The Golgi Apparatus: The First 100 Years traces the first 100 years of Golgi apparatus discovery from the first published accounts from Pavia, Italy in 1898 to the Centenary Celebration in Pavia, Italy in 1998 and into the decade beyond. It is not intended, however, to be a comprehensive survey but rather to present the perspectives of the authors to summarize their contributions over the past 50 years in parallel with the modern era of Golgi apparatus discovery initiated in 1954 and made possible by the advent of the electron microscope. Included are methods of cell fractionation and biochemical analysis leading up to the present where efforts focus heavily on molecular biology. Topics where the authors and their colleagues have made substantial and/or pioneering contributions are emphasized including Golgi apparatus morphology and structural organization and function (especially in plants), the existence and importance of cisternal tubules, development of methods of plant and animal Golgi apparatus isolation and subfractionation, biochemical analyses of highly purified plant and animal Golgi apparatus fractions in comparison to equally highly pu- fied reference fractions.

Many adult onset neurodegenerative diseases arise from the accumulation of misfolded peptides. This book examines the role sub-cellular trafficking pathways play in the pathological accumulation of these misfolded proteins and in attempts to clear them.

Now in full color, the Fourth Edition of this text gives students a thorough understanding of microbial agents and the pathophysiology of microbial diseases. The text facilitates learning and recall by emphasizing unifying principles and paradigms, rather than forcing students to memorize isolated facts by rote. Case studies with problem-solving questions give students insight into clinical applications of microbiology. Each chapter ends with review and USMLE-style questions. For this edition, all schematic illustrations have been re-rendered in full color and new illustrations have been added. A new online site for students includes animations, USMLE-style questions, and all schematic illustrations and photographs from the text.

This book covers the past, present and future of the intra-cellular trafficking field, which has made a quantum leap in the last few decades. It details how the field has developed and evolved as well as examines future directions.

Eukaryotic Membranes and Cytoskeleton: Origins and Evolution discusses the evolutionary origin and diversification of eukaryotic endomembranes and cytoskeleton from a cell biological and comparative genomic perspective. Many of the chapters present original research data from comparative genomic surveys. The presence/absence of gene families with central roles in endomembrane and cytoskeleton dynamics in a variety of eukaryotic taxa and an understanding of eukaryote phylogeny allow us to accurately reconstruct the cellular machineries present in the last common ancestor of eukaryotes. Such a reconstruction is fundamental if we are to understand eukaryotic diversification since this is the ancestral cell from which all diversity arose. Comparative genomics can likewise tell us which lineages expanded or reduced certain gene families and the associated cellular machineries.

This is a polymer physics textbook for upper level undergraduates and first year graduate students. Any student with a working knowledge of calculus, physics and chemistry should be able to read this book. The essential tools of the polymer physical chemist or engineer are derived in this book without skipping any steps. The book is a self-contained treatise that could also serve as a useful reference for scientists and engineers working with polymers. While no prior knowledge of polymers is assumed, the book goes far beyond introductory polymer texts in the scope of what is covered. The fundamental concepts required to fully understand polymer melts, solutions and gels in terms of both static structure and dynamics are explained in detail. Problems at the end of each Chapter provide the reader with the opportunity to apply what has been learned to practice. The book is divided into four parts. After an introduction in Chapter 1, where the necessary concepts from a first course on polymers are summarized, the conformations of single polymer chains are treated in Part 1. Part 2 deals with the thermodynamics of polymer solutions and melts, including the conformations of chains in those states. Part 3 applies the concepts of Part 2 to the formation and properties of polymer networks. Finally, Part 4 explains the essential aspects of how polymers move in both melt and solution states. In all cases, attention is restricted to concepts that are firmly entrenched in the field.

This book has been developed over many years from several popular courses taught to students at both Birmingham and London universities. It provides an important step in introducing principles and concepts within the field of toxicology. The underlying mechanisms of toxicity are highlighted through examples taken from gases, minerals, plants, fungi, bacteria, marine creatures, industrial chemicals and pharmacological agents.In this second edition, the text has been completely revised and expanded with the addition of six new chapters — carbon monoxide, hydrofluoric acid, lead, mushroom, toxins, paracetamol, paraquat and diquat. Each chapter is self-sufficient, enabling readers to dip into chapters of interest at random without any lack of understanding. The book is informative, with numerous clinical details, and will appeal to those who wish to delve into this fascinating subject./a

