Search

This book gathers selected studies on the industrial applications of glycoside hydrolases (GHs), presenting an updated classification of these enzymes, and discussing their structure, mechanisms, and various approaches to improve their catalytic efficiency. Further, it explains the various industrial applications of glycoside hydrolases in food, effluent treatment, biofuel production, and the paper and pulp industries. Lastly, the book provides a comparative analysis of glycoside hydrolases and discusses the role of metagenomics in the discovery of industrially important enzymes. As such it is a thought-provoking, instructive and informative resource for biochemists, enzymologists, molecular biologists and bioprocess technologists.

1995, 1997a; NOlting, 1996). This new method allows fast processes that would normally be hidden in kinetic studies to be revealed. Of course, the range of applicability of fast kinetic methods is far wider than that presented. Thus, everybody working in the fields of fast chemical reactions and physical changes, such as conformational isomerizations, enzyme kinetics and enzyme mechanisms, might see the book as a useful introduction. The framework that is provided for the readers is the notion that the quantitation of kinetic rate constants and the visualization of protein structures along the folding pathway will lead to an understanding of function and mechanism and will aid the understanding of important biological processes and disease states through detailed mechanistic knowledge. Numerous figures provide useful information not easily found elsewhere, and the book includes copious references to original research papers, relevant reviews and monographs. My work at Cambridge University and the Medical Research Council was supported by a European Union Human Capital and Mobility Fellowship and a Medical Research Council Fellowship. I gratefully acknowledge Prof. Dr. Alan R. Fersht for the interest in our work on fast folding reactions. NMR measurements on peptides of barstar were done by Dr. Jose L. Neira and Dr. Andres S. Soler­ Gonzalez. The work at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was supported by NIH grant GM31756. Prof. Dr. Steven G. Sligar is particularly acknowledged for his support of acoustic relaxation experiments and many fruitful discussions.

The Symposium on'Protein Metabolism: Infiuence of Growth Hormone, Anabolie Steroids, and Nutrition in Health and Disease'is the fourth in the series of International Symposia sponsored by CIBA Limited, Basle. As in the case of the previous conferences, it was planned and organised with the help of experts in the field concerned. Special thanks are due to Prof. A. QuERIDO and Dr. A. A. H. KAssENAAR who, once the idea of the Symposium had been conceived in the course of joint discussions, embarked upon the project with enthusiasm and inspiration, although they must have known full weil what a great deal of time and trouble the organisation of such a meeting would inevitably cost them. For their untiring efforts, for the judicious manner in which they contrived to select precisely those subjects on which interest is chiefiy centred today, and-last but not least-for their success in finding competent specialists to participate in the proceedings, we wish to assure them of our sincere gratitude. To all the members of the Department of Clinical Endocrinology and Diseases of Metabolism, at the University Hospital in Leyden, who helped in preparing the meeting, we would likewise extend a warm vote of thanks. The fact that the present volume, featuring the papers and discussions of the Symposium, has been published only a few months after the event, was made possible thanks to the co­ operative help of all who participated.

This volume is a collection of the contributions presented at the 42nd Erice Crystallographic Course whose main objective was to train the younger generation on advanced methods and techniques for examining structural and dynamic aspects of biological macromolecules. The papers review the techniques used to study protein assemblies and their dynamics, including X-ray diffraction and scattering, electron cryo-electron microscopy, electro nanospray mass spectrometry, NMR, protein docking and molecular dynamics. A key theme throughout the book is the dependence of modern structural science on multiple experimental and computational techniques, and it is the development of these techniques and their integration that will take us forward in the future.

The 18th ESACT meeting was celebrated in Granada (Spain) in May 2003, and was entitled'Animal Cell Technology Meets Genomics', in order to reflect that the emerging technologies in the area of genomics, proteomics and other'-omics'-type disciplines will provide key technological assets to increase knowledge and open new horizons in animal cell technology. During the meeting a variety of top-class emerging technologies were presented together with the lastest advances in more mature industrial areas. The meeting was opened by a first session devoted to the understanding of basic cellular mechanisms, and four sessions focused on applied aspects of animal cell technology: Cell-based therapies and gene-based therapies, target discovery and biopharmaceuticals. The Granada Meeting has also seen a special focus on forefront industrial case studies. The spirit and scientific excellence of the 18th ESACT meeting is now reflected in different chapters of the book. The book presents, in form of short papers, a high number of the contributions to the meeting, and has been prepared with the aim to provide a relevant reference of the current research efforts in Animal Cell Technology.

The second edition of the textbook Enzymes- Catalysis, Kinetics, and Mechanisms focuses on the two broad mechanistic facets of enzymology namely, the chemical and the kinetic. It endeavors to bring out the synergy between enzyme structures and mechanisms. Written with a self-study approach in mind, the emphasis is on how to begin experiments with an enzyme and subsequently analyze the data. The book is divided into six major sections– 1) Enzyme Catalysis – A Perspective, 2) Enzyme Kinetic Practice and Measurements, 3) Elucidation of Kinetic Mechanisms, 4) Chemical Mechanisms and Catalysis, 5) Exploiting Enzymes, and 6) An end piece on Frontiers in Enzymology. The individual concepts are treated as stand-alone short sections. In case the reader needs to use any one concept, it should be possible with minimal cross-referencing to the rest of the book. Further, the book presents specialized techniques and complex approaches that require involved experimentation in theory with suitable references to guide the reader. The book is proposed more as a textbook in a self-learning mode to students of modern biology, particularly those with limited exposure to quantitative aspects and organic chemistry.

