Systematic investigations of the structure, mechanics, and dynamics of biological surfaces help us understand more about biological processes taking place at cell and bacteria surfaces. Presented here is a study of the role membrane-bound saccharides play in the modulation of interactions between cells/bacteria and their environments. In this thesis, membrane structures were probed perpendicular and parallel to the surface, and sophisticated planar models of biomembranes composed of glycolipids of various structural complexities were designed. Furthermore, specular and off-specular X-ray and neutron scattering experiments were carried out. This research has led to the development of several new methods for extracting information on the structure and mechanics of saccharide-rendered biomembranes from the measured scattering signals. In fact, more is now known about the influence of the saccharide structure. These results demonstrate that the study of planar model systems with X-ray and neutron scattering techniques can provide comprehensive insight into the structure and mechanics of complex biological surfaces.

This essential volume explores mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and their potential to suppress immune-mediated inflammation. The chapters examine applications in autoimmune diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis; blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma; and reproductive complications, specifically pre-term labor and use of MSCs in vitro and in animal models to discover methods of suppressing the causal inflammatory response. It also further defines the methodologies required to develop research on MSCs in vitro into established preclinical animal models including those which are proven replicas of autoimmunity and pre-term labor, to name but two. Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Immunomodulation, part of Springer's Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, is an invaluable resource for researchers and clinicians working with stem cells, autoimmune disease, oncology, and reproductive medicine.

Despite many technological challenges faced by the xenotransplantation field, many major advances have been made in the last two decades. The field seeks to overcome the limitations and difficulties in organ procurement, which also apply to human cells and tissues, and facilitate the development of new therapies based on cell and engineered-tissue. Xenogeneic cells are simpler than solid organs and seem to pose less hurdles to attain long-term graft survival. In, Xenotransplantation: Methods and Protocols expert researchers study characterizations of xenogeneic interactions at the cellular and molecular levels and describe the use of relevant small-animal and pig-to-primate models. Related ethical and legal considerations are also covered. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, the chapters include the kind of detailed description and implementation advice that is crucial for getting optimal results in the laboratory. Thorough and intuitive, Xenotransplantation: Methods and Protocols aids scientists in continuing to study xenotransplantation and its multiple aspects.

Investigation of the mechanisms of cellular response to different mechanical stimuli, as well as mechano-electrical feedback (MEF) in the intact heart is one of the main topics in fundamental and clinical cardiology. The present volume of "Mechanosensitivity in Cells and Tissues: Mechanosensitivity of the Heart" c- bines excellent reviews written by worldwide leaders in this ?eld. The 3rd volume is a great addition to this excellent series of books edited by Andre Kamkin and Irina Kiseleva. This volume successfully combines reviews, aimed at academic, physiology and clinical cardiology communities, devoted to mechanosensitivity of the normal and diseased heart at the ion channel, cell, tissue and organ levels. Kamkin and Kiseleva have made signi?cant contributions to the investigation of mechanosentive ion channels in cardiomyocytes and ?broblasts. Their ba- ground, in addition to extensive collaborations helped them to ?nd and consolidate valuable research ?ndings from prominent specialists in the ?eld of cardiac mechanosensitivity. In the last decade, interest in the role of MEF in the heart has increased sign- cantly. MEF within cardiac tissue is a complex phenomenon in which electroph- iological changes are triggered by myocardial stretch. This phenomenon has been studiedintheclinicalcommunityforoveracenturyandmayhavebothpro-rhythmic and arrhythmogenic consequences. While signi?cant advances have been made in understanding of the effects of mechanical forces on cardiac cells, many questions remain regarding the mechanisms whereby mechanical forces are transduced into changes which alter the behavior of various cardiac cells.

In situ hybridization has developed as a means of localizing specific DNA and RNA sequences within tissues. The great strength of this approach is the ability to relate the distribution of specific nucleic acids with cell structures and the protein products of the target gene by means of immunohistochemistry. Complementary DNA, RNA or oligonucleotide probes, suitably labelled, are hybridized to specific DNA or RNA targets within tissues. The spatial information thus obtained has contributed greatly to our understanding of such diverse areas of research as gene mapping, viral infection, cytogenetics, protein synthesis, prenatal diagnosis and tissue grafting. This book is not intended as another recipe book, although it does describe theoretical and practical aspects of the technology. Rather, the authors critically describe the contribution made by in situ hybridization to specific areas of medical research.

