Bücher der Reihe Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology

This book presents advanced expression technologies for the production of protein complexes. Since complexes lie at the heart of modern biology, the expression, purification, and characterization of large amounts of high-quality protein complexes is crucial for the fields of biomedicine, biotechnology, and structural biology. From co-expression in E. coli, yeast, mammalian and insect cells to complex reconstitution from individual subunits, this book offers useful insights and guidance for successful protein expressionists.Across several sections readers will discover existing opportunities for the production of protein complexes in bacterial systems (including membrane proteins and cell-free co-expression), methylotrophic and non-methylotrophic yeasts, protozoa (Leishmania terantolae and Dictyostelium discoideum), baculovirus-infected insect cells, mammalian cells, plants and algae. Complex reconstitution from individually purified subunits or subcomplexes is discussed as a complementary strategy. A last section introduces briefly some of the biophysical and structural characterization techniques for macromolecular complexes using state-of-the-art solution scattering and nuclear magnetic resonance.This work is a guided tour over some of the most powerful and successful protein expression technologies, with a focus on co-expression and high-throughput applications. It is addressed to everyone interested in the production and characterization of macromolecular complexes, from university students who want an accessible description of the major co-expression systems to researchers in biomedicine and the life sciences seeking for an up-to-date survey of available technologies.

This bookdescribes the diverse roles that growth factors and cytokines play in skeletalmuscle. The extracellular environment has profound effects on the biology ofskeletal muscle. The soluble portion of this environment includes a rich milieuof growth factors and cytokines which have been shown to regulate virtually allfacets of the response of skeletal muscle to external stimuli, whether it beexercise induced metabolic shifts, remodeling in response to trauma or loadingof the ongoing pathology associated with neuromuscular disease. Thechapters included in this work illustrate growth factors that directly affectskeletal muscle cells and those which influence non-muscle cells thatcontribute to the biology of skeletal muscle as a whole tissue. The currentstate of the art, with the advent of systems biology, allows for thedelineation of signaling networks which are regulated by suites of growthfactors. This is in stark contrast to early more traditional studies, whichonly examined the effects of isolated growth factors on the activity ofskeletal muscle precursor cells in tissue culture.The workpresented in this volume ranges from reviewing and analyzing the roles ofindividual growth factors in detail, to the complex interplay of multiplesoluble factors in the control of muscle functional, and dysfunctional states.The material covered in this volume will particularly suit readers from a rangeof research fields spanning general muscle biology and physiology, and thoseworking on diseases and conditions affecting skeletal muscle both directly andindirectly.

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) binding proteins currently number in the thousands and defects in their function are at the heart of diseases such as cancer and neurodegeneration.

This volume focuses on defining the unique attributes of using the zebrafish cancer model for discovering important pathways and potential drug targets for the treatment of human cancers.

Microbes can now be found in nearly every niche thehuman body offers. However, the complexity of the microbiota of a given sitedepends on the particular environmental condition thereof. Only microbes whichare able to grow under these conditions, will prevail. Recent publicationsimply that the microorganisms do not only have multiple, critical consequencesfor host physiological processes such as postnatal development, immunomodulationand energy supply, but also effects on neurodevelopment, behavior andcognition.Within this book we will focus on the techniquesbehind these developments, epigenomics and on the various parts of the human body which are inhabited by microorganism such as the mouth, the gut, the skin andthe vagina. In addition, chapters are dedicated to the possible manipulationsof the microbiota by probiotics, prebiotics and faecal transplantation.

This book describes modern biophysical techniques that enable us to understand and examine dynamic processes of infection at the molecular level. Cutting-edge research articles, laboratory protocols, case studies and up-to-date reviews cover topics such as single-molecule observation of DNA replication repair pathways in E.

This book introduces readers to essential methods and applications in translational biomedical informatics, which include biomedical big data, cloud computing and algorithms for understanding omics data, imaging data, electronic health records and public health data.

This book will be of considerable interest to students, practitioners (Doctors, Physiotherapists, and other health care professionals), and researchers who deal with the complex structure of tendons and the need to effectively address tendon disorders.

This book reviews current techniques used in membrane protein structural biology, with a strong focus on practical issues. The study of membrane protein structures not only provides a basic understanding of life at the molecular level but also helps in the rational and targeted design of new drugs with reduced side effects.  Today, about 60% of the commercially available drugs target membrane proteins and it is estimated that nearly 30% of proteins encoded in the human genome are membrane proteins. In recent years much effort has been put towards innovative developments to overcome the numerous obstacles associated with the structure determination of membrane proteins. This book reviews a variety of recent techniques that are essential to any modern researcher in the field of membrane protein structural biology. The topics that are discussed are not commonly found in textbooks. The scope of this book includes:Expression screening using fluorescent proteinsThe use of detergents in membrane protein researchThe use of NMRSynchrotron developments in membrane protein structural biologyVisualisation and X-ray data collection of microcrystalsX-ray diffraction data analysis from multiple crystalsSerial millisecond crystallographySerial femtosecond crystallographyMembrane protein structures in drug discovery The information provided in this book should be of interest to anyone working in the area of structural biology. Students will find carefully prepared overviews of basic ideas and advanced protein scientists will find the level of detail required to apply the material directly to their day to day work.Chapters 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9 of this book are published open access under a CC BY 4.0 license at link.springer.com.

He is Director of the Shanghai Institute of Clinical Bioinformatics, Executive Director of the Clinical Science Institute at Fudan University Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai, China;

This book provides information on best practices and new thinking regarding the validation of alternative methods for toxicity testing.

In addition to covering the basic genetics of endometrial carcinoma, chapters also cover a wide range of signaling pathways implicated in endometrial carcinoma.