The second edition of this book provides a completely updated account of the structure, dynamics, and physics of viral particles: from the moment they emerge by self-assembly from viral components produced in the infected cell, through their extracellular stage, until they recognize and infect a new host cell and cease to exist as they lose their physical integrity to initiate a new infectious cycle. New insights into the structure of viruses, their physical properties, and mechanisms of action, derived from results obtained in the last decade, have been included, as well as other (bio)physical techniques to study the structure or dynamics of virus particles and components. These include, among many others, new advances in high-resolution electron cryomicroscopy; novel approaches in the use of electron cryotomography or the application of soft X-ray tomography to study viruses in the infected cell; high-speed atomic force microscopy to study virus assembly and dynamics; and the development of new antiviral drugs and vaccines. as well as of many nanomedical and nanotechnological applications of virus particles. New chapters on the study of viruses inside infected cells and on technological applications of modified viral particles have been included in this second edition. The book is still aimed primarily at Master's students, Ph.D. students, and postdoctoral researchers with degrees in biology, chemistry, physics or related scientific disciplines who have an interest in or are working with viruses. It provides an up-to-date overview of many important concepts, techniques, studies and applications in structural and physical virology for specialized researchers working with viruses, regardless of their field of specialization, covering the latest research together with fundamental concepts and well-established facts. In short, this book is basic enough to be used by undergraduate and Ph.D. students, but advanced and up-to-date enough for experienced scientists with an interest in structural and/or physical virology.

This volume in the Subcellular Biochemistry (SCBI) series is a continuation of several previous volumes devoted to the structural and functional study of protein complexes. The expanding nature of this field of study, derived mainly from X-ray crystallography and electron cryomicroscopy, justifies the continuing expansion of coverage in an almost encyclopaedic manner within the SCBI series. Experienced and active researchers in the field shed light on the biology of protein complexes involved in important cellular functions from different perspectives, such as AcrAB-TolC, and CST. Other topics covered are: the Toxin-Antitoxin systems in cell survival, the role of the ATPases CueR and RUVBL1-RUVBL2 in the regulation of gene expression, complexes with multiple functions in the cell such as VCP/p97 or the Vault complex, FtsA and FtsZ in bacterial cell division, GATOR1 and GATOR2 in amino acid sensing, TRPA1 and the Serotonin Transporter in signaling, oligomeric structures in eukaryotic cells such as amyloids and invertases, among others. The book is richly illustrated, the result of an impressive integration of structural data from X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy. Functional aspects of protein-protein interactions are also featured prominently, providing a valuable contribution for researchers and scholars. Chapter 13 is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

The second edition of this book presents the role of osmolytes in human health and diseases. Some of the chapters deal about the possibility of the use of osmolytes as diagnostic biomarkers and potential drug design for neurodegenerative and other human diseases. Other chapters also include reviews on the role of osmolytes in cancer, metastasis, infectious diseases, metabolic disorders, immunological disorders, and tissue regeneration. Importantly, the book also contain recent updates on the role of naturally occurring osmolytes in protein folding pathway, protein stability, and their underlying mechanisms. The book also covers the aspects that osmolytes could promote conformational alterations of transcription factors that favor metastatic behavior. Potential of the osmolytes in the various process of vaccine development, including enhancing the efficacy, production, and purification steps are also succintly described. Towards the end, the book also elucidates the use of specific molecules for the prevention of toxic gain of functions and restoration of function to disease-causing mutant protein. This book is an invaluable asset for the researchers especially working in osmolyte biology and scientists involved in basic and clinical research particularly neurodegeneration, diabetes, cancer, and metabolic disorders.

This book serves as a comprehensive summary of the priority program SPP 1934, which focused on understanding the dispersity, structure, and phase changes of proteins and bio-agglomerates in biotechnological processes. Through contributions from various research groups, the program explored how sensitive proteins and bio-agglomerates are affected by the process environment during fermentation, downstream processing, and formulation. It investigated these effects across three size scales: microscale, encompassing single proteins, clusters, crystals, and virus-like particles; mesoscale, focusing on cells and cell clusters; and macroscale, examining overall process dynamics. The main objective was to enhance biotechnological process chains by elucidating the mechanical, thermal, and chemical stresses that impact protein and bio-agglomerate structures. By gaining insights into these stressors, the program aimed to enable precise control measures to mitigate denaturation and unfavorable growth of proteins and cells. This compilation seeks to contribute to the optimization of biotechnological processes, facilitating advancements in various industries.

This book provides an up-to-date overview of key areas of ageing research with a special focus on anti-ageing intervention strategies, which are currently very much at the forefront of ageing studies.The volume discusses how dietary restriction, supplements or exercise affect the ageing process. Other intervention strategies reviewed are: chaperone activators, telomerase activation, hormetics, senolytics, NAD boosting, geroprotectors, stem cell therapies, resveratrol and melatonin, to just name a few. This book follows on from Parts I-IV of Biochemistry and Cell Biology of Ageing within the Subcellular Biochemistry book series and highlights anti-ageing intervention strategies that were not included in the earlier volumes. Comprehensive and cutting-edge, this book is a valuable resource for experienced researchers and early career scientists alike, who are interested in learning more about the fascinating and challenging question of why and how our cells age.

