacross. Themajorityoftheselipid-basedsignalingpathwayshavebeendiscoveredin plantcellstoo. Moreover,theyhavebeenfoundtobeactivatedinresponsetoa widevarietyofbioticandabioticstresssignals,butalsotobebasicallyinvolvedin plantgrowthanddevelopment. Whilemanyoftheenzymes,lipids,andtheirtargets involved arewell conserved, major differences with the mammalian paradigms havealsoemerged. Thisbookhighlightsthecurrentstatusofplantlipidsignaling. Allchaptershave beenwrittenbyexpertsinthe?eldandcoverinformationforbothbeginnersand advancedlipidologists. PartIincludesphospholipases(Chaps. 1-3),partII,lipid kinases (Chaps. 4-7), part III, lipid phosphatases (Chaps. 8-9), part IV, ix x Preface inositolphosphates and PPI metabolism (Chaps. 10-13), part V, PA signaling (Chaps. 14-17),andpartVI,additionallipidsignals,e. g. oxylipins,NAPEand sphingolipids(Chaps18-20). Ithasbeenagreatpleasuretobetheeditorofthis bookandtobeawitnessofthislipid-signalingadventure. Amsterdam,June2009 TeunMunnik Contents PartI Phospholipases PhospholipaseAinPlantSignalTransduction...3 Gu..ntherF. E. Scherer TheEmergingRolesofPhospholipaseCinPlantGrowth andDevelopment...23 PeterE. DowdandSimonGilroy PlantPhospholipaseD...39 WenhuaZhang,XiaoboWan,YueyunHong,WeiqiLi,andXueminWang PartII Kinases Phosphatidylinositol4-PhosphateisRequiredforTip GrowthinArabidopsisthaliana ...65 AmyL. SzumlanskiandErikNielsen PIP-KinasesasKeyRegulatorsofPlantFunction ...79 TillIschebeckandIngoHeilmann PlantPhosphatidylinositol3-Kinase...95 YureeLee,TeunMunnik,andYoungsookLee DiacylglycerolKinase...107 StevenA. AriszandTeunMunnik xi xii Contents PartIII Phosphatases SignalingandthePolyphosphoinositidePhosphatasesfromPlants ...117 GlendaE. Gillaspy PhosphatidicAcidPhosphatasesinSeedPlants...131 YukiNakamuraandHiroyukiOhta PartIV PPIMetabolism InsP inPlantCells ...145 3 YangJuIm,BrianQPhillippy,andImaraYPerera InositolPolyphosphatesandKinases...161 JillStevenson-PaulikandBrianQ. Phillippy PhosphoinositidesandPlantCellWallSynthesis ...175 RuiqinZhong,RyanL. McCarthy,andZheng-HuaYe ImagingLipidsinLivingPlants ...185 JoopE. M. VermeerandTeunMunnik PartV PASignaling PhosphatidicAcid:AnElectrostatic/Hydrogen-BondSwitch?...2 03 EdgarEduardKooijmanandChristaTesterink NitricOxideandPhosphatidicAcidSignalinginPlants...223 AyelenM. Diste'fano,M. LucianaLanteri,ArjentenHave, CarlosGarc?'a-Mata,LorenzoLamattina,andAnaM. Laxalt 3-Phosphoinositide-DependentProteinKinaseisaSwitchboard fromSignalingLipidstoProteinPhosphorylationCascades...243 ChristineZalejskiandLa'szlo'Bo..gre PartVI AdditionalLipidSignals DiacylglycerolPyrophosphate,ANovelPlantSignalingLipid...263 EmmanuelleJeannette,SophieParadis,andChristineZalejski OxylipinSignalingandPlantGrowth...277 AlinaMosblech,IvoFeussner,andIngoHeilmann Contents xiii FattyAcidAmideHydrolaseandtheMetabolismof N-AcylethanolamineLipidMediatorsinPlants...293 KentD. ChapmanandElisonB. Blanca?or SphingolipidSignalinginPlants...307 LouiseV. MichaelsonandJohnathanA. Napier Index ...323 Contributors Steven A. Arisz Section Plant Physiology, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences,UniversityofAmsterdam,SciencePark904,NL-1098XH,Amsterdam, TheNetherlands ElisonB. Blanca?or SamuelRobertsNobleFoundation,PlantBiologyDivision, Ardmore,OK73401,USA,eblanca?or@noble.

