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This three-volume set, consisting of 142 chapters, is intentionally broad in scope, because of the nature of modern developmental biology.
Over the past two decades experimental studies have solidified the int- pretation of the cytoskeleton as a highly dynamic network of microtubules, actin microfilaments, intermediate filaments, and myosin filaments. Rather than a network of disparate fibers, these polymers are often interconnected and display synergy, which is the combined action of two or more cytoskeletal polymers to achieve a specific cellular structure or function. Cross-commu- cation among cytoskeletal polymers is thought to be achieved through cytoskeletal polymer accessory proteins and molecular motors that bind two or more cytoskeletal polymers. Development of the modern concept of the cytoskeleton is a direct o- grow...
It is now widely accepted that much of the dynamic function of cells and tissues is regulated from outside the cell by the extracellular matrix. In ad- tion to its conventional role in providing a scaffold for building tissues, the extracellular matrix acts as a directional highway for cellular movement and provides instructional information for promoting survival, proliferation, and differentiation. Indeed, the extracellular matrix is beginning to take a starring role in the choreography of cell and tissue function. The diverse roles of the extracellular matrix are reflected in its highly complicated structure, consisting of an ever increasing number of components. Yet the mechanisms of ext...
Philip H. Howe and a group of well-versed experimentalists present the first major volume a collection of indispensable classic and cutting-edge TGFß assays. Described in great detail to ensure robust and successful results, these readily reproducible techniques range from the growth inhibition assay for TGFß to methods for monitoring its interactions with the mediating proteins. Extensive notes discuss potential pitfalls and provide tips on how to avoid failures, and throughout, emphasis is given to detailing those technical steps critical for experimental success that are often omitted in the primary literature. Concise and highly practical, Transforming Growth Factor-Beta Protocols provides today's molecular and cell biologists-both expert and novice-with time-tested methods for the identification and analysis of the signal transduction pathways by which TGFß induces and modulates physiological behavior.
Direct cell–cell communication is a common property of multicellular organisms that is achieved through membrane channels which are organized in gap junctions. The protein subunits of these intercellular channels, the connexins, form a multigene family that has been investigated in great detail in recent years. It has now become clear that, in different tissues, connexins speak several languages that control specific cellular functions. This progress has been made possible by the availability of new molecular tools and the improvement of basic techniques for the study of membrane channels, as well as by the use of genetic approaches to study protein function in vivo. More important, connex...
Proteoglycans are some of the most elaborate macromolecules of mammalian and lower organisms. The covalent attachment of at least five types of glycosami- glycan side chains to more than forty individual protein cores makes these molecules quite complex and endows them with a multitude of biological functions. Proteoglycan Protocols offers a comprehensive and up-to-date collection of prepa- tive and analytical methods for the in-depth analysis of proteoglycans. Featuring st- by-step detailed protocols, this book will enable both novice and experienced researchers to isolate intact proteoglycans from tissues and cultured cells, to establish the composition of their carbohydrate moieties, to g...
A distinguished team of principal investigators and their associates describe in step-by-step detail a cross-section of the latest research techniques available for studying the endocrine system. As a basis for sophisticated biochemical analysis of receptor properties, the contributors provide methods for the production and purification of a variety of receptors, including progesterone, glucocorticoid, and androgen. Other protocols allow the reader to experiment with DNA binding characteristics, hormone binding assays, and the use of combinatorial chemistry for drug discovery. A series of novel methods utilizing the latest advances in immunochemistry, yeast two-hybrid screening, and fluorescence are included for the detection and analysis of a variety of cellular proteins that influence steroid receptor effectiveness.
Immunotoxins represent a new class of human therapeutics that have widespread applications and a potential that has not yet been fully recognized since they were first conceived of by Paul Ehrlich in 1906. The majority of advances in the development and implementation of immunotoxins has occurred over the last 20 years. The reasons for this use of immunotoxins in basic science and clinical research are the powerful concurrent advances in genetic engineering and receptor physiology. Recombinant technology has allowed investigators to produce sufficient quantities of a homogeneous c- pound that allows clinical trials to be performed. The identification of specific receptors on malignant cell t...
Dr. Tom Moss assembles the new standard collection of cutting-edge techniques to identify key protein-DNA interactions and define their components, their manner of interaction, and their manner of function, both in the cell and in the test tube. The techniques span a wide range, from factor identification to atomic detail, and include multiple DNA footprinting analyses, including in vivo strategies, gel shift (EMSA) optimization, SELEX, surface plasmon resonance, site-specific DNA-protein crosslinking, and UV laser crosslinking. Comprehensive and broad ranging, DNA-Protein Interactions: Principles and Protocols, 2nd Edition, offers a stellar array of over 100 up-to-date and readily reproducible techniques that biochemists and molecular, cellular, and developmental biologists can use successfully today to understand DNA-protein interactions.
The development of PCR, which enables extremely small amounts of DNA to be amplified, led to the rapid development of a multiplicity of a- lytical procedures that permit use of this new resource for the analysis of genetic variation and for the detection of disease-causing mutations. The advent of capillary electrophoresis (CE), with its power to separate and a- lyze very small amounts of DNA, has also stimulated researchers to develop analytical procedures for the CE format. The advantages of CE in terms of speed and reproducibility of analyses are manifold. Furthermore, the high s- sitivity of detection, and the ability to increase sample throughput with par- lel analysis, has led to the c...