This thesis illuminates the critical roles biomolecules, from small molecules to proteins, play in cellular functionality, particularly highlighting their conformational changes in response to environmental cues or binding events—a cornerstone concept in drug design as well as the manifestations of disease. It explores the conformational flexibility of small molecules and proteins, essential for predicting drug interactions and understanding biological processes. Through advanced molecular dynamics simulations and enhanced sampling techniques, this research offers unprecedented insights into the structural dynamics of three distinct biomolecular systems: the capsid assembly modulator AT130, the passenger domain of pertactin, and the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Each system represents a unique facet of biological complexity, underscoring the thesis's contribution to our understanding of biomolecular behavior across various scales. Furthermore, the thesis advances the field by updating the Force Field Toolkit for improved simulation accuracy. This work not only showcases the adaptability and importance of simulation techniques in modern biological research but also paves the way for novel therapeutic strategies by deepening our understanding of biomolecular dynamics.

Amino Acids, Peptides and Proteins is a broad ranging title comprising a selection of comprehensive and critical reviews of significant developments at the biology and chemistry interface. Compiled by leading researchers in their subject, this volume incorporates current trends and emerging areas reflecting the state-of-the-art research in this field. Appealing broadly to researchers in academia and industry, it will be of great benefit to any researcher wanting a succinct reference in this field and looking at the future.

The book reviews cutting-edge advancements and their implications across various domains of molecular diagnostics. It covers foundational topics like protein-ligand interactions, lipid-protein interactions within biological membranes, and the application of NMR spectroscopy in understanding membrane structures. The book also explores advanced techniques such as X-ray crystallography, liposome microarray assays, and protein-lipid interaction studies. By integrating experimental and computational methods, it provides a comprehensive guide to understanding the complexities of molecular diagnostics, from basic principles to innovative approaches in drug discovery and therapeutic development. Each chapter offers detailed discussions on specific topics, supported by experimental data and methodological insights, making it an invaluable resource for researchers, clinicians, and students seeking to enhance their knowledge and expertise in molecular diagnostics.

This book brings out a comprehensive collection of information on the structural proteins of fish in both marine and fresh water system. The main focus of this book is to address all relevant aspects of structural proteins of fish and its commercial significance. Fish is a rich and cheap source of protein, and the collagen and myofibrillar proteins, play a key role in food and pharmaceutical industries. Marine-based collagen due to its unique properties have fewer risks of transmitting diseases. These have low molecular weight, are biocompatible, lack religious constraints, and involves cost-effective extraction process. Therefore, it finds wide biomedical applications. The details of its extraction, isolation and characterization, supported with photographs and flow-charts are provided. This book also discusses the different peptides and derivatives of proteins that may have beneficial health significance and other commercial importance. Further, the application of bioinformatics and artificial intelligence in understanding the protein structure in-silico are also discussed in detail. This book is of interest and useful to students, academician, researchers and industrialists/ entrepreneurs, and is a valuable source of reference to the relevant researchers/ students.

COVID-19 has brought us extensive research databases in the fields of biophysics, biology, and bioinformatics. To extract valuable structural bioinformatic information of SARS-CoV-2 structural and nonstructural proteins, it is necessary to work with large-scale datasets of molecular dynamics (MD) trajectories that need to be optimized. This monograph serves as a comprehensive guide to optimization-based MD studies of the molecular structures of SARS-CoV-2 proteins and RNA. The book begins by performing local optimization, taking into account the three-body movement and optimizing the noncovalent bonds of each molecular structure. The optimized structures reach a transition state that offers the best stability and lowest energy. The optimization process utilizes a hybrid strategy that combines mathematical optimization with various local search algorithms. This approach significantly reduces data volume while eliminating irrelevant bioinformatics data. To gain a thoroughunderstanding of molecular stability and the mechanism of action, it is essential to consider not only static NMR, X-ray, or cryo-EM structures but also dynamic information obtained through MD or Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics (QM/MM) simulations. These simulations capture the internal motions and dynamic processes of molecules. Furthermore, for each protein, the structural bioinformatics obtained from the optimized structure is validated by analyzing large-scale MD trajectory databases, which are openly and freely available online. The analysis includes key structural bioinformatics aspects such as salt bridge electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonds, van der Waals interactions, and hydrophobic interactions specific to each SARS-CoV-2 molecular structure. The book also delves into discussions on drugs, vaccines, and the origins of the virus. Additionally, pandemic mathematical models, including those incorporating time delays, are explored. This book is particularly valuable for professionals working in practical computing roles within computational biochemistry, computational biophysics, optimization and molecular dynamics, structural bioinformatics, biological mathematics, and related fields. It serves as an accessible introduction to these disciplines and is also an excellent teaching resource for students.