Na+-K+ ATPase or Na-pump ATPase, a member of "P"-type ATPase superfamily, is characterized by association of multiple isoforms mainly of it's - and - subunits. At present four different - ( -1, -2, -3 and -4) and three - ( -1, -2, and -3) isoforms have been identified in mammalian cells and their differential expressions are tissue specific. Regulation of Na+-K+ ATPase activity is an important but a complex process, which involves short-term and long-term mechanisms. Short-term regulation of Na+-K+ ATPase is either mediated by changes in intracellular Na+ concentrations that directly affect the Na+-pump activity or by phosphorylation/dephosphorylation-mediated by some stimulants leading to changes in its expression and transport properties. On the other hand, long-term regulation of Na+-K+ ATPase is mediated by hormones, such as mineralocorticoids and thyroid hormones, which cause changes in the transcription of genes of - and - subunits leading to an increased expression in the level of Na+-pump. Several studies have revealed a relatively new type of regulation that involves the association of small, single span membrane proteins with this enzyme. These proteins belong to the FXYD family, the members of which share a common signature sequence encompassing the transmembra ne domain adjacent to the isoform(s) of - subunits of Na+-K+ ATPase. Considering the extraordinary importance of Na+-K+ ATPase in cellular function, several internationally established investigators have contributed their articles in the monograph entitled "Regulation of Membrane Na+-K+ ATPase" for inspiring young scientists and graduate students to enrich their knowledge on the enzyme, and we are sure that this book will soon be considered as a comprehensive scientific literature in the area of Na+-K+ ATPase regulation in health and disease.

In "Animal Models for Stem Cell Therapy: Methods and Protocols, "expert researchers in the field detail disease models of hepatic, cardiovascular, neurological diseases, connective and contractile tissue. Chapters focus on a wide range of diseases and application of different kinds of stem cells and reprogrammed tissue cells (iPS).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 key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Authoritative and practical, "Animal Models for Stem Cell Therapy: Methods and Protocols, "covers interest of basic scientists and clinicians to assess the biological as well as the therapeutic potential of stem cell therapy."

When new fellows join my lab, I give them some reading materials so that they can orient themselves in their assignment in a new eld. When fellows leave my lab, some after writing their dissertations, I prefer to give them a book as a symbolic present. I was longing for a book that contained something on more or less eve- thing about the islets. At the same time, I wished it contained information as recent as possible. There are a few such books in the market but they are pretty outdated. I started picking islets myself from October 1990, when I joined the Rolf Luft Center, Karolinska Institutet. Over the years my fascination for islet research remained high. Since last year, I felt a stronger urge to do more for these mysterious and hidden mini-organs that are directly or indirectly involved in the pathogenesis of all forms of diabetes that affects ?250 million people in the world. After I launched the Islet (landesbioscience. com/journals/islets) and founded the Islet Society (isletso- ety. org), there was a momentum that could be utilized to create something equally meaningful i. e. this book. The idea cracked in September 2008. Starting September 19, 2008, I contacted an estimated 90% of the authors who published anything on the islets during 2007-2008 and who could be traced from the internet.

The volume provides comprehensive, state-of-the-art experimental techniques that are now available to dissect the molecular mechanisms of regulation and function of cohesin and the related factor condensin in vitro and in vivo across different model organisms, as well as in human cells. Cohesin and Condensin: Methods and Protocols is divided into three parts: Part I explores various in vitro and in vivo systems used to study the fundamental mechanism of cohesin regulation in mitosis and meiosis; Part II summarizes experimental systems in a variety of organisms that are used to address interphase functions of cohesin and Nipbl in gene regulation and chromatin interaction, ribosome biogenesis and DNA repair, which contribute significantly to cohesion-associated disorders; Part III covers related condensin complex and describes techniques to study its role in mitosis and interphase. 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, Cohesin and Condensin: Methods and Protocols is a valuable resource for diverse audiences with interests in the relationship between chromatin organization and genomic functions.

