A cofactor is a component part of many enzymes and functions by uniting with another molecule in order to become active.
The use of cofactors to supplement the native amino acids of a protein is essential to maintain the chemical capabilities necessary for organisms to survive. This volume focuses on the significant advances of the past decade in identifying and describing new cofactors--either small molecules or those derived posttranslationally.

General Description of the Volume:
The role of low molecular weight cofactors (often vitamins) in enzyme catalysis has been discussed in many earlier volumes of Methods in Enzymology. Exciting new results indicate that redox-active prosthetic groups can also arise from pre-existing amino acid side chains in proteins. In this volume, methods are described for the detection and characterization of such prosthetic groups in a range of enzyme systems.
General Description of the Series:
The critically acclaimed laboratory standard for more than forty years, Methods in Enzymology is one of the most highly respected publications in the field of biochemistry. Since 1955, each volume has been eagerly awaited, frequently consulted, and praised by researchers and reviewers alike. Now with more than 300 volumes (all of them still in print), the series contains much material still relevant today--truly an essential publication for researchers in all fields of life sciences.
Key Features
* Among the redox-active prosthetic groups covered are:
* Topa quinones
* Pyrroloquinoline quinones
* Quinoproteins
* Tryptophan tryptophylquinones

Molecular Life Sciences: An Encyclopedic Reference will focus on understanding biological phenomena at the level of molecules and their interactions that govern life processes. The work will include articles on genes and genomes, protein structure and function, systems biology using genomics and proteomics as the focus, molecular aspects of cell structure and function, unifying concepts and theories from biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics that are essential for understanding the molecular life sciences (including teaching perspectives and assessment tools), and basic aspects of the various experimental approaches that are used in the Molecular Life Sciences.