Regulation of Downstream Targets, Volume 134 in the Advances in Protein Chemistry and Structural Biology series, presents interesting chapters on topics such as Transcriptional regulatory mechanisms and signaling networks in Viral Infections, Identification of potential key genes associated with pathogenesis and prognosis of endometrial cancer based on Integrated Bioinformatics Approaches, Differential regulation of genes in stage IB pancreatic cancer associated with increased risk of metastasis, AMPK-related LKB1-downstream targets, A compilation of bioinformatic approaches to identify novel downstream targets for the detection and prophylaxis of cancer, Protein phosphatases and their targets: Critical determinants of signaling pathway in plants, and more. Other sections cover Calcium decoders and their targets: The holy alliance that regulate cellular responses, Importin alpha family NAAT/IBB domain: functions of a multi-faceted long chameleon sequence, Aurora Kinase A and related downstream molecules: A Potential Network for Cancer Therapy, Emerging Role of Heat Shock Proteins in Cardiovascular Diseases, Function, Structure, Evolution, Regulation and Drug Target Relevance of Arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase, and Analysis of signaling cascades from myeloma cells treated with pristimerin. - Provides the authority and expertise of leading contributors from an international board of authors - Presents the latest release in the Advances in Protein Chemistry and Structural Biology series - Updated release includes the latest information on the Regulation of Downstream Targets

Leading researchers are specially invited to provide a complete understanding of a key topic within the multidisciplinary fields of physiology, biochemistry and pharmacology. In a form immediately useful to scientists, this periodical aims to filter, highlight and review the latest developments in these rapidly advancing fields.​

Molecular self-assembly has been exploited by nature for developing the higher functional macromolecular structures of both the genome and proteome. Inspired by nature, there has been a surge of research, in the last two decades, for the molecular engineering of peptide-based self-assembling nanostructures, adopting the bottom-up design approach. This book gives the reader an overview on the design rules for de novo self-assembling peptide and reviews the diverse range of bioinspired peptide nanostructures such as β-sheet and β-hairpin, α-helical and coiled coil, self-assembling short peptides and peptidomimetics, collagen-based and elastin-like peptides, silk peptides, peptide amphiphiles, peptides co-polymers and others. The book also covers the wide variety of responsive and functional biomaterials that have been innovated based on those nanostructures for various applications ranging from tissue engineering, therapeutics and drug delivery to antimicrobial nanomaterials and biosensors. Finally, the book also discusses the peptide bionanomaterials global market and the future of the emerging industry.Chapter “Characterization of Peptide-Based Nanomaterials” is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

This book aims to provide scientific information about proteins. 28 chapters have been written that describe the characteristics of proteins and their influence on human physiology. The authors presented the structure of individual proteins and their role in particular diseases. Proteins are among the most important nutrients responsible for the proper functioning of the body. Protein is one of the basic building blocks of our tissues and plays a role in transport, regulating biochemical processes and in reactions initiated by the immune system.

Cholesterol is an essential component of the plasma membrane. Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2), although a minor phospholipid, is the most abundant membrane phosphoinositide. Both lipids play key roles in a variety of cellular functions including as signalling molecules and major regulators of protein function. Studies on these important lipids have traditionally focused on the effect of each lipid individually. Accumulating evidence indicates, however, that these lipids may cross-regulate each other's levels. Furthermore, it is becoming evident that cholesterol and PI(4,5)P2 can act together to modulate protein function and biological processes. This book provides an overview of cellular functions and molecular mechanisms in which cholesterol and PI(4,5)P2 functions extend from parallel existence to crosstalk. It includes four sections. The first section introduces the reader to cholesterol and PI(4,5)P2. The second section demonstrates the mutual influence of these two critical lipids on their levels. The third section, divided into two parts, describes the co-modulation of protein function by cholesterol and PI(4,5)P2. The first part focuses on ion channels and the second - on lipid transfer proteins. The fourth section highlights other cellular processes at the intersection of cholesterol and PI(4,5)P2 involvement. Collectively, the book portrays the emerging relationship between cholesterol and PI(4,5)P2 in a broad array of biological systems and processes. The book will be of interest to a wide audience of research scientists with an interest in the biophysical properties of lipids and the physiological consequences of their presence in biological systems, as well as graduate students, postdoctoral trainees, basic and clinical researchers, and pharmaceutical scientists. Specifically, the content will be relevant to researchers in the fields of biochemistry, molecular biophysics, pharmacology, neurobiology, cardiovascular biology, among others.Provides a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge of the interplay between cholesterol and PI(4,5) P2Provides an overview of the emerging relationship between cholesterol and PI(4,5)P2 in biological systems and processesDiscusses cellular processes and molecular mechanisms where lipid functions extend from parallel existence to crosstalk

This updated and expanded volume gives new insights on ferroptosis – an iron-dependent form of non-apoptotic cell death. The collection of chapters discusses the two major pathways through which ferroptosis can occur: the extrinsic or transporter-dependent pathway and the intrinsic or enzyme-regulated pathway.Readers will gain an understanding of the multiple levels, on which this special cell death is regulated. Hence, the contributions will take a closer look at epigenetic, transcriptional, posttranscriptional and posttranslational layers. Among the described regulators and transcription factors are GPX4, ACSL4 and NFE2L2. This edited volume collects reviews related to current knowledge on the integrated molecular machinery of ferroptosis, thereby also describing how dysregulated ferroptosis is involved in human diseases.

This book aims to provide scientific information about proteins. 30 chapters have been written that describe the characteristics of proteins and their influence on human physiology. The authors presented the structure of individual proteins and their role in particular diseases. Proteins are among the most important nutrients responsible for the proper functioning of the body. Protein is one of the basic building blocks of our tissues, plays a role in transport, regulating biochemical processes and in reactions initiated by the immune system.

