Alkali Cation Transport Systems in Prokaryotes is the first book that brings together the physiological, structural, and molecular biological aspects of the transport of sodium, potassium, and ammonium across the bacterial cell membrane. Sodium translocation plays a major role in energy coupling of some prokaryotes, and much of the book is devoted to new and exciting developments in this field. Over 30 experts have contributed to this excellent reference for microbiologists, biochemists, molecular biologists, cell biologists, chemotherapists, and researchers interested in bioenergetics.
In recent years it has become evident that transport processes across membranes play a crucial role in many metabolic systems. The activities of these transport processes often determine the physiology of the organisms.This book presents a state of the art review on the analysis of a wide variety of transport systems from bacteria and eukaryotic cells. A selection has been made of those systems that have been studied at the molecular level with special emphasis paid to the energetic and other biophysical properties. The different classes of transport systems are presented in the following: primary transport, secondary transport, phosphotransferase systems, channels and porines and macromolecular transport. Within each class of transporters several systems are presented by the leading experts in the field, which has resulted in a very broad overview of transport processes in biological cells. In this way the differences in the mechanisms used for translocation become evident while on the other hand features common to the different transport systems are revealed.
Transport of molecules across the cell membrane is a fundamental process of all living organisms. It is essential for understanding growth, development, nutrition as well as uptake and excretion of exogenous or synthesized molecules. Microbes respresent general and basic functional systems where many transport processes have been studied on a molecular basis. Knowledge of the microbial transport processes will provide new perspectives to treatments by inhibitors, drugs, antibiotics, vitamins, growth promotion compounds, activators and toxic compunds of various kinds.
International Review of Cytology presents current advances and comprehensive reviews in cell biology-both plant and animal. Articles address structure and control of gene expression, nucleocytoplasmic interactions, control of cell development and differentiation, and cell transformation and growth. Authored by some of the foremost scientists in the field, each volume provides up-to-date information and directions for future research.
Clostridia is one of the largest bacterial genera with an enormous potential for biotechnical and medical applications. Despite growing scientific, medical, and industrial interest, information on basic methods, biochemical fundamentals, clinical practice, industrial applications, and novel developments remains scattered in a variety of research ar
Salt is an essential requirement of life. Already from ancient times (e. g. , see the books of the Bible) its importance in human life has been known. For example, salt symbolizes destruction (as in Sodom and Gomorra), but on the other hand it has been an ingredient of every sacrifice during the Holy Temple periods. Microbial life in concentrated salt solutions has fascinated scientists since its discovery. Recently there have been several international meetings and books devoted entirely to halophiles. This book includes the proceedings of the “Halophiles 2004” conference held in Ljubljana, Slovenia, in September 2004 (www. u- lj. si/~bfbhaloph/index. html). This meeting was attended by 120 participants from 25 countries. The editors have selected presentations given at the meeting for this volume, and have also invited a number of contributions from experts who had not been present in Ljubljana. This book complements “Halophilic Microorganisms”, edited by A. Ventosa and published by Springer-Verlag (2004), “Halophilic Microorganism and their Environments” by A. Oren (2002), published by Kluwer Academic Publishers as volume 5 of “Cellular Origins, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology” (COLE), and “Microbiology and Biogeochemistry of Hypersaline Environments” edited by A. Oren, and published by CRC Press, Boca Raton (1999). Salt-loving (halophilic) microorganisms grow in salt solutions above seawater salinity (~3. 5% salt) up to saturation ranges (i. e. , around 35% salt). High concentrations of salt occur in natural environments (e. g.
This volume is based on the fifth international conference of quantumbio-informatics held at the QBI Center of Tokyo University of Science.This volume provides a platform to connect mathematics, physics, information and life sciences, and in particular, research for new paradigm for information science and life science on the basis of quantum theory.The following topics are discussed: Cryptographic algorithms; Quantum algorithm and computation; Quantum entanglement; Quantum entropy and information dynamics; Quantum dynamics and time operator; Stochastic dynamics and white noise analysis; Brain activity; Quantum-like models and PD game; Quantum physics and superconductivity; Quantum tomography and sufficiency; Adaptation in Plants; Alignment of sequences
This volume is based on the fifth international conference of quantum bio-informatics held at the QBI Center of Tokyo University of Science.This volume provides a platform to connect mathematics, physics, information and life sciences, and in particular, research for new paradigm for information science and life science on the basis of quantum theory.The following topics are discussed:
For centuries man has treated food to prolong its edible life, and nowadays both traditional and modern preservatives are used widely to ensure the satisfactory maintenance of quality and safety of foods. There continues to be increased public concern about the use of food additives, including preservatives, resulting from a perception that some of them may have deleterious effects on health. However, as eating habits have changed with an emphasis on what has been popularly termed a `healthy diet', there is at the same time a concern that reduction in preservative usage could lead to loss of safety and protection from food poisoning. While some preservatives are coming under increasing regulatory pressure others, particularly more natural ones, are receiving increased attention and gaining in importance and acceptability. This book supports the continued safe and effective use of preservatives within these current constraints. It therefore gives detailed information on the practical use of the major antimicrobial preservatives. Uniquely, it couples this with current understanding of their modes of action, at the levels of cellular physiology and biochemistry, in such a way as to provide a sound scientific basis for their efficacy. Such an approach also encourages the future logical development and use of preservatives.
In the last 10 years, considerable information has accumulated on the biochemistry of archaea. In this volume, the subject as a whole is treated in a comprehensive manner. The book brings together recent knowledge concerning general metabolism, bioenergetics, molecular biology and genetics, membrane lipid and cell-wall structural chemistry and evolutionary relations, of the three major groups of archaea: the extreme halophiles, the extreme thermophiles, and the methanogens.Subjects included are: the evolutionary relationship of these microorganisms to all other living cells; special metabolic features of archeaea; protein structural chemistry; cell envelopes; molecular biology in archaea including DNA structure and replication, transcription apparatus, translation apparatus, and ribosomal structure; and a final chapter on the molecular genetics of archaea. This comprehensive scope ensures its usefulness to researchers, and stimulates further study in this rapidly developing field.
