Plants utilize light not only for photosynthesis but also as environmental signals. They are capable of perceiving wavelength, intensity, direction, duration, and other attributes of light to perform appropriate physiological and developmental changes. This volume presents overviews of and the latest findings in many of the interconnected aspects of plant photomorphogenesis, including photoreceptors (phytochromes, cryptochromes, and phototropins), signal transduction, photoperiodism, and circadian rhythms, in 42 chapters. Also included, is a prologue by Prof. Masaki Furuya that gives an overview of the historical background. With contributions from preeminent researchers in specific subjects from around the world, this book will be a valuable source for a range of scientists from undergraduate to professional levels.
This book offers comprehensive coverage of the most important areas in photoreceptors and light signalling. Photoreceptors enable most species to sense not only the presence of light but also the information, such as irradiance, colour or spectral distribution, direction and polarization of light. They are vital, therefore, in providing organisms with energy and information about their surroundings, such as day and night cycles. This book covers the range of photoreceptors that have been discovered to date and the broad range of methods used when researching how they operate, including: action spectroscopy; methods for protein purification; the whole range of molecular biological and genetic methods; and numerous spectroscopic methods, from absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy to X-ray diffraction, used for solving the structure of photoreceptors. Written by leading experts in the field, Photoreceptors and Light Signalling provides the reader with the most recent results and research. This book will be valued by a wide-range of readers, including students of photochemistry, photobiology, biology, chemistry and physics and other professionals in academia.
Nuclear Architecture and Dynamics provides a definitive resource for (bio)physicists and molecular and cellular biologists whose research involves an understanding of the organization of the genome and the mechanisms of its proper reading, maintenance, and replication by the cell. This book brings together the biochemical and physical characteristics of genome organization, providing a relevant framework in which to interpret the control of gene expression and cell differentiation. It includes work from a group of international experts, including biologists, physicists, mathematicians, and bioinformaticians who have come together for a comprehensive presentation of the current developments in the nuclear dynamics and architecture field. The book provides the uninitiated with an entry point to a highly dynamic, but complex issue, and the expert with an opportunity to have a fresh look at the viewpoints advocated by researchers from different disciplines. - Highlights the link between the (bio)chemistry and the (bio)physics of chromatin - Deciphers the complex interplay between numerous biochemical factors at task in the nucleus and the physical state of chromatin - Provides a collective view of the field by a large, diverse group of authors with both physics and biology backgrounds
David Dickinson is a household name, the king of the catchphrase, undisputed darling of daytime TV and a rising star. He's a respected antiques expert and exudes a taste for the finer things in life. But the road to his success has not been as smooth as his patter and he's learnt a lot at the school of hard knocks.
This textbook covers Plant Ecology from the molecular to the global level. It covers the following areas in unprecedented breadth and depth: - Molecular ecophysiology (stress physiology: light, temperature, oxygen deficiency, drought, salt, heavy metals, xenobiotica and biotic stress factors) - Autecology (whole plant ecology: thermal balance, water, nutrient, carbon relations) - Ecosystem ecology (plants as part of ecosystems, element cycles, biodiversity) - Synecology (development of vegetation in time and space, interactions between vegetation and the abiotic and biotic environment) - Global aspects of plant ecology (global change, global biogeochemical cycles, land use, international conventions, socio-economic interactions) The book is carefully structured and well written: complex issues are elegantly presented and easily understandable. It contains more than 500 photographs and drawings, mostly in colour, illustrating the fascinating subject. The book is primarily aimed at graduate students of biology but will also be of interest to post-graduate students and researchers in botany, geosciences and landscape ecology. Further, it provides a sound basis for those dealing with agriculture, forestry, land use, and landscape management.
This unique resource reviews progress made by scientists researching into how ambient changes in the wavelength, intensity, direction and duration of light environment affect plant growth and development. It explains how combinations of new research with classical photobiology and physiology have made it feasible to interpret intriguing light dependent phenomena such as phototropism, determination of flowering time, shade avoidance etc. at molecular level. Written by over 20 leading experts in the field the book covers major breakthroughs achieved in the last decade. It is generously referenced with more than 2389 bibliographic citations.
Nuclear Trafficking is a summary of the state of knowledge in nuclear trafficking, and is organized into five parts. The book begins by discussing the diffusion and signal-mediated transport through the pores. It then looks into the detailed accounts of pore structure and composition, nuclear localization signals, signal binding proteins, RNA efflux, and biochemical factors influencing nucleocytoplasmic exchange. This book will be very useful to those people new to this field of interest.
Photoperiodism is the response to the length of the day that enables living organisms to adapt to seasonal changes in their environment as well as latitudinal variation. As such, it is one of the most significant andcomplex aspects of the interaction between plants and their environment and is a major factor controlling their growth and development. As the new and powerful technologies of molecular genetics are brought to bear on photoperiodism, it becomes particularly important to place new work in the context of the considerable amount of physiological information which already exists on the subject. This innovative book will be of interest to a wide range of plant scientists, from those interested in fundamental plant physiology and molecular biology to agronomists and crop physiologists. - Provides a self-sufficient account of all the important subjects and key literature references for photoperiodism - Includes research of the last twenty years since the publication of the First Edition - Includes details of molecular genetic techniques brought to bear on photoperiodism