The Evolution of Molecular Biology: The Search for the Secrets of Life provides the historical knowledge behind techniques founded in molecular biology, also presenting an appreciation of how, and by whom, these discoveries were made. It deals with the evolution of intellectual concepts in the context of active research in an approachable language that accommodates readers from a variety of backgrounds. Each chapter contains a prologue and epilogue to create continuity and provide a complete framework of molecular biology. This foundational work also functions as a historical and conceptual supplement to many related courses in biochemistry, biology, chemistry, genetics and history of science. In addition, the book demonstrates how the roots of discovery and advances-and an individual's own research-have grown out of the history of the field, presenting a more complete understanding and context for scientific discovery.

Metabolic Aspects of Aging, Volume 155, the latest release in the Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science series seeks to provide the most topical, informative and exciting monographs available on a wide variety of research topics related to prions, viruses, bacteria and eukaryotes. The series includes in-depth knowledge on the molecular, biological aspects of organismal physiology and function, with this release including chapters on Longevity, Metabolic Disease and Community Health, the Metabolic Aspects of Aging, Obesity, Metabolism, and Aging: A Multiscalar Approach, The Intersection of Curandismo and Western Medicine and Their Epidemiological Impact for Aging Mexican Americans, and more.

The inflammasome is a protein complex composed of an intracellular sensor-typically a Nod-like receptor (NLR), the precursor procaspase-1, and the adaptor ASC. Inflammasome activation leads to the maturation of caspase-1 and the processing of its substrates, IL-1 and IL-18. The inflammasome has been implicated numerous diseases, and blockade of inflammasome-derived IL-1 has beneficial effects on several of these diseases. Different books have been edited about the biology of inflammasomes and about methods to study, however, the implication of this complex in the different diseases and pathological conditions show the need of a book about the clinical implications and therapeutic options. This project will show the context where inflammasomes are being studied and the molecular implications in the medical and clinical contexts. Other important topic of the inflammasomes will be the development of pharmacological inhibitors in order to improve new clinical applications. In this sense, we can find new drugs with inhibitory effects or old drugs with an inhibitory potential effect. There is a need for re-establishing the real benefits of the inflammasome inhibitions in pathological situations and the management of the differents diseases where inflammasomes are implicated.

CRISPR in Animals and Animal Models, Volume 152, the latest release in the Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science series, explores the genome editing CRISPR system in cells and animal models, its applications, the uses of the CRISPR system, and the past, present and future of CRISPR genome editing. Topics of interest in this updated volume include a section on CRISPR history, The genome editing revolution, Programming CRISPR and its applications, CRISPR Delivery methods, CRISPR libraries and screening, CRISPR investigation in haploid cells, CRISPR in the generation of transgenic animals, CRISPR therapeutics, and Promising strategies and present challenges.

Natural Variances and Clocks, Volume 99 in the Advances in Genetics series provides the latest information on the rapidly evolving field of genetics, presenting new medical breakthroughs and advances. This updated release includes chapters on a variety of new research, including the Natural variation of the circadian clock in Neurospora, Natural variation and genetics of the photoperiodic timer in the pitcher-plant mosquito, Natural variation in human clocks, and Natural variation in the circadian clock genes in Drosophila and other insects. This series continually publishes important reviews that are ideal for geneticists and their colleagues in affiliated disciplines, critically analyzing future directions.

Peptidomics of Cancer-Derived Enzyme Products, Volume 42, the latest in The Enzymes series, is ideal for researchers in biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, pharmacology, and cancer, with this volume featuring high-caliber, thematic articles on the topic of peptidomics of cancer-derived enzyme products. Specific chapters cover Circulating peptidome and tumor-resident proteolysis, Colon tumor secretopeptidome, Chemoenzymatic method for glycomics, Human plasma peptidome for pancreatic cancer, Lipoproteomics and quantitative proteomics, Salivaomics: Protein markers/extracellular RNA/DNA in saliva, and Enzyme-responsive vectors for cancer therapy.

