Biology of Fertilization, Volume 2: Biology of the Sperm is the second in a three-volume series that brings together various lines of research about reproduction in general and fertilization in particular. It is devoted to spermatogenesis, sperm physiology, and the initial interactions of sperm with egg components. The book is organized into three parts. Part I on spermatogenesis and sperm physiology includes studies on the evolution of the sperm cell; regulatory mechanisms, sperm antigen differentiation, and maturation of sperm in the reproductive tracts in mammals; physicochemical mechanisms of the acrosome filament extrusion process; and enzymes associated with sperm cell function. Part II deals with chemotaxis in microorganisms: bacteria and slime molds. Part III on gamete recognition and binding includes studies on identifying, isolating, and characterizing specific sperm and egg surface components involved in sperm-egg interaction; fertilization in the alga Fucus; fertilization in insects; and the role of lysins in fertilization.
Receptor-Mediated Binding and Internalization of Toxins and Hormones presents the proceedings of a conference conducted for the purpose of exploring relationships between hormones and toxins, specifically, receptor-mediated internalization of toxins and hormones and the role of this internalization in message transmission and biodegradatory processes. This book is divided into three sections, with the first focusing on model systems of internalization. It presents pictorial illustrations of the receptor-mediated endocytosis of low-density lipoprotein via coated regions of membrane and discusses the receptor for lysosomal enzymes on the surface of cultured fibroblasts. The second section focuses on toxins and hormones and discusses such topics as receptor-mediated internalization of diphtheria toxin, diphtheria toxin interactions with an inhibitory activity from plasma membranes, and uptake mechanisms for ADP-ribosylating toxins. The third and final section focuses on hybrids and discusses such topics as chimeric toxins containing fragment A from diphtheria toxin, directed entry of hybrid proteins into cells via alternate receptors, and a hybrid protein of monoclonal anti-THY 1.2 and diphtheria toxin fragment A. This book will be of interest to practitioners in the fields of endocrinology, cell biology, and molecular genetics.
Dairy Cattle Feeding and Nutrition was designed to provide information needed by those interested in the feeding and nutrition of dairy cattle. It contains basic information for students in courses on feeds and feeding, dairy cattle production, and animal nutrition.
As a collection of neuroepidemiology papers, this book captures the range and excitement of the discipline. Researchers in the field have been at the forefront in the study of slow viruses, retroviral epidemiology, chronic neuroloical diseases, as well as injuries and other disabilities of the neurological system. The intersection of epidemiology, neurology, and behavioral/social science is a unique feature of this book. Furthermore, Molgaard's collection differs from similar titles in that it focuses on minorities and international work in neuroepidemiology.
Nutritional Modulation of Neural Function probes into the mechanisms by which ingested foods can exert such influences and modulate neuronal function. The compendium is based on the meeting held in Santa Barbara, California, in March 1986, under the aegis of the Brain Research Institute of the University of California, Los Angeles. The papers in the book examines topics such as the effects of food on the release of peptide hormones from the gastrointestinal tract and the effect of these peptides on central nervous system function; the mechanisms by which mammals regulate ingestive behaviors; food myths and the effects of various nutritional components to behavior and mental functioning; the evidence that glucose can modulate opioid receptors and alter a number of opioid-dependent behaviors; and the role of zinc metabolism in limbic system structures in the pathogenesis of seizures. Neurologists, pathologists, and researchers in the field of medicine will find the text very insightful.
Fibronectin presents the studies made on the physiological and pathophysiological roles of fibronectin. The book presents chapters that discuss the primary structure of fibronectin and its mRNA; the physicochemical properties of fibronectin and fibronectin fragments; the fibronectin-containing extracellular matrix; the relationship of fibronectin and fibronectin-containing matrix to embryogenesis, wound healing, and the biology of cancer cells; the roles of fibronectin in platelet aggregation, attachment of microorganisms, pathogenesis of kidney diseases, arthritis, and lung fibrosis; and the production of purified concentrates of fibronectin suitable for use in patients. The book will be of much interest to biologists, biochemists, pharmacologists, and medical practitioners and researchers.
