Biochemistry and Physiology of Polyamines in Plants provides a comprehensive introduction to commonly used methods in polyamine research and the problems unique to plant studies. Topics discussed include polyamine metabolism in plants, the functions of polyamines in plant growth and development, and an examination of analytical methods for polyamines and enzymes of polyamine metabolism. Agronomists, plant physiologists, and biochemists interested in polyamines in plants will find this book to be a valuable reference resource.
The area of polyamines is presented in this useful, two-volume publication. Basic information describing the role of polyamines in the processes of growth and differentiation is given. Also included are data on the regulation of polyamine biosynthesis and metabolism and their interactions with nucleic acids. Several chapters are devoted to the role of polyamines in various aspects of plant biology, with a special emphasis on their participation in the response of plants to extreme environments. Special attention is given to the use of inhibitors of polyamine biosynthesis as potential antitumor and antiproliferative agents. Additionally, progress in the molecular biology and genetic engineering of genes coding for polyamine biosynthetic enzymes is described. Cancer researchers, biologists, geneticists, biochemists, physiologists, and clinicians will find this volume indispensable.
Plant hormones play a crucial role in controlling the way in which plants growand develop. Whilemetabolism providesthepowerand buildingblocks for plant life, it is the hormones that regulate the speed of growth of the individual parts and integrate these parts to produce the form that we recognize as a plant. In addition, theyplayacontrolling role inthe processes of reproduction. This book is a description ofthese natural chemicals: how they are synthesizedand metabolized; howthey work; whatwe knowoftheir molecular biology; how we measure them; and a description ofsome ofthe roles they play in regulating plant growth and development. Emphasis has also been placed on the new findings on plant hormones deriving from the expanding use ofmolecular biology as a tool to understand these fascinating regulatory molecules. Even at the present time, when the role of genes in regulating all aspects of growth and development is considered of prime importance, it is still clear that the path of development is nonetheless very much under hormonal control, either via changes in hormone levels in response to changes in gene transcription, or with the hormones themselves as regulators ofgene transcription. This is not a conference proceedings, but a selected collection ofnewly written, integrated, illustrated reviews describing our knowledge of plant hormones, and the experimental work that is the foundation of this knowledge.
A unique collection of hands-on enzyme assay techniques to study polyamines and their function. The techniques range from assay methods for enzymes of polyamine biosynthesis and catabolism to measurements of polyamines, polyamine transport, and polyamine effects on cell growth. The methods are presented by leading researchers who have perfected them to a high art, and include clear, step-by-step instructions with numerous hints and tips to ensure readily reproducible results.
A guide to the chemical agents that protect plants from various environmental stressors Protective Chemical Agents in the Amelioration of Plant Abiotic Stress offers a guide to the diverse chemical agents that have the potential to mitigate different forms of abiotic stresses in plants. Edited by two experts on the topic, the book explores the role of novel chemicals and shows how using such unique chemical agents can tackle the oxidative damages caused by environmental stresses. Exogenous application of different chemical agents or chemical priming of seeds presents opportunities for crop stress management. The use of chemical compounds as protective agents has been found to improve plant tolerance significantly in various crop and non-crop species against a range of different individually applied abiotic stresses by regulating the endogenous levels of the protective agents within plants. This important book: Explores the efficacy of various chemical agents to eliminate abiotic stress Offers a groundbreaking look at the topic and reviews the most recent advances in the field Includes information from noted authorities on the subject Promises to benefit agriculture under stress conditions at the ground level Written for researchers, academicians, and scientists, Protective Chemical Agents in the Amelioration of Plant Abiotic Stress details the wide range of protective chemical agents, their applications, and their intricate biochemical and molecular mechanism of action within the plant systems during adverse situations.
The polyamines are ubiquitous and essential organic cations in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. This book is a comprehensive survey of the development of knowledge of their physiological and structural roles. Currently, the genetic and regulatory determinants of the amines and their cellular composition are being explored actively as parameters of normal physiology and aberrant pathologies. Cancer, virus infection, and protozoan parasitism are major examples of the later groups. Studies of the control of polyamine metabolism are providing important therapeutic leads. Further, the structural roles of the amines are being determined at molecular levels, contributing to the understanding of polynucleotide and protein organization and interaction, as well as to the solution of problems of genome transfer. These subjects describe a burgeoning biochemical area involving compounds whose roles in cytoplasmic and nuclear function include numerous aspects of organelle structure, polymer synthesis, and interactions.
The mammalian gastrointestinal mucosa is a rapidly self-renewing tissue in the body, and its homeostasis is preserved through the strict regulation of epithelial cell proliferation, growth arrest, and apoptosis. The control of the growth of gastrointestinal mucosa is unique and, compared with most other tissue in the body, complex. Mucosal growth is regulated by the same hormones that alter metabolism in other tissues, but the gastrointestinal mucosa also responds to host events triggered by the ingestion and presence of food within the digestive tract. These gut hormones and peptides regulate the growth of the exocrine pancreas, gallbladder epithelium, and the mucosa of the oxyntic gland region of the stomach and the small and large intestines. Luminal factors, including nutrients or other dietary factors, secretions, and microbes that occur within the lumen and distribute over a proximal-to-distal gradient, are also crucial for maintenance of normal gut mucosal regeneration and could explain the villous-height-crypt-depth gradient and variety of adaptation, since these factors are diluted, absorbed, and destroyed as they pass down the digestive tract. Recently, intestinal stem cells, cellular polyamines, and noncoding RNAs are shown to play an important role in the regulation of gastrointestinal mucosal growth under physiological and various pathological conditions. In this book, we highlight key issues and factors that control gastrointestinal mucosal growth and homeostasis, with special emphasis on the mechanisms through which epithelial renewal and apoptosis are regulated at the cellular and molecular levels.
Polyamines are ubiquitous molecules that are involved in a number of important cellular processes. Aberrations in their function or metabolism play a role in diseases such as cancer and parasitic infection. A number of validated drug targets have been identified, including enzymes in the polyamine biosynthetic and catabolic pathways and the S-adenosylmethionine synthetic and salvage pathways. Polyamine Drug Discovery is the first comprehensive volume to cover all aspects of the design and development of potential therapeutics targeting polyamine metabolism. The book details research progress from 1975 to the present date and discusses the design and use of polyamine metabolism inhibitors as therapeutic agents. Various polyamine-containing drugs are described that can be used in chemotherapy, and as treatments for infections including trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis and malaria. Finally, the roles of polyamine analogues in chemoprevention, polyamine-containing vectors for gene delivery, and the design of polyamine-based epigenetic modulators are detailed. Each chapter addresses a different aspect of polyamine drug discovery and all are written by medicinal and biological chemists with particular expertise in developing agents that modulate polyamine metabolism or function. The book will increase the visibility of polyamine drug discovery among pharmaceutical researchers and provide a valuable reference for everyone working in the field.