The dark side of the genome represents vast domains of the genome that are not encoding for proteins - the basic bricks of cellular structure and metabolism. Up to 98% of the human genome is non-coding and produces so-called long non-coding RNA. Some of these non-coding RNA play fundamental roles in cellular identity, cell development and cancer progression. They are now widely studied in many organisms to understand their function. This book reviews this expanding field of research and present the broad functional diversities of those molecules and their putative fundamental and therapeutic roles and develops the recent history of non-coding RNA, their very much debated classification and how they raise a formidable interest for developmental and tumorigenesis biology. Using classical examples and an extensive bibliography, the book illustrates the most studied and attractive examples of these long non-coding RNA, how they interface with epigenetics, genome integrity and expression and what are the current models of their regulatory mechanisms.

Mechanisms of DNA Recombination and Genome Rearrangements: Methods to Study Homologous Recombination, Volume 600, the latest release in the Methods in Enzymology series, continues the legacy of this premier serial with quality chapters authored by leaders in the field. Homologous genetic recombination remains the most enigmatic process in DNA metabolism. The molecular machines of recombination preserve the integrity of the genetic material in all organisms and generate genetic diversity in evolution. The same molecular machines that support genetic integrity by orchestrating accurate repair of the most deleterious DNA lesions, however, also promote survival of cancerous cells and emergence of radiation and chemotherapy resistance. This two-volume set offers a comprehensive set of cutting edge methods to study various aspects of homologous recombination and cellular processes that utilize the enzymatic machinery of recombination The chapters are written by the leading researches and cover a broad range of topics from the basic molecular mechanisms of recombinational proteins and enzymes to emerging cellular techniques and drug discovery efforts.

Living organisms exhibit specific responses when confronted with sudden changes in their environmental conditions. The ability of the cells to acclimate to their new environment is the integral driving force for adaptive modification of the cells. Such adaptation involves a number of cellular and biochemical alteration including metabolic homeostasis and reprogramming of gene expression. Changes in metabolic pathways are generally short-lived and reversible, while the consequences of gene expression are a long-term process and may lead to permanent alternation in the pattern of adaptive responses.
The heart possesses remarkable ability to adapt itself against any stressful situation by increasing resistance to the adverse consequences. Stress composes the foundation of many degenerative heart diseases including atherosclerosis, spasm, thrombosis, cardiomyopathy, and congestive heart failure. Based on the concept that excessive stress may play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of ischemic heart disease, attempts were made to design methods for preventing of myocardial injury. Creation of stress reactions by repeated ischemia and reperfusion or subjecting the hearts to heat or oxidative stress enables them to meet the future stress challenge. Repeated stress exposures adapt the heart to withstand more severe stress reactions probably by upregulating the cellular defense and direct accumulation of intracellular mediators, which presumably constitute the material basis of increased adaptation to stress. Thus, the powerful cardioprotective effect of adaptation is likely to originate at the cellular and molecular levels that compose fundamental processes in the prophylaxis of such diseases.
Volume six of the Advances in Organ Biology series contains state-of-the-art reviews on myocardial preservation and cellular adaptation from the leading authorities in this subject.

Methods in Enzymology, Volume 599 is the second of two volumes focused on Fe-S cluster enzymes. Topics of interest in this new release include steps towards understanding mitochondrial Fe/S cluster biogenesis, iron sulfur clusters in zinc finger proteins, electrochemistry of Iron-sulfur enzymes, NRVS for Fe in biology and its experiment and basic interpretation, methods for studying iron regulatory protein 1, an important protein in human iron metabolism, the characterization of glutaredoxin Fe-S cluster binding interactions using circular dichroism spectroscopy, fluorescent reporters to track Fe-S cluster assembly and transfer reactions, methods for studying the Fe-S cluster containing base excision repair glycosylase MUTYH, and more.

Chemical Glycobiology, Part B, Volume 598, the latest release in the Methods in Enzymology series, continues the legacy of this premier serial with quality chapters authored by leaders in the field. This volume is the second release on chemical glycobiology.

A Structure-Function Toolbox for Membrane Transporter and Channels, Volume 594, a new release in the Methods in Enzymology series, continues the legacy of this premier serial with quality chapters authored by leaders in the field. New chapters in the updated serial include Cryo-EM on membrane proteins embedded in nanodics, Solid-Supported membrane-based electrophysiology on membrane transporters and channels, Saposin-lipoprotein scaffolds for structure determination of membrane transporters and channels, Single-molecule FRET on transporters, Dynamics of channels and transporters investigated by NMR, Structure-function studies on channels and transporters, and a section on MemStar, a new GFP-based expression and purification system for transporters and channels.

