Cells possess a wealth of posttranscriptional control mechanisms that impact on every conceivable aspect of the life of an mRNA. These processes are intimately intertwined in an almost baroque manner, where promoter context influences the recruitment of splicing factors, where the majority of pre-mRNAs undergo alternative splicing, and where proteins deposited during nuclear processing impact distal cytoplasmic processing, translation, and decay. If there is a unifying theme to mRNA Processing and Metabolism: Methods and Protocols, it is that mRNA processing and metabolism are integrated processes. Many of the techniques used to study mRNA have been described in a previous volume of this series (RNA–Protein Interaction Protocols, Susan Haynes, ed.) and specialized methods journals. In selecting topics for mRNA Processing and Metabolism: Methods and Protocols, I sought input on new and novel techniques and approaches that build on this foundation using technological advances in microscopy, whole genome sequencing, microarrays, mass spectrometry, fluorescent detection methodologies, and RNA interference. I have tried not to bias this book toward any single model organism, and approaches described in the various chapters use yeast, Drosophila, Xenopus, mice, plants, and cultured mammalian cells.

This comprehensive account of the human herpesviruses provides an encyclopedic overview of their basic virology and clinical manifestations. This group of viruses includes human simplex type 1 and 2, Epstein–Barr virus, Kaposi's Sarcoma-associated herpesvirus, cytomegalovirus, HHV6A, 6B and 7, and varicella-zoster virus. The viral diseases and cancers they cause are significant and often recurrent. Their prevalence in the developed world accounts for a major burden of disease, and as a result there is a great deal of research into the pathophysiology of infection and immunobiology. Another important area covered within this volume concerns antiviral therapy and the development of vaccines. All these aspects are covered in depth, both scientifically and in terms of clinical guidelines for patient care. The text is illustrated generously throughout and is fully referenced to the latest research and developments.

Most proteins undergo post-translational modifications altering physical and chemical properties, folding, conformation distribution, stability, activity and function. Ubiquitin and SUMOs are related small proteins that are members of the large ubiquitin superfamily of post-translational modifiers. Written by highly respected leaders in their fields under the expert guidance of the editor, this volume covers the principles of ubiquitination and SUMOylation, presents detailed reviews of current and emerging concepts and highlights new advances in all areas of SUMOylation and ubiquitination. Topics of note include: the ubiquitin superfamily, the ubiquitin toolbox, onco viral exploitation of the SUMO system, small molecule modulators of desumoylation, mass spectrometry, global proteomic profiling of SUMO and ubiquitin, biotin-based approaches, genetic screening, SUMOylation networks in humans, targets for ubiquitin ligases, regulation of p53, protein homeostasis, miRNAs, DNA replication, DNA damage response, telomere biology, intracellular trafficking, regulation of angiogenesis, brain ischemia, autophagy, assembly and activity, antiviral defense, HIV infection, amyloid and amyloid-like proteins, plant immunity. This comprehensive and up-to-date book is the definitive reference volume on all aspects of SUMOylation and ubiquitination and is an essential acquisition for anyone involved in this area of biology.

This is the second edition of a very well received book that details how the sumoylation system functions and how it modulates numerous cellular activities. SUMO is a post-translational modifier in the ubiquitin super-family that has gained recognition over the last twenty years as an essential and prevalent regulatory molecule. Individual chapters explore the biochemistry, molecular biology, and cell biology of the sumoylation system and its substrate proteins. The book is divided into three themed parts: Molecular Functions (I), Cell Growth Regulation (II), and Diseases (III). Parts I and II focus on the contribution of sumoylation to cellular activities in both the nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments. The nuclear activities covered include nucleic acid metabolism (both RNA and DNA), chromosome structure and replication, and nucleocytoplasmic transport. Cytoplasmic processes presented include regulation of membrane ion channels, general metabolism, and apoptotic signalling. Topics in Part III include the role of sumoylation in developmental abnormalities (craniofacial and cardiovascular), diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and infections with viruses and bacteria. Each of the corresponding chapter authors is an active researcher who has made significant contributions to understanding sumoylation. This second edition provides updates and revisions to most of the original chapters plus adds six new chapters to address important developing areas of sumoylation research. This volume is intended for a scientific audience from undergraduates to independent researchers. The content will serve as both a solid introduction for the novice reader and an in depth treatment for the advanced scholar.

Principles of Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics: Fundamentals for Individualized Nutrition is the most comprehensive foundational text on the complex topics of nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics. Edited by three leaders in the field with contributions from the most well-cited researchers conducting groundbreaking research in the field, the book covers how the genetic makeup influences the response to foods and nutrients and how nutrients affect gene expression. Principles of Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics: Fundamentals for Individualized Nutrition is broken into four parts providing a valuable overview of genetics, nutrigenetics, and nutrigenomics, and a conclusion that helps to translate research into practice. With an overview of the background, evidence, challenges, and opportunities in the field, readers will come away with a strong understanding of how this new science is the frontier of medical nutrition. Principles of Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics: Fundamentals for Individualized Nutrition is a valuable reference for students and researchers studying nutrition, genetics, medicine, and related fields. - Uniquely foundational, comprehensive, and systematic approach with full evidence-based coverage of established and emerging topics in nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics - Includes a valuable guide to ethics for genetic testing for nutritional advice - Chapters include definitions, methods, summaries, figures, and tables to help students, researchers, and faculty grasp key concepts - Companion website includes slide decks, images, questions, and other teaching and learning aids designed to facilitate communication and comprehension of the content presented in the book

This volume describes different up-to-date methodological approaches, ranging from physiological assays to imaging and molecular techniques, to study a wide variety of plant responses to environmental cues. Environmental Responses in Plants: Methods and Protocols is divided into four sections: Tropisms, Photoperiodism and Circadian Rhythms, Abiotic Stress Responses, and Plant-Pathogen Interactions. The chapters in these sections include detailed protocols to investigate some of the many key biological processes underlying plant environmental responses, mostly in the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana, but also in Physcomitrella patens and in different crop species such as rice, potato, barley, or tomato. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Environmental Responses in Plants: Methods and Protocols, is a great resource for plant physiologists, biochemists, and cell and molecular scientists interested in this exciting and fast-growing research topic.

Stem cells have been gaining a lot of attention in recent years. Their unique potential to self-renew and differentiate has turned them into an attractive model for the study of basic biological questions such as cell division, replication, transcription, cell fate decisions, and more. With embryonic stem (ES) cells that can generate each cell type in the mammalian body and adult stem cells that are able to give rise to the cells within a given lineage, basic questions at different developmental stages can be addressed. Importantly, both adult and embryonic stem cells provide an excellent tool for cell therapy, making stem cell research ever more pertinent to regenerative medicine. As the title The Cell Biology of Stem Cells suggests, our book deals with multiple aspects of stem cell biology, ranging from their basic molecular characteristics to the in vivo stem cell trafficking of adult stem cells and the adult stem-cell niche, and ends with a visit to regeneration and cell fate reprogramming. In the first chapter, “Early embryonic cell fate decisions in the mouse”, Amy Ralson and Yojiro Yamanaka describe the mechanisms that support early developmental decisions in the mouse pre-implantation embryo and the current understanding of the source of the most immature stem cell types, which includes ES cells, trophoblast stem (TS) cells and extraembryonic endoderm stem (XEN) cells.