Ribozymes Provides comprehensive coverage of a core field in the molecular biosciences, bringing together decades of knowledge from the world’s top professionals in the field Timely and unique in its breadth of content, this all-encompassing and authoritative reference on ribozymes documents the great diversity of nucleic acid-based catalysis. It integrates the knowledge gained over the past 35 years in the field and features contributions from virtually every leading expert on the subject. Ribozymes is organized into six major parts. It starts by describing general principles and strategies of nucleic acid catalysis. It then introduces naturally occurring ribozymes and includes the search for new catalytic motifs or novel genomic locations of known motifs. Next, it covers the development and design of engineered ribozymes, before moving on to DNAzymes as a close relative of ribozymes. The next part examines the use of ribozymes for medicinal and environmental diagnostics, as well as for therapeutic tools. It finishes with a look at the tools and methods in ribozyme research, including the techniques and assays for structural and functional characterization of nucleic acid catalysts. The first reference to tie together all aspects of the multi-faceted field of ribozymes Features more than 30 comprehensive chapters in two volumes Covers the chemical principles of RNA catalysis; naturally occurring ribozymes, engineered ribozymes; DNAzymes; ribozymes as tools in diagnostics and therapy, and tools and methods to study ribozymes Includes first-hand accounts of concepts, techniques, and applications by a team of top international experts from leading academic institutions Dedicates half of its content to methods and practical applications, ranging from bioanalytical tools to medical diagnostics to therapeutics Ribozymes is an unmatched resource for all biochemists, biotechnologists, molecular biologists, and bioengineers interested in the topic.

Takes the reader through the origins of catalysis in RNA and necessarily includes significant discussion of structure and folding. The main focus of the book concerns chemical mechanism with extensive comment on how, despite the importance of RNA catalysis in the cell, its origins are still poorly understood and often controversial. The reader is given an outline of the important role of RNA catalysis in many aspects of cell function, including RNA processing and translation.

In Therapeutic Applications of Ribozymes, expert laboratory scientists describe in detail their methodologies for constructing ribozymes designed to elucidate the role of specific genes as key routes to the development of novel therapies for a wide variety of diseases. The authors review the many sites targeted with ribozymes in various diseases and provide specific accounts of the practical techniques required for the proper use of ribozymes in these systems. Their cutting-edge protocols demonstrate how to achieve ribozyme expression in distinct cellular systems, the preparation and use of high-efficiency ribozyme DNA or RNA delivery, and the studies required to prove the efficacy of ribozyme-mediated inhibition, with its concomitant effect on phenotypic parameters. Therapeutic Applications of Ribozymes contains all the practical detail necessary to realize the high promise of ribozyme technology as a significant, widely used methodology. Focused on ribozyme targets and the novel associated technology, the book immediately becomes the leading resource for all those seeking to transform this new category of therapeutic agent into efficacious clinical practice.

Water and Biological Macromolecules presents an excellent description of the structural aspects of water molecules around biological macromolecules. Topics discussed include the properties of water in solid and liquid states; proteins, nucleic acids, polysaccharides, and lipids; and theoretical approaches for understanding the macroscopic observations and integrating microscopic descriptions. The nature and roles of hydration forces in macromolecular complexation and cell-cell interactions are explained, in addition to phenomena such as entropy-enthalpy compensation and the thermodynamic treatment of water bridging. Water and Biological Macromolecules will be a valuable reference for biophysicists, biochemists, and macromolecular biologists.

The Pyridine Nucleotide Coenzymes provides a comprehensive discussion of the evolution, properties, and reactions of pyridine nucleotide coenzymes. The pyridine nucleotide coenzymes, NAD and NADP, appear to be among the most versatile of molecules with respect to their biological functions. In addition to their well-documented roles in a large number of oxidation-reduction reactions, these coenzymes are involved in many aspects of metabolic regulation. The book begins by tracing the evolution of coenzymes and pyridine nucleotide coenzymes. This is followed by separate chapters that deal with the static and dynamic properties of the pyridine nucleotide coenzymes; chemistry and solution conformation of the pyridine coenzymes; pyridine nucleotide analogs; and the three-dimensional structures of pyridine nucleotide binding enzymes. Subsequent chapters cover the synthesis and characterization of immobilized coenzymes and derivatives and their applications in affinity chromatography and enzyme reactors; the pathways to quinolinate, a major precursor of pyridine nucleotides; the role of pyridine nucleotides in phagocytosis; and non-oxidation-reduction reactions of pyridine nucleotides.