This is a cumulative index of Volumes 53-71 of the Methods in Cell Biology series. Critically acclaimed for more than 25 years, the series provides an indispensable tool for the researcher. Each volume is carefully edited by experts to contain state-of-the-art reviews and step-by-step protocols. Techniques are described completely so that methods are made accessible to users.

Scientific interest in regulatory T cells has revived during the last decade. Initially described in the early seventies as suppressor T cells, the concept of suppressor/regulatory T cells went through turbulent times during the eighties when molecular analysis failed to identify putative suppressor genes. The constructive and elegant cellular experiments on regulatory T cells during the nineties, initiated by Shimon Sakaguchi and co-workers, however have brought these cells back into the limelight. Nowadays, regulatory T cells are regarded as essential components of the immune system, and several different subsets of regulatory T cells have been described. Considerable regulatory function has been attributed to the CD4+CD25+ T cell subset. These cells act by suppressing adaptive and possibly also innate immune responses thereby maintaining or restoring the balance between immunity and tolerance. The suppressive effects of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells are cell-contact dependent but a role for soluble factors, particularly in vivo, has been suggested as well.
The aim of this book is to bring together recent developments and viewpoints in the field of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells and to discuss the potential use of regulatory T cells in immunotherapy of inflammatory diseases. By linking data on regulatory T cells from experimental models with recent findings from the clinic, this topical book will be of interest to immunologists and other biomedical researchers as well as clinicians that are interested in regulation and manipulation of the immune response during (chronic) inflammatory disease.

Stem Cell therapy for lysosomal diseases (LSDs) is developing rapidly. This volume discusses the history, current practice and future perspectives of stem cells in inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) and provides an international perspective on progress, limitations, and future directions (e.g. gene therapy, iPS, ES) in the field. Beginning with an overview of these diseases, the book covers the breadth of this topic from treatment options, bone marrow transplantation, and alternative treatment options, through long-term outcomes and future perspectives.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the latest research on the molecular players in the tumor microenvironment, including MicroRNAs, estrogen, Caveolin-1, Nitric Oxide, RANK/RANKL signaling, , COX-2 Signaling, Renin-angiotensin system, and more. Taken alongside its companion volumes, Tumor Microenvironment: Molecular Players - Part B updates us on what we know about the tumor microenvironment, as well as future directions. This book is essential reading for advanced cell biology and cancer biology students as well as researchers seeking an update on research in the tumor microenvironment.

Signal Transduction now in paperback, is a text reference on cellular signalling processes. Starting with the basics, it explains how cells respond to external cues (hormones, cytokines, neurotransmitters, adhesion molecules, extracellular matrix, etc), and shows how these inputs are integrated and co-ordinated. The first half of the book provides the conceptual framework, explaining the formation and action of second messengers, particulary cyclic nucleotides and calcium, and the mediation of signal pathways by GTP-binding proteins. The remaining chapters deal with the formation of complex signalling cascades employed by cytokines and adhesion molecules, starting at the membrane and ending in the nucleus, there to regulate gene transcription. In this context, growth is an important potential outcome and this has relevance to the cellular transformations that underlie cancer. The book ends with a description at the molecular level of how signalling proteins interact with their environment and with each other through their structural domains. Each main topic is introduced with a historical essay, detailing the sources key observations and experiments that set the scence for recent and current work.
* Coherent, precise text providing insight in depth to a subject that is central to cell biology and fundamental to many areas of biomedicine
* Conceptual colour artwork assists with the comprehension of key topics
* Extensive referencing provides an invaluable link to the core and historical literature
* Margin notes highlighting milestones in the evolution of our understanding of signalling mechanisms