Modifications and Targeting of Protein Termini, Volume 684 in the Methods in Enzymology series serial highlights new advances in the field, with this new volume presenting interesting chapters pn a variety of timely topics, including Optimizing purification and activity assays of N-terminal methyltransferase complexes, In vitro reconstitution of hierarchical steps of Arg/N-degron pathway, Identification of N-degrons and N-recognins by using peptide-pull-downs combined with quantitative proteomics, A decoupled Virotrap approach to study the interactomes of N-terminal proteoforms, Monitoring ADO-dependent proteolysis in cells using fluorescent reporter proteins, Site-specific α-N-terminal methylation on peptides through chemical and enzymatic methods, and more. Additional sections cover Monitoring the interactions between N-degrons and N-recognins of the Arg/N-degron pathway, Characterization and chemical modulation of p62/SQSTM1 as an autophagic N-recognin of the Arg/N-degron pathway, Analysis of higher plant N-degron pathway components and substrates via expression in S. cerevisiae, and so much more. - Provides the authority and expertise of leading contributors from an international board of authors - Presents the latest release in the Methods in Enzymology serials - Updated release includes the latest information on Modifications and Targeting of Protein Termini

This book highlights the different aspects of the research project “E4C Horizon 2020 European Project” aimed at fighting the coronavirus by combining the best supercomputing resources and artificial intelligence with state-of-the-art experimental facilities up through clinical validation. Coronavirus disease has become an important public issue across the globe since December 2019. There is an urgent need to develop potent anti-COVID-19 agents for the prevention of the outbreak and stop viral infections. To this aim, a public–private consortium composed by European and national infrastructures, center of excellence, universities, and a pharmaceutical company started the E4C Horizon 2020 European Project: Its core idea was to use the EXaSCale smArt pLatform Against paThogEns (EXSCALATE) supercomputing platform for a process known as “drug repurposing”, namely to identify the most promising safe in man drugs for immediate treatment of the already infected population and then novel pan-coronavirus inhibitors to address future emergencies. This ambitious goal exploited a “chemical library” of 500 billion molecules, thanks to a processing capacity of more than 3 million molecules per second, made available by the computing power of the EXSCALATE platform.

This book introduces novel purification technology for the complex oligonucleotide libraries. Since the concept of synthesizing oligonucleotides (oligos) has been proposed, research fields such as nucleic acid-based therapies (CRISPR-Cas9, DNA/RNA vaccines, RNAi), synthetic biology, protein engineering, and DNA-based data storage have bloomed. The COVID-19 pandemic underscores the potential of nucleic acid-based technologies, such as vaccines or diagnostics. As they emerge as the most promising weapons against the current pandemic, increasing need for highly accessible nucleic acid purification technologies is expected. To meet this demand, an oligo purification technology that can be applied to complex oligo libraries and can purify oligos with single-base resolution is developed. In addition, the purification technology can be applied to highly complex oligo libraries of different lengths, enabling the simultaneous purification of complex oligo libraries with different lengths. The proposed technology can be easily accessed by users and would help accelerate numerous research fields that utilize oligos as fundamental building blocks.

Elastomeric proteins are ubiquitous in nature, where they have evolved precise structures and properties that are necessary to perform specific biological roles and functions. This book emphasizes the impact of amino acid sequence on modulating protein structure, properties, and function. Examples include conformational ensemble dynamics, environmental responsiveness, self-assembly, physico-mechanical properties, morphology, and properties tailored for biomedical applications. This foundational framework is not only critical to advance scientific understanding and knowledge on elastomeric proteins but also enables the conceptualization, rational design, and development of biosynthetic elastomers and their analogous polypeptides for a variety of applications. Edited and contributed by pioneering researchers in the field, the book provides a timely overview of the materials, along with the synthesis techniques, the unique characteristics of elastomeric proteins, and biomedical and industrial applications. The book will provide a reference for graduate students and researchers interested in designing biomimetic proteins tailored for various functions.

This book is designed to serve as a textbook for core as well as elective courses offered to undergraduate and advanced undergraduate students enrolled in chemistry. This textbook comprehensively deals various topics of organic chemistry such as amino acids, peptides, proteins and enzymes. The text is divided into four chapters: a chapter each dedicated to amino acids, peptides, proteins and enzymes, respectively. The important reactions have been explained with the help of the mechanisms involved. It gives a detailed account of the solution phase and solid phase synthesis of peptides as well as discussing the structure and function of some biologically important peptides. It also covers the classification, nomenclature and mode of action of enzymes, and a detailed account of the structure and function of different co-enzymes. The book also includes pedagogical features like end-of-chapter exercises to aid in self learning. Given the scope, this textbook will be useful for graduate and advanced graduate students pursuing the course of chemistry, especially organic chemistry.

This book covers the latest findings of a wide variety of viral, prokaryotic and eukaryotic macromolecular protein complexes and builds upon the solid macromolecular foundations established by previous volumes of the Subcellular Biochemistry series. Thus, an almost encyclopaedic coverage of the broad field of protein complex structure and function has been established. The 17 interesting chapters included in this book have been organised into four sections: Soluble Protein Complexes, Membrane Protein Complexes, Fibrous Protein Complexes and Viral Protein Complexes. Significant topics present here are: Fatty Acid Synthase, the Fork Protection Complex, Ribonucleotide Reductase, the Kinetochore, G proteins, the FtsEX Complex, the Kainate Receptor, the Photosystem I-antenna, the Mycobacterial Arabinofuranosyltransferases, the the Bacterial Flagellum, the Actomyosin Complex, Motile Cilia, SLS Collagen Polymorphic Structures, and the Reovirus Capsid and Polymerase. Up-dates/expansion of chapter topics present in earlier volumes are now included in chapters here, e.g., those on Ferritin-like proteins and the Multi-tRNA Synthetase. The book is richly illustrated throughout, the result of an impressive integration of structural data from X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy. The functional aspects of protein-protein interactions are also given a high priority.

