Oxidation-reduction (i.e. redox) processes at the plasma membrane of any cell have been attracting more and more attention, both in basic and in applied research, since the first workshop dealing with the plasma membrane oxidoreductases was organized in Cordoba, Spain, in 1988. This evolution is evident considering the numerous cell functions performed by plasma membrane redox systems not only in healthy cells but also in cells that escaped from the normal metabolic control (e.g. cancer cells) and cells under attack by pathogens. Plasma membrane redox processes have now been demonstrated to...

This book provides a comprehensive treatment of the involvement of plasma membrane redox reactions in the origin and development of biological stress and disease. Thirteen chapters, provided by invited specialists, cover the role of plasma membrane redox systems in cell defence (of plant and animal cells), growth control, antioxidative defence reactions, development of tumour cells, entry of toxins and viruses, reduction and uptake of iron and nitrate, and development of atherosclerosis. Each of these chapters deals extensively with the most recent molecular and cell biological developments...