Gene therapy offers considerable potential for the treatment of various incurable diseases of the nervous system. This volume describes a number of different viral vectors developed for achieving high efficiency gene delivery to the brain. Vectors described include those based on adenovirus, adeno-associated virus, Herpes Simplex Virus, lentivirus, and other retroviruses. It also discusses the potential application of such viruses in treating brain tumors, Parkinson's disease, and other diseases of the nervous system.
* Provides up-to-date account of gene therapy approaches for incurable neurological disorders
* Describes a range of gene delivery methods based on different viruses

This volume provides a collection of protocols for the common experimental approaches used in the in the burgeoning field of c-di-GMP-dependent signaling. The chapters, divided into eight major parts, guide readers through methods on synthesis, detection, quantitation, modulation of the levels of c-di-GMP present in cells, procedures to detect and evaluate the interaction of c-di-GMP, and up and coming approaches focusing on the inhibition of c-di-GMP signaling.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, c-di-GMP Signaling: Methods and Protocols aims to inspire researchers to try new approaches.

This book surveys the most recent advances in physics-inspired cell movement models. This synergetic, cross-disciplinary effort to increase the fidelity of computational algorithms will lead to a better understanding of the complex biomechanics of cell movement, and stimulate progress in research on related active matter systems, from suspensions of bacteria and synthetic swimmers to cell tissues and cytoskeleton.Cell motility and collective motion are among the most important themes in biology and statistical physics of out-of-equilibrium systems, and crucial for morphogenesis, wound healing, and immune response in eukaryotic organisms. It is also relevant for the development of effective treatment strategies for diseases such as cancer, and for the design of bioactive surfaces for cell sorting and manipulation. Substrate-based cell motility is, however, a very complex process as regulatory pathways and physical force generation mechanisms are intertwined. To understand the interplay between adhesion, force generation and motility, an abundance of computational models have been proposed in recent years, from finite element to immerse interface methods and phase field approaches.This book is primarily written for physicists, mathematical biologists and biomedical engineers working in this rapidly expanding field, and can serve as supplementary reading for advanced graduate courses in biophysics and mathematical biology. The e-book incorporates experimental and computer animations illustrating various aspects of cell movement.

This volume represents a valuable and readily reproducible collection of established and emerging techniques for neuronal cell death research. Conveniently divided into four parts, sections cover a series of techniques for the molecular, structural, functional and genomic characterization of dying neurons, a number of protocols that are of primary interest in neuropathology and in experimental neuropathology, a series of gene engineering techniques to obtain and manipulate neuronal stem cells and progenitors, to prepare HSV-1 vectors for the gene therapy, and to CNS transplantation of bone marrow stem cells, and finally, some very interesting protocols for the study of cell death in non-mammalian models. 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 easily accessible, Neuronal Cell Death: Methods and Protocols seeks to serve a large audience of scientists that are currently active in the field or are willing to enter such an exciting and still expanding area of neurobiology.

Recent stem cell research has revealed that miRNA and RNAi-mediated gene regulation is one of the vital determinates controlling the state of cell differentiation, with the small RNAs serving as key elements involved in regulatory network control of pluripotent cell fate determination. In RNAi and microRNA-Mediated Gene Regulation in Stem Cells: Methods, Protocols, and Applications, expert authors from laboratories across the globe contribute an accessible compendium of up-to-date, proven methods focused on the study of the titular topic. Divided into three sections, the book first gives a brief introduction to RNAi and miRNAs in stem cells, with a focus on the current status of research and future perspectives, then it continues with detailed methods and protocols for RNAi screening, transfection, and the knockdown of specific genes and pathways in several animal species, including humans and mice, concluding with a section on recently developed methods for identification of miRNAs, including a general protocol for preparation and analysis of miRNA libraries for deep sequencing, knock down of a specific gene using miRNA-based shRNA, and miRNA expression analysis using qRT-PCR. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, chapters contain introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and notes highlighting tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, RNAi and microRNA-Mediated Gene Regulation in Stem Cells: Methods, Protocols, and Applications serves as a valuable resource for scientists and aspiring graduate students interested in the intersection of RNAi, miRNA, and stem cell molecular biology and the exciting areas of medicine, including regenerative medicine, aging, cancer, and neurological disorders, that can be advanced through this expanding area of research.