The advent of large-scale production and clinical trials of drugs developed through diverse production routes - involving viruses, microbes, plants, and animals - has increased the demand for an expanded capacity for pharmaceutical manufacturing. The production and purification of expressed proteins accounts for the bulk of the manufacturing costs for new therapeutics. Several pharmaceutical proteins have been synthesized by exploiting plant genetics allowing producers to override conventional approaches used to manufacture pharmaceuticals. The process of inserting a gene into a host organism for the purpose of harvesting a bioactive molecule for therapeutic use is known as molecular pharming.Frontiers in Molecular Pharming covers an array of topics relevant to understanding the structure, function, regulation, and mechanisms of action, biochemical significance, and usage of proteins and peptides as biomarkers, therapeutics, and vaccines for animals and humans. The contributions aim to highlight current progress in three areas, including system biology (in vivo characterization of proteins and peptides), molecular pharming for animals and molecular pharming for humans. The book gives special attention to computational biology tools, production platforms and fields (such as immunoinformatics) and applications of molecular pharming (such as veterinary therapeutics). A balance of theoretical concepts and practical applications is provided through 13 chapters.Frontiers in Molecular Pharming is an invaluable resource for students and researchers of biochemistry, molecular biology, and biotechnology. The book also serves as a springboard for understanding the process of how discoveries in protein and peptide research and its applications are coming to fruition.

This book reviews the principles of design and examples of successful implementation of proteinkinase inhibitors (PKI), and offers a comprehensive and authoritative overview of the history and latest developments in the field. Chapters written by experts from industry and academia cover the function, structure and topology of Proteinkinases, molecular modelling, disclose how to achieve high level of selectivity for kinase inhibitors, and exploit kinase inhibitors for cancer treatment. Particular attention is given to Inhibitors of c-Jun N-terminal kinase 3, and to covalent Janus Kinase 3 Inhibitors. A case study on Receptor Tyrosine Kinases EGFR, VEGFR, PDGFR is also presented in this book.Given its breath, this book will appeal to medicinal chemists, students, researchers and professionals alike.

The book Heat Shock Proteins in Cancer Therapeutics provides the most comprehensive review on contemporary knowledge on the role of HSP in various types of cancer therapeutics. Using an integrative approach, the contributors provide a synopsis of the most current updates on the state of HSP in cancer therapeutics.The heat shock response pathway is a highly conserved cellular process. Heat shock factors are a master transcriptional regulator responsible for expression of several important heat shock proteins, which can effectively protect critical client proteins from misfolding and degradation, thus maintaining intracellular integrity under stressed conditions. Recent studies have demonstrated the direct connections between heat shock response players and tumor cell survival, validating heat shock response players as novel molecular targets in anticancer treatment. Although many hurdles in clinical application still need to be effectively addressed, such as undesirable drug toxicity and off target effects; narrow therapeutic window; poor PK/PD profiles, etc. Recent reports on synergistic drug combination, advanced prodrug design, smart nanoparticle packaging, and RNA aptamer selection offer promising solutions to overcome these challenges. Future advancements in this fast-growing area can potentially lead to the next generation of cancer therapeutics.Key basic and clinical research laboratories from major universities, academic medical hospitals, biotechnology and pharmaceutical laboratories around the world have contributed chapters that review present research activity and importantly project the field into the future. The book is a must read for graduate students. medical students, basic science researchers and postdoctoral scholars in the fields of Cancer Biology, Oncology, Translational Medicine, Clinical Research, Biotechnology, Cell & Molecular Medicine, Pharmaceutical Scientists and Researchers involved in Drug Discovery.

This volume describes methods and protocols for the fragment-based screening of proteins using Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR). The initial chapter of the book discusses the principle of SPR for the identification of biomolecular interactions, while the subsequent chapters introduce methods for labelling proteins with different tags including, histidine and biotin tags. It also discusses techniques and factors that affect the amine and biotin-streptavidin coupling and methods to optimize the interactions. Next, it describes fragment preparation for screening in SPR and presents methods to calculate equilibrium dissociation constant (KD) and ligand efficiency (LE). It reviews techniques of next-generation injections that improve the efficiency of the characterization process over traditional SPR by determining the kinetics and affinity in a single step. Finally, the book elucidates a comprehensive yet representative description of challenges associated with the molecular interactionof proteins using SPR.

The topic of this book, Collectins, is a family of proteins whose major function is in innate immunity, where Collectins act as pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). In general they recognize targets such as microbial surfaces and apoptotic cells, and once bound to a target, Collectins promote the clearance of microorganisms and damaged host tissue. New cell-surface proteins and glycoproteins, which act as Collectin receptors, are currently being identified. Some Collectins, particularly MBL, activate the complement system, which enhances the ability of antibodies to fight pathogens, via three MBL-associated proteases, the MASPs. Additionally, recent research has begun to show wider-ranging activities of Collectins, such as: · Their role in metabolism, and therefore their involvement in lifestyle diseases such as obesity and cardiovascular disease.· Their ability to modulate the adaptive immune response, as well as to recognize and trigger apoptosis of cancer cells, which makes them effective in the annihilation of cancer cells with multiple mutations.· The regulation of their expression by gonadal steroid hormones implicates them with critical roles in both male and female fertility.· Altered levels of Collectins have been associated with various autoimmune diseases.This book brings together current knowledge of the structure, functions and biological activities of Collectins, to describe their integral role in human health.