A proper understanding of the diversity, systematics, and nomenclature of microbes is increasingly important in many branches of biological science. The molecular approach to phylogenetic analysis - pioneered by Carl Woese in the 1970s and leading to the three-domain model (Archaea, Bacteria, Eucarya) - has revolutionized our thinking about evolution in the microbial world. The technological innovation of modern molecular biology and the rapid advancement in computational science have led to a flood of nucleic acid sequence information, bioinformatic tools, and phylogenetic inference methods. Phylogenetic analysis has long played a central role in microbiology and the emerging fields of comparative genomics and phylogenomics require substantial knowledge and understanding of phylogenetic analysis and computational methods. In this book, leading scientists from around the world explore current concepts in molecular phylogeny and their application with respect to microorganisms. The authors describe the different approaches applied today to elucidate the molecular phylogeny of prokaryotes (and eukaryotic protists) and review current phylogenetic methods, techniques, and software tools. Topics covered include: a historical overview, computational tools, multilocus sequence analysis, 16S rRNA phylogenetic trees, rooting of the universal tree of life, applications of conserved indels, lateral gene transfer, endosymbiosis, and the evolution of plastids.

Overflow Metabolism: From Yeast to Marathon Runners provides an overview of overflow metabolism, reviewing the major phenomenological aspects as observed in different organisms, followed by a critical analysis of proposed theories to explain overflow metabolism. In our ideal view of metabolism, we think of catabolism and anabolism. In catabolism nutrients break down to carbon dioxide and water to generate biochemical energy. In anabolism nutrients break down to generate building blocks for cell biosynthesis. Yet, when cells are pushed to high metabolic rates they exhibit incomplete catabolism of nutrients, with a lower energy yield and excretion of metabolic byproducts. This phenomenon, characterized by the excretion of metabolic byproducts that could otherwise be used for catabolism or anabolism, is generally known as overflow metabolism. Overflow metabolism is a ubiquitous phenotype that has been conserved during evolution. Examples are the acetate switch in the bacterium E. coli, Crabtree effect in unicellular eukaryote yeasts, the lactate switch in sports medicine, and the Warburg effect in cancer. Several theories have been proposed to explain this seemingly wasteful phenotype. Yet, there is no consensus about what determines overflow metabolism and whether it offers any selective advantage.

G Protein Coupled Receptors, Second Edition, Volume 143, a new volume in the Methods in Cell Biology series, continues the legacy of this premier serial with quality chapters authored by leaders in the field. It contains a wide array of topics about the G protein coupled receptors, as well as updates of chapters from the first edition.

Membrane processes today play a signifi cant role in the replacement therapy for acute and chronic organ failure diseases. Current extracorporeal blood purifi cation and oxygenation devices employ membranes acting as selective barriers for the removal of endogeneous and exogeneous toxins and for gas exchange, respectively. Additionally, membrane technology offers new interesting opportunities for the design of bioartificial livers, pancreas, kidneys, lungs etc. This book reviews the latest developments in membrane systems for bioartificial organs and regenerative medicine, investigates how membrane technology can improve the quality and efficiency of biomedical devices, and highlights the design procedures for membrane materials covering the preparation, characterization, and sterilization steps as well as transport phenomena. The different strategies pursued for the development of membrane bioartifi cial organs, including crucial issues related to blood/cell-membrane interactions are described with the aim of opening new and exciting frontiers in the coming decades. The book is a valuable tool for tissue engineers, clinicians, biomaterials scientists, membranologists as well as biologists and biotechnologists. It is also a source of reference for students, academic and industrial researchers in the topic of biotechnology, biomedical engineering, materials science and medicine.

DNA Repair Enzymes, Part A, Volume 591 is the latest volume in the Methods in Enzymology series and the first part of a thematic that focuses on DNA repair enzymes. Topics in this new release include chapters on the Optimization of Native and Formaldehyde iPOND Techniques for Use in Suspension Cells, the Proteomic Analyses of the Eukaryotic Replication Machinery, DNA Fiber Analysis: Mind the Gap!, Comet-FISH for Ultrasensitive Strand-Specific Detection of DNA Damage in Single Cells, Examining DNA Double-Strand Break Repair in a Cell Cycle-Dependent Manner, Base Excision Repair Variants in Cancer, and Fluorescence-Based Reporters for Detection of Mutagenesis in E. coli.