Extremophiles and the origin of life -- Thermal environments and biodiversity -- Functional genomics in thermophilic microorganisms -- How nucleic acids cope with high temperature -- How thermophiles cope with thermolabile metabolites -- Temperature-dependent molecular adaptation features in proteins -- The physiological role, biosynthesis and mode of action of compatible solutes from (hyper)thermophiles -- Membrane adaptations of (hyper)thermophiles to high temperatures -- Ecology and biodiversity of cold-adapted microorganisms -- Life in ice formations at very cold temperatures -- Lake Vostok and subglacial lakes of Antarctica: do they host life? Guido di Prisco -- Psychrophiles: membrane adaptations -- Cold-adapted enzymes -- The cold-shock response -- Perception and transduction of low temperature in bacteria -- An interplay between metabolic and physicochemical constraints: lessons from the psychrophilic prokaryote genomes -- Biodiversity in highly saline environments -- Response to osmotic stress in a haloarchaeal genome: a role for general stress proteins and global regulatory mechanisms -- Molecular adaptation to high salt -- Physiology and ecology of acidophilic microorganisms -- Acidophiles: mechanisms to tolerate metal and acid toxicity -- Genomics of acidophiles Angelov and W. Liebl -- Environmental and taxonomic biodiversities of gram-positive alkaliphiles -- Bioenergetic adaptations that support alkaliphily -- Microbial adaptation to high pressure -- Astrobiology and the search for life in the universe -- Extremophiles, a unique resource of biocatalysts for industrial biotechnology -- Lessons from extremophiles: early evolution and border conditions of life.

The study of evolution at the molecular level has given the subject of evolutionary biology a new significance. Phylogenetic 'trees' of gene sequences are a powerful tool for recovering evolutionary relationships among species, and can be used to answer a broad range of evolutionary and ecological questions. They are also beginning to permeate the medical sciences. In this book, the authors approach the study of molecular evolution with the phylogenetic tree as a central metaphor. This will equip students and professionals with the ability to see both the evolutionary relevance of molecular data, and the significance evolutionary theory has for molecular studies. The book is accessible yet sufficiently detailed and explicit so that the student can learn the mechanics of the procedures discussed. The book is intended for senior undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in molecular evolution/phylogenetic reconstruction. It will also be a useful supplement for students taking wider courses in evolution, as well as a valuable resource for professionals.

First student textbook of phylogenetic reconstruction which uses the tree as a central metaphor of evolution.
Chapter summaries and annotated suggestions for further reading.
Worked examples facilitate understanding of some of the more complex issues.
Emphasis on clarity and accessibility.

The intermediary metabolism of small molecules is the meat and potatoes of cell function. The pathways and modes of obtaining energy, degradation and utilization of exogenous organic nutrients, and formation of the building blocks of the main macromolecules were a major focus of research in biology from the turn of the 20th century into the 1970s. Other matters have come to prominence, but the field is active, with interesting problems that are central to biology and medicine. Molecular biology developed through the use of one bacterium, Eschericha coli, with the saying "What's true for E. coli is true for elephants." In recent years, an analogous workhorse has been the eukaryotic microbe baker's yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, used in many studies of cell biology common to multicellular organisms. This single-volume handbook explains metabolism as based on Saccharomyces. The topics include central metabolic pathways; catabolism; fermentation; respiration; biosynthesis of small molecules including cofactors; the metabolism of lipids, polysaccharides, and storage molecules; inorganic ions; transport and compartments; the global analysis of metabolism; and issues of metabolic toxicity. The book is expected to be used in courses and as a handbook or reference book for research investigators.

"Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an important research tool and industrial reagent. This organism provides the intellectual basis for much of our understanding of the molecular and cellular biology of eukaryotes. It has also been extensively used in traditional and modern biotechnology." "The Metabolism and Molecular Physiology of Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been written in response to the need of researchers in academia and industry for an integrated, 'whole organism' approach to this yeast. Thus, the chapters - have been written, by distinguished experts, within the context of whole organism behaviour." "Molecular biologists, cell biologists and geneticists at research and senior undergraduate level will find this a valuable, definitive reference, as will managers and researchers in yeast-based biotechnological industries. Its concise and readable style will make it accessible to all who work with yeast."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

"This volume inspires. It certainly will be much appreciated by cell biologists all over the world." Quarterly Review of Biology, March 2009 This book is the eagerly awaited second edition of the best-selling Mitochondria, a book widely acknowledged as the first modern, truly comprehensive authored work on the important, scientifically fundamental topic of the cellular organelles known as mitochondria. This new edition brings readers completely up to date on the many significant findings that have occurred in theeight years since the book was first published. As in that seminal first edition, the second edition tackles the biochemistry, genetics, and pathology of mitochondria in different organisms. The new edition provides thorough updates of all literature concerning this vital organelle, its functions, ongoing research surrounding it, and its importance vis-à-vis a broad range of issues in cellular and molecular biology. The book includes detailed descriptions of current and developing technologies around mitochondrial research and discovery, and highlights subjects that are growing, such as the use of proteomics. This bookis an invaluable resource for all geneticists, biologists, and educators in life sciences. It is also of interest for advanced students in genetics and molecular biology.

This volume assembles contemporary evidence of domain formation in membranes gathered by leading researchers in fields ranging from membrane biophysics to cell biology. Questions relating to how non-random membrane arrangements are defined, detected and monitored to characterise their dynamic behaviour are addressed. The components associated with membrane rafts are examined and the different mechanisms employed to create membrane microdomains are considered. Evidence relating to the regulation of membrane microdomain formation in the context of membrane biogenesis and homeostasis is discussed. The role of membrane domain formation in the generation and transmission of signals transduced via membranes to evoke a variety of physiological responses is examined and examples of where membrane domain structures are involved in infection and disease states are provided.