Amino Acids, Peptides and Proteins is a broad ranging title comprising comprehensive and critical reviews of significant developments at the biology and chemistry interface. Compiled by leading researchers in their subject, this volume incorporates current trends and emerging areas in topics ranging from enzymatic halogenation, unnatural amino acids in peptide and protein chemistry and detection of protein post-translational modifications by mass spectrometry. Appealing broadly to researchers in academia and industry, it will be of great benefit to any researcher wanting a succinct reference in this field and looking at the future.

Translational Urinomics provides an overview of urine analysis using proteomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics or any combination thereof for the diagnosis and prognosis of diseases related to the urinary system and the kidneys. The text approaches urine biomarkers from a new perspective, incorporating up-to-date studies of mass-spectrometry-based biomarker discovery as well as the latest advances in personalized medicine. The integration of technology-driven techniques, such as OMICS also provides a unique opportunity for improved diagnostics accuracy of urinary-related diseases. For nephrologists and urologists looking for new approaches to well-known problems, this edited volume serves as a valuable guide.

This book focuses on the development of stapled peptides, a novel molecular modality used to regulate aberrant intracellular protein–protein interactions (PPIs). The author designs and presents a novel helical peptide stabilization methodology by constructing a chiral cross-linker moiety, namely “chiral center induced peptide helicity (CIH)”. The book demonstrates that a precisely positioned carbon chiral center on tether can decisively determine the secondary structure of a peptide, and that the R-configured peptide is helical, while the S-configured peptide is non-helical. Further, it reports that helicity-enhanced R isomer peptides displayed significantly enhanced cell permeability and target binding affinity, as well as tumor inhibition efficiency, in comparison to S isomer peptides. The book will not only advance readers'understanding of the basic principle of stapled peptides, but also accelerate the clinical transformation of stapled peptide drugs.

This book presents various computer-aided drug discovery methods for the design and development of ligand and structure-based drug molecules. A wide variety of computational approaches are now being used in various stages of drug discovery and development, as well as in clinical studies. Yet, despite the rapid advances in computer software and hardware, combined with the exponential growth in the available biological information, there are many challenges that still need to be addressed, as this book shows. In turn, it shares valuable insights into receptor-ligand interactions in connection with various biological functions and human diseases. The book discusses a wide range of phylogenetic methods and highlights the applications of Molecular Dynamics Simulation in the drug discovery process. It also explores the application of quantum mechanics in order to provide better accuracy when calculating protein-ligand binding interactions and predicting binding affinities. In closing, the book provides illustrative descriptions of major challenges associated with computer-aided drug discovery for the development of therapeutic drugs. Given its scope, it offers a valuable asset for life sciences researchers, medicinal chemists and bioinformaticians looking for the latest information on computer-aided methodologies for drug development, together with their applications in drug discovery.

This book reviews the latest trends in glycobiotechnology, it offers an authoritative discussion about future directions of glycoengineering, and it provides a comprehensive overview about the current and emerging approaches to identify, quantify and characterize glycosylated proteins.Divided into 14 chapters, the book outlines recombinant glycoprotein expression in mammalian cells, insect cells, yeast, and bacterial systems. It covers the chemical and enzymatic syntheses of glycans and glyconjugates, and addresses the impact of glycosylation on protein function for the development of biologicals including vaccines. In the final chapters of the book, readers will discover more about the state-of-the-art in glycomics, glycoproteomics and glycan array technologies.

This authoritative overview on an emerging topic in the molecular life sciences covers all aspects of the aging of (long-lived) proteins. It describes the molecular mechanisms of aging on the protein level, in particular the most common side chain modifications and includes analytical methods to study protein half-life and the accumulation of modifications. Finally, the impact of protein aging on several age-related disases in humans is dissected, and their role in limiting human lifespan is discussed.

The origin of life has been investigated by many researchers from various research fields, such as Geology, Geochemistry, Physics, Chemistry, Molecular Biology, Astronomy and so on. Nevertheless, the origin of life remains unsolved. One of the reasons for this could be attributed to the different approaches that researchers have used to understand the events that happened on the primitive Earth. The origins of the main three members of the fundamental life system, as gene, genetic code and protein, could be only separately understood with these approaches. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the origins of gene, the genetic code, tRNA, metabolism, cell structure and protein not separately but comprehensively under a common concept in order to understand the origin of life, because the six members are intimately related to each other. In this monograph, the author offers a comprehensive hypothesis to explain the origin of life under a common concept. At the same time, the author offers the [GADV] hypothesis contrasting it with other current hypotheses and discusses the results of analyses of genes/proteins and the experimental data available in the exploration of the current knowledge in the field. This book is of interest for science students, researchers and the general public interested in the origin of life.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamental aspects of protein-protein interactions (PPI), including a detailed account of the energetics and thermodynamics involved in these interactions. It also discusses a number of computational and experimental approaches for the prediction of PPI interactions and reviews their principles, advantages, drawbacks, and the recent developments. Further, it offers structural and mechanistic insights into the formation of protein-protein complexes and maps different PPIs into networks to delineate various pathways that operate at the cellular level. Lastly, it describes computational protein-protein docking techniques and discusses their implications for further experimental research. Given its scope, this book is a valuable resource for students, researchers, scientists, entrepreneurs, and medical/healthcare professionals.