This book explores the major cytokines, such as IL-1 and IFN- , with respect to the regulation of their gene expression and protein production in specific immune cell types.

Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) is a highly prevalent hereditary renal disorder in which fluid-filled cysts are appeared in both kidneys. In human ADPKD, the age at which renal failure typically occurs is later in life, however no specific targeted medications are available to cure ADPKD.

This book is devoted to the engineering of protein-based nanostructures and nanomaterials. The book covers first the fundamentals of the design and features of the protein building blocks and their self-assembly illustrating some of the most relevant examples of nanostructural design.

This book discusses properties of apoptosis and other cell death modalities in cancer pathogenesis and treatment.

The book conveys a comprehensive knowledge of long and short ncRNAs in cancer regulation and their potentials as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Topics covered include the molecular mechanisms of various classes of ncRNAs (with emphasis on long non-coding RNAs and microRNAs) in cancer, the functional roles of ncRNAs in regulating different cancer hallmarks (including proliferation, apoptosis, stem-cell properties, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, metabolism, angiogenesis, tumor-host interactions and therapeutic resistance), the role of ncRNAs in regulating cancer signaling circuitry programs (highlighting their involvement in c-myc, p53 and NFkB signaling), a systemic summary of clinical and preclinical studies that evaluate the potential of ncRNA signatures for cancer diagnosis and prognosis and strategies to delivery short ncRNAs as therapeutic molecules for cancer treatment. This book may serve as a comprehensive resource for researchers, graduate students and oncologists in ncRNA and cancer research and help drug development by identifying ncRNA targets.

The various applications of proteomics technologies in biological and medical sciencesThis book should appeal to anyone with an interest in proteomics technologies, proteomics related bioinformatics and proteomics data generation and interpretation.

This edited volume discusses the complexity of tumor microenvironments during cancer development, progression and treatment. Each chapter presents a different mathematical model designed to investigate the interactions between tumor cells and the surrounding stroma and stromal cells. The topics covered in this book include the quantitative image analysis of a tumor microenvironment, the microenvironmental barriers in oxygen and drug delivery to tumors, the development of tumor microenvironmental niches and sanctuaries, intravenous transport of the circulating tumor cells, the role of the tumor microenvironment in chemotherapeutic interventions, the interactions between tumor cells, the extracellular matrix, the interstitial fluid, and the immune and stromal cells. Mathematical models discussed here embrace both continuous and agent-based approaches, as well as mathematical frameworks of solid mechanics, fluid dynamics and optimal control theory. The topics in each chapter will be of interest to a biological community wishing to apply the mathematical methods to interpret their experimental data, and to a biomathematical audience interested in exploring how mathematical models can be used to address complex questions in cancer biology.

The articles which will be published in this meeting report will be a valuable contribution for researchers and research students alike and will help them to stay on top of the developments in different research areas and to "cross borders" between them.

This is the first book to provide a broad framework for obtaining an in depth understanding of the state-of-the-art knowledge on abnormalities of non-coding RNAs found to be associated with colorectal cancer pathogenesis.

The 1st World Congress on Geriatrics and Neurodegenerative Disease Research (GeNeDis 2014), will focus on recent advances in geriatrics and neurodegeneration, ranging from basic science to clinical and pharmaceutical developments and will provide an international forum for the latest scientific discoveries, medical practices and care initiatives.

Topics covered include the history, epidemiology, physiology, ecology, genome, evolution, pathogenesis, host-pathogen interaction, big-data-driven research, vaccines, clinical aspects and future research trends.

This book systematically summarizes the ideas and technologies used in urine proteome analysis. It argues that change is the core of biomarker definition since the body uses its homeostatic mechanisms to correct changes in the blood. Kidney diseases are emphasized as they produce the most significant changes in urine.

For all of the individuals who have been trained or worked with Philip Schwartzkroin in the past and/or have appreciated his contributions to the epilepsy field, this volume is an excellent way to celebrate his achievements and look to the ways they have moved the field forward and continue to stimulate its growth.

This book highlights key technologies and identifies areas for further development in proteogenomics. The utility and usefulness of very large Omics data sets (Next Gen Sequencing of DNA, RNA-seq, ribosome profiling, mass spectrometry- and antibody-based proteomics) is discussed and opportunities and challenges of related bioinformatics applications are outlined.The reader will be able to appreciate the interdisciplinary nature of the continuously evolving area of proteogenomics, which has already grown beyond its original concept of verifying gene annotations by proteomics. The chapters presented in this book are arranged to offer a general overview, rather than to provide detailed descriptions of technologies. The selected applications will provide useful insight into the level of detail that can be obtained in relation to certain diseases areas, including cancer biology and personalized medicine. The readers will find that each chapter delivers a comprehensive approach to proteogenomics, each from the point of view of a specific application.Research scientists interested in innovative processes that can offer a unique and at the same time a more complete access to technological developments and concepts that in turn can contribute to a better understand biological functions should read this book.

The recently acquired knowledge on the pivotal role played by biofilm-growing microorganisms in healthcare-related infections has given a new dynamic to detection, prevention and treatment of these infections in patients admitted to both acute care hospitals and long-term care facilities.

The book considers signaling events from the zygote embryo through to the blastocyst with relevant data from embryonic stem (ES) cells, including dialogue with the extracellular environment and with the maternal tract during the implantation process.

In today's nanotechnology and pharmaceutical research, alternative toxicology testing methods are crucial for ethically and commercially sound practice. Specific topics include the physico-chemical characteristics of engineered nanoparticles, nanoparticle interactions, in vivo nanoparticle processing, and more.