The current explosive progress in molecular biological research can be definitively traced to the development of molecular cloning technology. The ability to insert specific gene sequences into cloning vectors and their subse quent expansion is the cornerstone of modem molecular biology. A direct practical outcome of molecular cloning technology is its application to ex press specific recombinant genes. Currently, recombinant gene products are used in a wide spectrum of applications, including gene therapy, production of bioactive pharmaceuticals, synthesis of novel biopolymers, in agriculture and animal husbandry, and so on. A fundamental requirement for successful recombinant gene expression is the design of the cloning vector and the choice of the host organism for expression. Recombinant Gene Expression Protocols grows out of the need for a laboratory manual that provides the reader the background and rationale, as well as the practical protocols for the preparation of "expression constructs" and their introduction into appropriate host cells and/or organisms. The chap ters in this book are grouped by their expression hosts, including E. coli, yeast, mammalian cells, nonmammalian eukaryotes such as plants, Xenopus, and insects, as well as in transgenic organisms. In-depth information is presented on the important characteristics of expression cloning vectors and the various methods for efficiently introducing expression constructs into target cells and/ or organisms. Throughout Recombinant Gene Expression Protocols, the authors have consistently striven for a balanced presentation of both background informa tion and actual laboratory details.

Since the initial establishment of Robert Koch's postulates in the nineteenth century, microbial protein toxins have been recognized as a major factor of bacterial and fungal virulence. An increasing number of proteins produced and secreted by various bacteria, yeasts and plants are extremely toxic and most of them developed remarkably "intelligent" strategies to enter, to penetrate and to finally kill a eukaryotic target cell by modifying or blocking essential cellular components.

This book describes the strategies employed by protein toxins to render their pro- and eukaryotic producers a selective growth advantage over competitors. In providing an up-to-date overview on the mode of protein toxin actions, it accommodates biomedically and biologically relevant toxin model systems. As a result, it significantly broadens our perspective on biochemical architecture and molecular ploy behind the lethal principles of pro- and eukaryotic toxins.

Koval provides an interdisciplinary forum for the diverse studies involved in the stress biology of eukaryotic cells. Readers gain access to the most recent information available for eukaryotic systems ranging from plants to humans. For the student, this format introduces a source of potentially unifying concepts and hypotheses. Scientists will find a unique opportunity to conveniently examine the similarities among inducible responses initiated by a variety of agents.

This book is a broadly historical account of a remarkable and very exciting scientific story-the search for the number of human chromosomes. It covers the processes and people, culminating in the realization that discovering the number of human chromosomes brought as much benefit as unraveling the genetic code itself. With the exception of red blood cells, which have no nucleus and therefore no DNA, and sex cells, humans have 46 chromosomes in every single cell. Not only do chromosomes carry all of the genes that code our inheritance, they also carry them in a specific order. It is essential that the number and structure of chromosomes remains intact, in order to pass on the correct amount of DNA to succeeding generations and for the cells to survive. Knowing the number of human chromosomes has provided a vital diagnostic tool in the prenatal diagnosis of genetic disorders, and the search for this number and developing an understanding of what it means are the focus of this book.

This thoughtful and provocative book provides a concise, up-to-date presentation of how current and projected future phosphorus scarcity will affect legume growth and their symbiotic nitrogen-fixing capabilities. It is a timely examination of the physiological and molecular responses of nodules to phosphorous deficiency in attempt to identify common principles. Students and researchers in the many disciplines related to crop productivity will find this title an exciting contribution in the area of plant stress physiology. The knowledge in this volume can also aid plant breeders, particularly through new methods of genetic engineering, in developing unique and adaptive cultivars with higher symbiotic efficiency. The awareness of the rapidly rising world population must translate into a parallel increase in agricultural production in order to sustain the growing population both now and in the future. Hence, the demand for food crops to produce proteins and vegetable oil for human consumption is going to increase considerably during the coming years. The essential role of legumes in agriculture is well-recognized, given the abundant levels of proteins and oils found in plants along with their enormous contribution to the sustainability of agricultural systems and human health. The capacity of legumes to fix nitrogen (N2) in partnership with rhizobia provides an input-saving and resource-conserving alternative, thereby reducing the need for chemical fertilizers while enhancing overall crop productivity. The use of N2-fixing legumes to produce plant proteins results in a substantial decrease in the consumption of fossil fuels and therefore also in the agricultural effects to global warming. However, a major constraint to legume production is low soil phosphorus (P) availability, considering that an overwhelming majority of the world's soils are classified as P-deficient. Low-P availability is especially problematic for legumes, since legume nodules responsible for N2 fixation have a high P requirement. Therefore, this book explains how nodule N2 fixation responds to low P availability, which is crucial for improving legume production and maintaining agricultural sustainability in the context of the global P crisis.