Methods in Yeast Genetics is a course that has been offered annually at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory for the last thirty years. This is an updated edition of the course manual, which provides a set of teaching experiments, along with protocols and recipes for the standard techniques and reagents used in the study of yeast biology. Since the last edition of the manual was published (2000), revolutionary advances in genomics and proteomics technologies have had a significant impact on the field. This updated edition reflects these advances, and also includes new techniques involving vital staining, visualization of Green Fluorescent Protein, new drug resistance markers, high-copy suppression, Tandem Affinity Protein tag protein purification, gene disruption by double-fusion polymerase chain reaction, and many other recent developments.

This book provides a concise, approachable description of how modern NMR experiments work, aimed principally at those who use, or might use, an NMR spectrometer and are curious about why the spectra look the way they do. It provides, in an accessible and relatively informal fashion, the conceptual and theoretical tools needed to understand the inner workings of some of the most important multi-pulse, multi-nuclear, multi-dimensional techniques that chemists and biochemists use to probe the structures and dynamics of molecules in liquids.
Part A (chapters 1-6) starts with the vector model, and proceeds to the more powerful product operator formalism. Part B (chapters 7-10) shows how straightforward quantum mechanics can be used to understand NMR and product operators at a more fundamental level.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a powerful technique in structural biology for obtaining high resolution 3-D structures of proteins, second only, and complementary to X-ray crystallography. Molecules are studied in solution, where conditions are closer to what is found in the cell. It is the primary technique used to obtain information on intrinsically disordered (unfolded) proteins, since these proteins will not crystallize easily. The aim of this book is to provide the newcomer to NMR techniques with practical guidance on how to choose the right experiment, how to carry out the experiment, and how to analyse the resulting spectra. Those who are familiar with the chemical applications of NMR will also find it helpful in describing the special requirements of proteins.

Reviews of the Second Edition
"In this book, Andy Baxevanis and Francis Ouellette . . . have undertaken the difficult task of organizing the knowledge in this field in a logical progression and presenting it in a digestible form. And they have done an excellent job. This fine text will make a major impact on biological research and, in turn, on progress in biomedicine. We are all in their debt."--Eric Lander, from the Foreword to the Second Edition
"The editors and the chapter authors of this book are to be applauded for providing biologists with lucid and comprehensive descriptions of essential topics in bioinformatics. This book is easy to read, highly informative, and certainly timely. It is most highly recommended for students and for established investigators alike, for anyone who needs to know how to access and use the information derived in and from genomic sequencing projects."--Trends in Genetics
"It is an excellent general bioinformatics text and reference, perhaps even the best currently available . . . Congratulations to the authors, editors, and publisher for producing a weighty, authoritative, readable, and attractive book."--Briefings in Bioinformatics
"This book, written by the top scientists in the field of bioinformatics, is the perfect choice for every molecular biology laboratory."--The Quarterly Review of Biology
This fully revised version of a world-renowned bestseller provides readers with a practical guide covering the full scope of key concepts in bioinformatics, from databases to predictive and comparative algorithms. Using relevant biological examples, the book provides background on and strategies for using many of the most powerful and commonly used computational approaches for biological discovery. This Third Edition reinforces key concepts that have stood the test of time while making the reader aware of new and important developments in this fast-moving field. With a new full-color and enlarged page design, Bioinformatics, Third Edition offers the most readable, up-to-date, and thorough introduction to the field for biologists.
This new edition features:
* New chapters on genomic databases, predictive methods using RNA sequences, sequence polymorphisms, protein structure prediction, intermolecular interactions, and proteomic approaches for protein identification
* Detailed worked examples illustrating the strategic use of the concepts presented in each chapter, along with a collection of expanded,more rigorous problem sets suitable for classroom use
* Special topic boxes and appendices highlighting experimental strategies and advanced concepts
* Annotated reference lists, comprehensive lists of relevant Web resources, and an extensive glossary of commonly used terms in bioinformatics, genomics, and proteomics
Bioinformatics, Third Edition is essential reading for researchers, instructors, and students of all levels in molecular biology and bioinformatics, as well as for investigators involved in genomics, clinical research, proteomics, and computational biology.

The first volume in a new series dedicated to protein degradation, this book lays the foundations of targeted protein breakdown via the ubiquitin pathway. The outstanding importance of the ubiquitin pathway has been recognized with the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for Aaaron Chiechanover, Avram Hershko, and Irwin Rose. Aaron Ciechanover is one of the editors of this series,
and Avram Hershko has contributed to the opening chapter of the present volume. Drawing on the the expertise of two Nobel prize winners, this handy reference compiles information on the initial steps of the ubiquitin pathway. Starting out with a broad view of protein degradation and its functions in cellular regulation, it then goes on to examine the molecular mechanisms of ubiquitin conjugation and recycling in detail. All currently known classes of ubiquitin protein ligases are treated here, including latest structural data on these enzymes. Further volumes in the series cover the function of the proteasome, and the roles of the ubiquitin pathway in regulating key cellular processes, as well as its pathophysiological disease states. Required reading for molecular biologists, cell biologists and physiologists with an interest in protein degradation.