We are extremely pleased that all of the chapters in this volume provide up-to-date information on a variety of topics of interest to scientists working on membrane biology. As in the past, we have attempted to expedite the transition from submission of the manuscripts to publication in order to make the reviews as timely as possible. Cell biology and molecular biology are increasingly be- coming concerned with the study of structural elements in cells and their assem- bly. The rules which govern membrane synthesis, assembly and interaction of membrane components with other cellular elements,...

Cell Membranes: Methods and Reviews is the continuation of a distinguished series of books edited by Edward Kom under the title Methods in Membrane Biology. While the original series nominally dealt with methods for the study of membranes, its chapters were, in fact, much broader and covered the conceptual framework upon which the methods were based as well as the methodology per se. In continuing this series, we changed the title to reflect this broader point of view. We hope to present a series of volumes published at roughly annual intervals containing comprehensive reviews dealing with...