Inositol phosphates are a group of organic compounds found widely in the natural environment. They are important in agriculture because they constitute most of the phosphorus in grain seeds, but they cannot be digested by some animals. As a result, considerable research has been directed towards improving the digestibility of inositol phosphates in animal diets. Inositol phosphates are also abundant in soils and water bodies, yet a clear understanding of their behaviour in the environment remains elusive. This is surprising given the importance of phosphorus in the nutrition of both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Written by leading experts, this book brings together critical reviews on inositol phosphates in agriculture, ecology, and the environment. The sixteen chapters cover a diverse range of topics, including the synthesis and hydrolysis of inositol phosphates, their role in animal nutrition, and their fate in soils and aquatic ecosystems. It will prove valuable to a wide readership in the agricultural and biological sciences, and will serve as a unique reference source on this emerging topic.

This book brings together critical reviews on inositol phosphates in agriculture, ecology, and the environment. It includes 16 chapters covering a diverse range of topics, including the synthesis and hydrolysis of inositol phosphates, their role in animal nutrition, and their fate in soils and aquatic ecosystems.

`The heterogeneity of topics ... is very ambitious, and the result is, overall, successful because of the high quality of the individual contributions ... highly recommended.' -American Scientist, from a review of a previous volume Volume 26 examines the emerging areas of signal transduction based on myoinositol phosphates and Ca2+ while focusing on plant and animal responses. Chapters explore synthesis, separation, and identification of different inositol phosphates.

Provides a high level reference source for scientists engaged in any aspect of plant research - chemistry, biochemistry or physiology - with primary focus on the chemistry of phosphorus-containing compounds that occur naturally in the plant kingdom, and specifically in the higher plants (Plantae). The book is comprehensive with respect to nomenclature, physical properties, and distribution worldwide. There are many tables of actual data on phosphorus compounds occurring in whole plants and parts of plants. The tables provide detailed data that is needed by the food industry, agriculture, etc as many of the phosphorus compounds are common to both plants and animals. Two appendices cover other aspects including changes in phosphorus-containing compounds during germination and their accumulation during growth and senescence. The final sections of the book comprise separate indexes of plants, compounds and authors. - Comprehensive examination of phosphorus compounds found in plants - Extensive tables listing types of compounds and their occurrence in plants including: Nomenclature; Occurrence; Physical Properties; Synthesis; Hydrolysis; Phosphorylation; Extraction; Separation and Analysis - Easy to use indexes of plants, compounds and authors

This valuable resource provides a systematic account of the biochemistry of smooth muscle contraction. As a comprehensive guide to this rapidly growing area of research, it covers the structure and characteristic properties of contractile and regulatory proteins, with special emphasis on their predicted function in the live muscle. Also included in this book are intermediate filament proteins, and desmin and vimentin, whose function in smooth muscle is unknown; and several enzymes involved in the phosphorylation-dephosphorylation of contractile and other proteins.

This volume describes modern approaches for the detection and analysis of inositol phosphates from various biological, clinical, and environmental samples. Chapters focus on methods to study enzymes that modify inositol signals, chemical biology of inositol phosphates, and methods to synthesize and purify inositol phosphates and their analogs. 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 cutting-edge, Inositol Phosphates: Methods and Protocol aims to ensure successful results in the further study of this vital field.