Intended for postgraduate and professional researchers in biochemistry, biomedical sciences and cell biology, this text offers a guide to the extracellular matrix and adhesion proteins.

Since the first edition, many new and important discoveries have been made in this expanding area of research. This updated edition details all that is currently known about the proteins involved in the microfilament, microtubule and intermediate filament systems in cells and their roles intension resistance and motor function. Biochemists will find this book particularly useful as will physiologists and biologists in fields in which these proteins are involved, such as neuromuscular research.

The cytoskeleton is the intracellular filament system that controls the morphology of a cell, allows it to move, and provides trafficking routes for intracellular transport. It comprises three major filament systems-actin, microtubules, and intermediate filaments-along with a host of adaptors, regulators, molecular motors, and additional structural proteins. This textbook presents a comprehensive and up-to-date view of the cytoskeleton, cataloguing its many different components and explaining how they are functionally integrated in different cellular processes. It starts by laying out the basic molecular hardware, before describing in detail how these components are assembled in cells and linked to neighboring cells and the extracellular matrix to maintain tissue architecture. It then surveys the roles of the cytoskeleton in processes such as intracellular transport, cell motility, signal transduction, and cell division. The book is thus essential reading for students learning about intracellular structure. It also represents a vital reference for all cell and developmental biologists working in this field.

Biological and medical research relies upon an integrated understanding of the molecules within cells and of the interactions between cells. This has imposed great demands on investigators. Being an expert in a relatively narrow area is no longer sufficient as many studies now require the use of a wide range of techniques to provide the necessary integration. A lack of familiarity with the experimental possibilities can make such diversification difficult to achieve. This two volume set of Essential Cell Biology is designed to help researchers overcome these problems. It has not been possible to include all of the techniques available in cell biology so the challenge was to identify those that might be most relevant to researchers who are new to this topic. We have tried to cover both traditional and more recent approaches. The theory and basic principles of each technique are described, together with detailed protocols and advice for trouble shooting. Directions to more specialised techniques are also included. We hope the result inspires readers to experience the challenges and rewards of cell biology research for themselves and to contribute to the ongoing task of understanding the life of the cell. Essential Cell Biology volume 1 focuses on techniques for studying cell structure whilst volume 2 concentrates on understanding how the cell functions. Volume 1 details the essential background information and protocols for observing and understanding cell morphology and cell structure, including, for example, investigations of nucleic acids, lipids, and the cytoskeleton. This is the essential guide to cell biology for researchers new to the field.

Table of Contents List of contributors Preface Pt. 1 The cytoskeleton: the machinery and key molecules 1 1 Microtubules and microtubule-associated proteins 3 2 Actin and actin-modulating proteins 32 Pt. 2 Fundamental cytoskeletal activities 81 3 Expanding beyond the great divide: the cytoskeleton and axial growth 83 4 Re-staging plant mitosis 116 5 Organelle movements: transport and positioning 148 6 The cell wall: a sensory panel for signal transduction 176 Pt. 3 The cytoskeleton and plant cell morphogenesis 205 7 Development of root hairs 207 8 Signaling the cytoskeleton in pollen tube germination and growth 240 9 Cytoskeletal requirements during Arabidopsis trichome development 265 10 Signaling and the cytoskeleton in guard cells 290 Index 318.

This book describes a new family of bio-polymer gels made from cytoskeletal proteins - actin, microtubule, and tropomyosin. The importance of the gel state with multi-scale hierarchical structure is emphasized to utilize emergent functions in living organisms. Detailed protocol of gel preparation, specified method of structure investigation, and dynamic studies of self-organization, self-healing, synchronized oscillating, and autonomous motility functions are introduced together with biomimetic functions of synthetic hydrogels.