This book discusses unique ion channels and transporters that are located within epithelial tissues of various organs including the kidney, intestine, pancreas and respiratory tract. The authors will show, that each of these channels and transporters play crucial roles in transepithelial ion and fluid transport across epithelia and their responsibility in maintaining homeostasis. The reader gains an understanding of the fundamentals of epithelial ion transport, in terms of function, modelling, regulation, trafficking, structure and pharmacology. This is the third of three volumes highlighting the importance of epithelial ion channels and transporters in basic physiology and pathophysiology of human diseases. The focus of this volume lies with different ion channel and transporter families. Additionally, this volume benefits from pharmaceutical contributors and their insights into recent pre-clinical drug discovery efforts and results from clinical trials. Overall, these chapters offer a more thorough coverage of individual epithelial ion channels and transporters from the 1st Edition, along with eleven new chapters. That makes Volume 3 an insightful contribution for physiology students, scientists and clinicians.

The Novartis Foundation Series is a popular collection of the proceedings from Novartis Foundation Symposia, in which groups of leading scientists from a range of topics across biology, chemistry and medicine assembled to present papers and discuss results. The Novartis Foundation, originally known as the Ciba Foundation, is well known to scientists and clinicians around the world.

The Novartis Foundation Series is a popular collection of the proceedings from Novartis Foundation Symposia, in which groups of leading scientists from a range of topics across biology, chemistry and medicine assembled to present papers and discuss results. The Novartis Foundation, originally known as the Ciba Foundation, is well known to scientists and clinicians around the world.

The Novartis Foundation Series is a popular collection of the proceedings from Novartis Foundation Symposia, in which groups of leading scientists from a range of topics across biology, chemistry and medicine assembled to present papers and discuss results. The Novartis Foundation, originally known as the Ciba Foundation, is well known to scientists and clinicians around the world.

Sulfur in Proteins is a collection of papers presented at the 1958 Symposium on Sulfur in Proteins, held in Falmouth, Massachusetts. The symposium primary aims to explore the varied and unusual roles of –S–S– and –SH groups in proteins. This book is organized into eight chapters that cover a wide variety of proteins, including serum, iron, copper, and muscle proteins, as well as enzymes and viruses. The opening chapter describes the various protein reactions involving sulfur, emphasizing the chemical modification of thiol and disulfide groups. Considerable chapters are devoted to the chemical properties, biogenesis, reactivity, and oxygenation of specific proteins. A chapter highlights some aspects of protein structure in relation to the role of –S–S– and –SH groups in enzymic catalysis. This chapter also describes the properties of sulfhydryl groups in yeast alcohol dehydrogenase. The final chapters examine the role of sulfur groups in several virus proteins and in cell division. This work will be of great value to protein scientists and researchers.

This volume is designed to provide an understanding of current and potential therapies for osteoporosis. The opening chapter introduces the cells of bone and their interactions. Several following chapters describe factors affecting bone including systemic hormones with significant effects on bone, and local mediators including growth factors, prostaglandins, cytokines and chemokines. Topics that have commanded particular attention recently are calcium, FGF-23, nervous system bone interactions. Drugs that cause bone loss provide important information on mechanism as well as therapeutic considerations. An overview of the genetics of bone disorders and a discussion of the pathophysiology of osteoporosis establish the clinical context. The final chapters discuss current and potential osteoporosis treatments.

This book offers an authoritative review of biopharmaceuticals and their clinical relevance. Biopharmaceuticals have been showing high therapeutic potential by means of biological and biosimilar medicines, particularly for the treatment of cancer, chronic diseases (e.g. diabetes, Crohn's disease, psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis), neurodegenerative disorders (e.g. multiple sclerosis), and they have also been contributing to the progress of innovative therapies such as assisted reproductive medicine. Since the eighties, several biopharmaceuticals have been approved and, due to patents expiration, many biosimilars are also marketed.In this book, readers will find the most relevant updated information about the main clinical applications of pharmaceutical biotechnology. The authors provide expert analysis about the industrial challenges of recombinant proteins and the different classes of biopharmaceuticals, including monoclonal antibodies, vaccines, growth factors and stem cells. Topics such as bioprinting technologies in tissue engineering, gene therapy and personalized medicine are also covered in this book. Professionals, students and researchers interested in this field will find this work an important account.

This book explores the latest developments in the field the acute phase protein (APP), C-reactive protein or CRP in different diseases, highlighting the structural and functional aspects of CRP in disease biology.Divided into 5 sections, the book examines important topics such as the role of CRP in neurodegenerative, cardiac and parasitic diseases, as well as in cancer and inflammatory bowel disease, and the expression of CRP in pediatric respiratory diseases. In addition it discusses the clinical role of CRP in diagnostics and therapeutics, sepsis, ICU and ITU patients, and also as a primary marker for inflammation. Given its scope, this book will appeal to scholars in various fields of medicine and biology.