In recent years, large-scale advances in technology have led to greater understanding of the world at the biomolecular level. In this book, expert researchers from across the globe explore the technology which makes this analysis possible.

Authoritative and easy to use, this reference is of great value to the molecular biologist or computational biologist who wants to understand the principles of these analyses or plan future experiments using microarrays to characterize the physical genome.

Since the publication of the first edition, the number of unique heritable mtDNA mutations recognized as being associated with bioenergetic dysfunction, cell death and disease has grown. Likewise, our understanding of the basic biology of somatic mtDNA mutations continues to improve. In Mitochondrial DNA: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition, specialists from eight countries share their expertise, providing detailed protocols for studying many aspects of mtDNA. The volume is divided into three sections, which cover the transduction of information from mtDNA to functionally active respiratory...

The continued successes of large- and small-scale genome sequencing projects are increasing the number of genomic targets available for drug d- covery at an exponential rate. In addition, a better understanding of molecular mechanisms-such as apoptosis, signal transduction, telomere control of ch- mosomes, cytoskeletal development, modulation of stress-related proteins, and cell surface display of antigens by the major histocompatibility complex m- ecules-has improved the probability of identifying the most promising genomic targets to counteract disease. As a result, developing and...

It has become clear that tumors result from excessive cell proliferation and a corresponding reduction in cell death caused by the successive accumulation of mutations in key regulatory target genes over time. During the 1980s, a number of oncogenes were characterized, whereas from the 1990s to the present, the emp- sis has shifted to tumor suppressor genes (TSGs). It has become clear that oncogenes and TSGs function in the same pathways, providing positive and negative growth regulatory activities. The signaling pathways controlled by these genes involve virtually every process in cell...

In 1996, we organized a workshop, inter alia, at the National Research Co- cil in Milan under the generous sponsorship of the European Science Foun- tion. On that occasion, a small group of investigators convened from many countries and presented early evidence of the possibility of assembling basic units of mammalian chromosomes into artificial constructs (or, indeed, red- ing the relevant components to more manageable dimensions and defined c- stitution). Progress in the following years has been slow but steady. Many scientists who took part in the workshop have since been engaged in active...

As the technology base for the preparation of increasingly c- plex peptides has improved, the methods for their purification and ana- sis have also been improved and supplemented. Peptide science routinely utilizes tools and techniques that are common to organic chemistry, p- tein chemistry, biophysical chemistry, enzymology, pharmacology, and molecular biology. A fundamental understanding of each of these areas is essential for interpreting all of the data that a peptide scientist may see. The purpose of Peptide Analysis Protocols is to provide the novice with sufficient practical...

Gene transfer is an essential technology for improving our under- standing of gene structure and function. Although there are many meth- ods by which DNA may be introduced into cells-including heat and chemical treatments, and microinjection-electroporation has been found to be the most versatile gene transfer technique. Electroporation is effective with a wide variety of cell types, including those that are difficult to transform by other means. For many cell types, electroporation is either the most efficient or the only means known to effect gene transfer. The early and broad success of...

In vitro toxicology is one of the most rapidly expanding areas of biological research today. It is generally conceded that this is a result of pressure from the public for safer products and environmental conditions and, in these recessionary times, pressure from company accountants, who often perceive in vitro experimentation as a cheaper option than lawsuits, fines, and expensive remediation. Toxicologists themselves form one group whose vigor and influence on the evolution of in vitro toxicology is often underestimated. Many toxicologists have for some time been unhappy with the quantity...

Adrenergic receptors are important modulators in the sympathetic c- trol of various metabolic processes in the central and peripheral nervous s- tems. These receptors are localized at multiple sites throughout the central nervous system (CNS) and serve as important regulators of CNS-mediated behavior and neural functions, including mood, memory, neuroendocrine c- trol, and stimulation of autonomic function. Adrenergic Receptor Protocols consists of 35 chapters dealing with va- ous aspects of adrenergic receptor analyses, including the use of genetic, RNA, protein expression, transactivator,...