''Interesting with many useful ideas and references. It covers a broad range and it is a good introduction to this field.'' ---Analyst

The receptor-associated JAK protein kinases and their substrates, the STAT transcriptional activators, transmit signals following cytokine and growth factor binding to receptors expressed on the cell surface, to result in specific transcriptional and cellular responses. Over the last two decades, the field has progressed from identification of the individual components through to an understanding of the activation and deactivation mechanisms, and the complex structural detail of the proteins involved. We now know that these pathways are important in many biological processes, including growth and development, hematopoiesis, and the innate and adaptive immune response. JAK-STAT Signalling: Methods and Protocols provides detailed methodologies for examining many aspects of the pathway. Divided into four sections, topics include JAK and STAT specific approaches, the negative regulators of the pathway (SOCS proteins), and the production and crystallization of JAK and STAT proteins, among others. Written in the successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) 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, JAK-STAT Signalling: Methods and Protocols will be of use not only to those working in the area but also to new investigators who are led to delve into the complexities of JAK and STAT responses.

Transposable elements are short lengths of DNA with the capacity to move between different points within a genome. This process can affect the function of genes at or near the insertion site. The present book gives an overview of the impact of transposable elements on plant genomes and explains how to recognize and study transposable elements, e.g. by using state-of-the-art strategies like "new generation sequencing." Moreover, the impact of transposable elements on plant genome structure and function is reviewed in detail, and also illustrated in examples and case studies. The book is intended both for readers familiar with the field and for newcomers. With large-scale sequencing becoming increasingly available, more and more people will come across transposable element sequences in their data, and this volume will hopefully help to convince them that they are not just "junk DNA."

The latest edition in this continuing series includes the newest advances in the rapidly evolving field of animal cell culture, genetic manipulations for heterologous gene expression, cell line enhancements, improved bioreactor designs and separations, gene therapy manufacturing, tissue engineering, anti-apoptosis strategies and cell cycle research. The contents include new research articles as well as critical reviews on emerging topics such as viral and viral-like agent contamination of animal cell culture components. These papers were carefully selected from contributions by leading academic and industrial experts in the biotechnology community at the recent Cell Culture Engineering VI Meeting in San Diego, USA, 1998. However, the book is not merely a proceedings. Audience: Biochemical engineers, cell biologists, biochemists, molecular biologists, immunologists and other disciplines related to cell culture engineering, working in the academic environment and the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry.

he biological sciences are dominated by the idea that cells are the functionally autonomous, physically separated, discrete units of life. TThis concept was propounded in the 19th century by discoveries of the cellular structuring of both plants and animals. Moreover, the ap parent autonomy of unicellular eukaryotes, as well as the cellular basis of the mammalian brain (an organ whose anatomy for a long while defied attempts to validate the idea of the cellular nature of its neurons), seemed to provide the final conclusive evidence for the completeness of *cell theory', a theory which has persisted in an almost dogmatic form up to the present day. However, it is very obvious that there are numerous observations which indicate that it is not the cells which serve as the basic units of biological life but that this property falls to some other, subcellular assemblage. To deal with this intricate problem concerning the fundamental unit of living matter, we proposed the so-called Cell Body concept which, in fact, devel ops an exceedingly original idea proposed by Julius Sachs at the end of the 19th century. In the case of eukaryotic cells, DNA-enriched nuclei are intimately associated with a microtubular cytoskeleton. In this configuration-as a Cell Body-these two items comprise the fundamental functional and struc tural unit of eukaryotic living matter. The Cell Body seems to be inherent to all cells in all organisms.

Nanoscale structures and materials have been explored in many biological applications because of their novel and impressive physical and chemical properties. Such properties allow remarkable opportunities to study and interact with complex biological processes. This book analyses the state of the art of piezoelectric nanomaterials and introduces their applications in the biomedical field. Despite their impressive potentials, piezoelectric materials have not yet received significant attention for bio-applications. This book shows that the exploitation of piezoelectric nanoparticles in nanomedicine is possible and realistic, and their impressive physical properties can be useful for several applications, ranging from sensors and transducers for the detection of biomolecules to sensible substrates for tissue engineering or cell stimulation. The book also focuses on the preparation, characterization and bio-applications of piezoelectric nanoparticles.

Bidirectional traffic of macromolecules across the nuclear envelope is an active and essential transport process in all eukaryotic cells. Work on various model systems has led to a tremendous increase in our understanding of nuclear transport in recent years.This volume summarizes our current knowledge of protein and RNA transport into and out of the nucleus. It contains nine up-to-date reviews which cover various aspects of nucleocytoplasmic transport, including the structure and function of the nuclear pore complex, the role of soluble transport factors in protein and RNA transport, and the regulation of protein transport through the nuclear pore.