The acclaimed International Review of Cytology series presents current advances and reviews in cell biology, both plant and animal. Aricles address structure and control of gene expression, nucleocytoplasmic interactions, control of cell development and differentiation, and cell transformation and growth. Contributors to this volume include Yosef Gruenbaum, Sergey Razin, Johanna M. van der Wouden, J. M. Mitchison, Ora A. Weisz, and
Anne Regnier-Vigourous.
The acclaimed International Review of Cytology series presents current advances and reviews in cell biology, both plant and animal. Aricles address structure and control of gene expression, nucleocytoplasmic interactions, control of cell development and differentiation, and cell transformation and growth. Contributors to this volume include Yosef Gruenbaum, Sergey Razin, Johanna M. van der Wouden, J. M. Mitchison, Ora A. Weisz, and
Anne Regnier-Vigourous.

Now in two volumes, this completely updated and expanded edition of Embryonic Stem Cells: Methods and Protocols provides a diverse collection of readily reproducible cellular and molecular protocols for the manipulation of nonhuman embryonic stem cells. Volume two, Embryonic Stem Cell Protocols: Differentiation Models, Second Edition, covers state-of-the-art methods for deriving many types of differentiating cells from ES cells. The first volume, Embryonic Stem Cell Protocols: Isolation and Characterization, Second Edition, provides a diverse collection of readily reproducible cellular and molecular protocols for the isolation, maintenance, and characterization of embryonic stem cells. Together, the two volumes illuminate for both novices and experts our current understanding of the biology of embryonic stem cells and their utility in normal tissue homeostasis and regenerative medicine applications.

* Discusses cancer cell biology in relation to Genome stability and Cell cycle regulation Unique assembly of experts in these fields who wrote a comprehensive and deep up-to-date overview Discusses models for the understanding of DNA damage-dependent signal transduction and regulation in human cells Since the establishment of the DNA structure researchers have been highly interested in the molecular basis of the inheritance of genes and of genetic disorders. Scientific investigations of the last two decades have shown that, in addition to oncogenic viruses and signalling pathways alterations, genomic instability is important in the development of cancer. This view is supported by the findings that aneuploidy, which results from chromosome instability, is one of the hallmarks of cancer cells. Chromosomal instability also underpins our fundamental principles of understanding tumourigenesis: It thought that cancer arises from the sequential acquisition of genetic alterations in specific genes. In this hypothesis, these rare genetic events represent rate-limiting bottlenecks' in the clonal evolution of a cancer, and pre-cancerous cells can evolve into neoplastic cells through the acquisition of somatic mutations. This book is written by international leading scientists in the field of genome stability. Chapters are devoted to genome stability and anti-cancer drug targets, histone modifications, chromatin factors, DNA repair, apoptosis and many other key areas of research. The chapters give insights into the newest development of the genome stability and human diseases and bring the current understanding of the mechanisms leading to chromosome instability and their potential for clinical impact to the reader.

This book lays out numerous simple techniques for growing and carrying out experiments with many varieties of neurons. Subjects include peripheral and central neurons from vertebrate and invertebrate sources, as well as neuron-like cell lines. It also explains recent advances in our ability to introduce exogenous proteins and genes to neurons in culture. Procedures for successful protein infiltration, biolistic transfection, electroporation, and viral transgenic methods in neurons are also presented.
* Contains culture methodology for more than a dozen types of CNS and PNS neurons
* Includes most recent and reliable techniques from expert practitioners for specific experimental applications
* Addresses the latest strategies for transfecting neurons