Advances in Microbial Physiology, Volume 70 continues the long tradition of topical, important, cutting-edge reviews in microbiology with this new volume covering a variety of topics, including Bacterial Hemoprotein Sensors of NO: H-NOX and NosP, Manganese in Marine Microbiology, Nutritional Immunity and Fungal Pathogenesis: The Struggle for Micronutrients at the Host-Pathogen Interface, Metal-Based Combinations that Target Protein Synthesis by Fungi, Transition Metal Homeostasis in Streptococcus Pyogenes and Streptococcus Pneumoniae, Copper and Antibiotics: Discovery, Modes of Action, and Opportunities for Medicinal Applications, Metal Resistance and Its Association with Antibiotic Resistance, and The Role of Intermetal Competition and Mis-Metalation in Metal Toxicity.

International Review of Cell and Molecular Biology, Volume 332 reviews current advances in cell and molecular biology. This latest release covers Metabolic alterations at the crossroad between aging and oncogenesis, Molecular and cellular mechanisms of auto-immunity, Old and novel functions of caspase-2, Organelle crosstalk in oncogenic metabolic reprogramming, a Molecular Biology Digest of Cellular Mitophagy, the Regulation of cell calcium and role of plasma membrane calcium ATPases, and Mechanisms of cortical differentiation. The IRCMB series has a worldwide readership, maintaining a high standard by publishing invited articles on important and timely topics that are authored by prominent cell and molecular biologists. Users will find that the articles published in IRCMB have a high impact and average cited half-life of nine years. This great resource ranks high amongst scientific journals dealing with cell biology.

Biology and Engineering of Stem Cell Niches covers a wide spectrum of research and current knowledge on embryonic and adult stem cell niches, focusing on the understanding of stem cell niche molecules and signaling mechanisms, including cell-cell/cell-matrix interactions. The book comprehensively reviews factors regulating stem cell behavior and the corresponding approaches for understanding the subsequent effect of providing the proper matrix molecules, mechanical cues, and/or chemical cues. It encompasses a variety of tools and techniques for developing biomaterials-based methods to model synthetic stem cell niches in vivo, or to enhance and direct stem cell fate in vitro. A final section of the book discusses stem cell niche bioengineering strategies and current advances in each tissue type.

Piezo Channels, Volume 79, the latest volume in the Current Topics in Membranes series provides the necessary membrane research to assist readers in discovering the current state of a particular field and future directions. New chapters in the updated volume include A Tour de Force: The Discovery, Properties, and Function of Piezo Channels, Piezo1 Channels in Vascular Development and the Sensing of Shear Stress, the Origin of the Force: The Force-From-Lipids Principle Applied to Piezo Channels, Genetic Diseases of PIEZO1 and PIEZO2 Dysfunction, and The Structural Basis for Sensing by the Piezo1 Protein. Users of this series will find an up-to-date presentation of the current knowledge in the field of Piezo Channels.

MiRNAs in Differentiation and Development, Volume 333, the latest in the International Review of Cell and Molecular Biology series, reviews and details current advances in cell and molecular biology. Topics in this updated volume include chapters on the Regulation of the DNA damage response by miRNAs, miRNAs and the p53 network, the Impact of miRNAs in the cellular response to hypoxia, miRNAs in oncogenesis and tumor suppression, and the Role of miRNAs in metastatic dissemination. The IRCMB series has a worldwide readership, maintaining a high standard by publishing articles on timely topics that are authored by prominent cell and molecular biologists. The articles published in IRCMB have a high impact and an average cited half-life of nine years. This great resource ranks high amongst scientific journals dealing with cell biology.

DNA Structure and Function, a timely and comprehensive resource, is intended for any student or scientist interested in DNA structure and its biological implications. The book provides a simple yet comprehensive introduction to nearly all aspects of DNA structure. It also explains current ideas on the biological significance of classic and alternative DNA conformations. Suitable for graduate courses on DNA structure and nucleic acids, the text is also excellent supplemental reading for courses in general biochemistry, molecular biology, and genetics.
Special Features
* Explains basic DNA Structure and function clearly and simply
* Contains up-to-date coverage of cruciforms, Z-DNA, triplex DNA, and other DNA conformations
* Discusses DNA-protein interactions, chromosomal organization, and biological implications of structure
* Highlights key experiments and ideas within boxed sections
* Illustrated with 150 diagrams and figures that convey structural and experimental concepts