This book focuses on the modeling and mathematical analysis of stochastic dynamical systems along with their simulations. The collected chapters will review fundamental and current topics and approaches to dynamical systems in cellular biology. This text aims to develop improved mathematical and computational methods with which to study biological processes. At the scale of a single cell, stochasticity becomes important due to low copy numbers of biological molecules, such as mRNA and proteins that take part in biochemical reactions driving cellular processes. When trying to describe such biological processes, the traditional deterministic models are often inadequate, precisely because of these low copy numbers. This book presents stochastic models, which are necessary to account for small particle numbers and extrinsic noise sources. The complexity of these models depend upon whether the biochemical reactions are diffusion-limited or reaction-limited. In the former case, one needs to adopt the framework of stochastic reaction-diffusion models, while in the latter, one can describe the processes by adopting the framework of Markov jump processes and stochastic differential equations. Stochastic Processes, Multiscale Modeling, and Numerical Methods for Computational Cellular Biology will appeal to graduate students and researchers in the fields of applied mathematics, biophysics, and cellular biology.

Sequencing projects have revealed the presence of at least several hundred receptor kinases in a typical plant genome. Receptor kinases are therefore the largest family of primary signal transducers in plants, and their abundance suggests an immense signaling network that we have only just begun to uncover. Recent research findings indicate that individual receptor kinases fulfill important roles in growth and development, in the recognition of pathogens and symbionts or, in a few examples, in both growth and defense. This volume will focus on the roles of receptor kinases, their signaling pathways, and the ways in which these important signaling proteins are regulated.

The decline of infections, starvation, heart attack, and stroke has allowed people to reach extreme old age--and ushered in disability, dementia, and degenerative disease, with profound consequences for the self and society. In chapters echoing Dante's nine circles of hell, Dr. Guy Brown explores these vital issues at various levels, from the cell, to the whole body, to society and how all this new medical technology affects the meaning of death. He tracks the seismic shifts in the causes and character of death that are rocking medicine and reveals how technological innovations, such as cloning and electronic interfaces, hint at new modes of "survival" after death.

David Kuter and a host of leading international researchers summarize in one volume all the knowledge of thrombopoietins (TPO) available today. The distinguished experts review the history of the search to discover TPO, describe the molecular and biological characteristics of this new molecule, and present the results of the preclinical animal experiments that will guide clinical use of this new hormone. Along the way they provide the most recent and comprehensive guide to the biology of megakaryocytes and platelets.

Progress in Cell Cycle Research is a new annual series designed to be the source for up-to-date research on this rapidly expanding field. Review articles by international experts examine various aspects of cell division regulation from fundamental perspectives to potential medical applications. Researchers as well as advanced undergraduate and graduate students in cell biology, biochemistry, and molecular biology will benefit from this series.

One of the mysteries of mammalian reproduction is the physiologic process that determines the length of gestation. The proper timing of birth ensures that the young individual is sufficiently developed to survive and adapt in the extrauterine environment, and that the mother is capable to provide nutrition and protection to the newborn. This volume summarizes new knowledge obtained by many researchers seeking to unravel the compile mechanisms that contribute to the maintenance and termination of pregnancy. The most important common goal of these efforts is to reduce the incidence of preterm birth, which is the leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality in numerous countries.
Separate chapters are devoted to the best-studied animal models of parturition. In sheep, the fetus is in control of the timing of its own birth, while in avian species, oviposition is evidently determined by the female laying the feritlized egg. In humans and non-human primates, the roles of the fetus and the mother are more balanced, and involve a complicated and poorly understood interplay between the mother, the fetus, and the placenta. Some major aspects of these interactions, such as trophoblast function, myometrial contractility, and the endocrine-paracrine systems, are discussed in further chapters.

There are probably few people who do not dream of the good old times, when do ing science often meant fascination, excitement, even adventure. In our time, do ing science involves often technology and, perhaps, even business. But there are still niches where curiosity and fascination have their place. The subject of this book, technological as its title may sound, is one of the fortunate examples. It will report on lasers generating the coldest places in the Universe, and on table top laser microtools which can produce a heat "inferno" as it prevails in the interior of the Sun, or simulate, for specific plant cells, microgravity of the space around our plan et Earth. There will be some real surprises for the reader. The applications range from basic studies of the driving forces of cell division (and thus life) via genetic modification of cells (for example, for plant breeding) to medical applications such as blood cell analysis and finally in vitro fertilization. What are these instruments: laser microbeams and optical tweezers? Both are lasers coupled with a fluorescence microscope. The laser microbeam uses a pulsed ultraviolet laser. Light is focused, as well as possible, in space and time, in order to obtain extremely high light intensities - high enough to generate, for a very short instant, extremely hot spots which can be used to cut, fuse or perforate biological material."