Published since 1959, International Review of Neurobiology is a well-known series appealing to neuroscientists, clinicians, psychologists, physiologists, and pharmacologists. Led by an internationally renowned editorial board, this important serial publishes both eclectic volumes made up of timely reviews and thematic volumes that focus on recent progress in a specific area of neurobiology research.
This volume is a collection of chapters covering recent advances in the field of neurobiology. Chapters address anesthetic binding sites on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, NMDA receptor signal regulation, alcohol self-administration in rodents, and dopamine receptor mutations in mice.
Published since 1959, International Review of Neurobiology is a well-known series appealing to neuroscientists, clinicians, psychologists, physiologists, and pharmacologists. Led by an internationally renowned editorial board, this important serial publishes both eclectic volumes made up of timely reviews and thematic volumes that focus on recent progress in a specific area of neurobiology research.
This volume is a collection of chapters covering recent advances in the field of neurobiology. Chapters address anesthetic binding sites on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, NMDA receptor signal regulation, alcohol self-administration in rodents, and dopamine receptor mutations in mice.

This title will focus on the study of human interphase chromosomes and its relation to health and disease. Orchestrated organization and human genome function in interphase nuclei at the chromosomal level have been repeatedly shown to play a significant role in a variety of basic biological processes involved in realization and inheritance of genetic information within and between species. Current biomedical sciences of post-genomic era refocus basic and applied studies of interphase nuclei genetics and genomics with special attention to interphase chromosome behavior in health and disease. Additionally, related processes are a target of studies elucidating the role of interphase chromosome behavior during development, chromosome/DNA replication, DNA reparation etc. Studies of interphase nuclei have an appreciable impact on different areas of biomedical sciences such as cell biology, neurobiology, cancer research, developmental biology, epigenetics, cytogenetics, and medical genetics, as a whole. Moreover, development of innovative and emergent technologies to analyze interphase nuclei are closely associated with application of these techniques in clinical, diagnostic and research practice to solve reproductive problems (including infertility and spontaneous abortions), to investigate congenital malformations (including those produced by aneuploidy and other chromosome abnormalities); genetic diseases (including cardiac, immune, neurological and psychiatric diseases), and cancer. This title will serve as a source of new valuable information and promising ideas for a wide audience of professionals in biomedicine including researchers, scientists, and healthcare professionals in human genetics, cytogenetics, and developmental biology.

This book highlights a new paradigm of translation control by regulatory nascent polypeptides, which is integrated into cellular regulatory systems. Translation lies in the hub of the central dogma of biology, in which the genetic information in the forms of 4-letter sentences is translated into 20-letter sentences: sequences of amino acids that constitute proteins, the functional molecules of life. The process involves a huge number of chemical reactions as well as physical movements of the ribosome along a messenger RNA and takes, on average, tens of seconds in prokaryotes and a few minutes in eukaryotes. Detailed knowledge about the progression of translation, called "elongation", only recently started to accumulate. Newly synthesized and growing polypeptides, called nascent polypeptides, can interact with the intra-ribosomal conduit, called the ribosomal exit tunnel, when they have some specific amino acid sequences, called "an arrest sequence". Such interaction leads to a halt in the elongation reaction. Resulting stalling of the ribosome on messenger RNA can affect the secondary structure and/or localization of the message in the cell, consequently leading to biological outputs such as elevation or reduction of a gene product. This book provides a first collection of knowledge focused on regulatory nascent polypeptides, which have been studied recently using diverse organisms including bacteria, plants, and animals. Readers will be impressed by a new paradigm showing that proteins can function even during the course of their biosynthesis and that the ribosome, the "factory" of protein production, interacts with and inspects its products to adjust the speed of completion of each product. Moreover, regulatory nascent polypeptides can sense or monitor physiological states of the cell and modulate its ability to arrest translation. Living organisms use such intricate control mechanisms of translational speed to regulate gene expression. This book will be a useful addition for established scientists while inspiring students and young scientists to gain deeper insights into the processes of expression of genetic information.