Cholesterol Metabolism, LDL, and the LDL Receptor focuses on the cholesterol biochemistry and lipoprotein metabolism. This book is organized into 10 chapters that describe the coordinated actions of three regulated processes, namely, the intracellular synthesis of cholesterol, its esterification by ACAT, and the receptor-mediated uptake of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), for optimal level of free cholesterol. The first five chapters explore the various aspects of cholesterol biology, including discussions on the interaction of ligands with their cell-surface receptors; the role of coated pits in the endocytosis of receptor-bound ligands; and the recycling of receptors through the interior of the cell. These chapters also examine the regulation of gene expression encoding inducible proteins and the use of natural and synthetic mutations in studies of the functions of the separate domains of a multifunctional protein. A chapter describes the cloning of the apoB gene, the receptor-binding domain of apoB-100, and the unusual mode of derivation of apoB-48. Considerable chapters are devoted to LDL receptor and its pathway. The concluding chapter deals with the clinical consequences of genetic dysfunction of the LDL receptor, with particular emphasis on the diagnostic and treatment approaches of familial hypercholesterolemia that are based wholly or in part on knowledge of the LDL receptor or its gene. This book is an indispensable guide for biologists, physiologists, and clinicians who are interested in the epidemiological field of cholesterol and heart attacks.
Synthesis and Applications of DNA and RNA discusses the significant contributions in the development of synthetic routes to DNA and RNA. This book contains nine chapters that describe the complexities in the chemistry and biology of DNA and RNA. After briefly dealing with the various stages of development in the chemical synthesis of polynucleotides, this book goes on presenting the DNA synthesis on solid supports and through the phosphoramidite method on silica supports. The discussions then shift to the chemical-enzymatic synthesis of expressed genes; the biochemical aspects of chemical syntheses of oligoribonucleotides; and the methods of rapid DNA and RNA sequence analysis. A chapter specifically tackles the protocols of DNA synthesis using double-stranded plasmid DNA as a template. The final chapter deals with the use of oligonucleotides for the identification and isolation of specific gene sequences. This chapter also covers the use oligonucleotides in the detection of human genetic diseases. Biologists, geneticists, and researchers interested in DNA and RNA synthesis will find this work invaluable.
This highly researched yeast, which represents a system used by cell biologists, geneticists and molecular biologists, has been given only minimal coverage in the literature. Its properties make it an excellent organism for DNA and related biotechnology reseach. This book, which is the first attempt to collate existing information in one source, will be an invaluable aid to those initiating projects with this organism.
Cardiac Muscle: The Regulation of Excitation and Contraction is a 12-chapter text that covers the research studies on characterizing the ionic and molecular mechanisms that regulate excitation and contraction of cardiac muscle. This book describes first the ionic currents underlying diastolic depolarization and pacing of the heart. The discussions then shift to the mechanisms of action of calcium-channel antagonists; the regulation of calcium influx by indigenous factors, such as voltage- or calcium-mediated inactivation; the identification of fixed negative charges on the surface of the sarcolemma; and the regulation of gating and permeability of ion channels by these charges. These topics are followed by examining the molecular and ionic mechanisms that underlie the electrophysiologic actions of adrenergic and cholinergic neurotransmitters and peptide hormones. This text further explores the theoretical and experimental studies of the sodium-calcium exchange process, its stoichiometry, and how the exchanger might contribute to current flow during or after the action potential. Other chapters consider the mechanism of twitch and tonic tension regulation by cardiac glycosides and intracellular sodium and how toxic concentrations induce cardiac arrhythmias. A chapter highlights the identification of sarcolemmal binding sites for calcium, the likelihood that such binding or the release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum plays a role in the regulation of contraction and the release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. The remaining chapters deal with the structural similarities among calcium-binding proteins of the contractile apparatus and the calcium channel, and the regulation of contraction by calcium-binding proteins. Physiologists, pathophysiologists, clinicians, researchers, and students who are interested in heart’s function will find this book invaluable.