Environmental stresses represent the most limiting factors for agricultural productivity. Apart from biotic stress caused by plant pathogens, there are a number of abiotic stresses such as extremes in temperature, drought, salinity, heavy metals and radiation which all have detrimental effects on plant growth and yield. However, certain plant species and ecotypes have developed various mechanisms to adapt to such stress conditions. Recent advances in the understanding of these abiotic stress responses provided the impetus for compiling up-to-date reviews discussing all relevant topics in...

This book provides an up-to-date and comprehensive overview of protein phosphatase research, a rapidly evolving field with increasing importance in our understanding of the molecular basis of cell biology and of pathological processes.

The book covers dephosphorylation processes involving serine/threonine, as well as tyrosine and histidine residues, and aims to be a useful resource for both the advanced reader as well as the newcomer to the field. It is also valuable for those working in the pharmaceutical and Biotech industries.

The series of review articles presented in this book summarizes the recent state of the art in lipid research in a comprehensive way. The authors provide a general overview of this field and draw the reader's attention to the most recent investigation. Biochemical, cell biological and biophysical aspects of the four major groups of lipids in eukaryotic cells, namely glycerophospholipids, sterols, sphingolipids and storage lipids, are reported and discussed. The experimental systems addressed are mammalian, plant and yeast cells as the most prominent and currently best studied systems in...

Mitochondria are complex organelles, possessing a double-membrane and even their own genome, the mtDNA. They play a pivotal role in cellular metabolism, respiration, and production of ATP essential for the normal function of all human organ systems. It is not surprising, therefore, that genetic defects of mitochondrial functions cause a wide spectrum of human diseases. This book provides the first modern and truly comprehensive coverage of the biochemistry, genetics, and pathology of mitochondria in different organisms. It particularly focuses on the recent advances in our understanding of...

This book deals with the molecular mechanisms of membrane trafficking, a central eukaryotic cell biological process. In the post-genomic era many essential molecules involved in intracellular membrane/protein transport are emerging. A huge task now is to compile the molecular networks that govern these processes. Understanding of regulatory processes and participating molecules are likely to reveal global cellular regulatory circuits that couple membrane trafficking with other cellular functions. Such cell biological features are only starting to emerge. This book puts special emphasis on...

Molecular chaperones interact with virtually every newly synthesized protein. This volume assembles a collection of reviews on molecular chaperones that is both timely and basic. The book uniquely combines the basics of the subject area with the latest results. This makes it an excellent entrance for novices into the field and is suitable for teaching purposes. It also provides a source of substantial information for experts.

The present book provides a comprehensive overview of our current knowledge on plastid biogenesis, plastid-nuclear communication, and the regulation of plastid gene expression at all levels. It also assesses the state-of-the-art in key technologies, such as proteomics and chloroplast transformation. Written by recognized experts in the field, the book further covers crucial post-translational processes in plastid biogenesis and function, including protein processing.

Since the initial establishment of Robert Koch 's postulates in the nineteenth century, microbial protein toxins have been recognized as a major factor of bacterial and fungal virulence. An increasing number of proteins produced and secreted by various bacteria, yeasts and plants are extremely toxic and most of them developed remarkably "intelligent" strategies to enter, to penetrate and to finally kill a eukaryotic target cell by modifying or blocking essential cellular components.

This book describes the strategies employed by protein toxins to render their pro- and eukaryotic...

This work offers a fascinating insight into a crucial genetic process. Recombination is, quite simply, one of the most important topics in contemporary biology. This book is a totally comprehensive treatment of the subject, summarizing all existing views on the topic and at the same time putting them into context. It provides in-depth and up-to-date analysis of the chapter topics, and has been written by international experts in the field.