Cell Surface Proteases provides a comprehensive overview of these important enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of a protein as it degrades to a simpler substance. In the 1990s, an explosion of new discoveries shed light on the role of cell surface proteases and extended it beyond degradation of extracellular matrix components to include its influence on growth factors, cell signaling, and other cellular events. This volume unites the scientific literature from across disciplines and teases out unified themes of interactions between cell surface proteases and interconnecting cell surface-related systems -- including integrins and other adhesion molecules. Scientists and students involved in developmental biology, cell biology and disease processes will find this an indispensable resource.* Provides an overview of the entire field of cell surface proteases in a single volume* Presents major issues and astonishing discoveries at the forefront of modern developmental biology and developmental medicine * A thematic volume in the longest-running forum for contemporary issues in developmental biology with over 30 years of coverage

Cell Surface Reviews, Volume 3: Dynamic Aspects of Cell Surface Organization reviews the progress in the study of the dynamic nature of membrane organization. The book is comprised of 14 chapters that discuss the various areas of concerns relating to membrane dynamics. The coverage of the text includes techniques and methods employed in the analysis and manipulation of the various aspects of cell membranes, such as freeze-fracture techniques; manipulation of the lipid composition of cultured animal cells; and somatic genetic analysis. The book also talks about some of the traits and behaviors of membrane dynamics including shedding of tumor cell surface antigens; dynamics of antibody binding and complement interactions at the cell surface; and structure and function of surface immunoglobulin of lymphocytes. The text will be of great use to microbiologists, biochemists, and other researchers whose work requires a good understanding of the various aspects of cells.

Cell Membrane Nanodomains: From Biochemistry to Nanoscopy describes recent advances in our understanding of membrane organization, with a particular focus on the cutting-edge imaging techniques that are making these new discoveries possible. With contributions from pioneers in the field, the book explores areas where the application of these novel

This state-of-the-art reference provides timely and clinically and experimentally useful information on the major proteins of mast cell secretory granules that are released into the lung, skin, gut, eye, and other tissues under the influence of diverse stimuli-including cytokines, growth factors, neuropeptides, and allergen-bound immunoglobulin E. Demonstrates the important roles proteases play in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis as well as in the damaging events linked with allergy and other varieties of inflammation!

Enzymology at the Membrane Interface: Intramembrane Proteases, Volume 584, the latest release in the Methods in Enzymology series, covers a subset of enzymes that work in the environment of the biological cell membrane. This field, called interfacial enzymology, involves a special series of experimental approaches for the isolation and study of these enzymes. - Covers a subset of enzymes that work in the environment of the biological cell membrane - Offers a series of experimental approaches for the isolation and study of enzymes

These proceedings contain the papers presented at the Bayer-Symposium V which was held in Grosse Ledder on October 16-21, 1973 and which was simultaneously the Second International Research Conference on Proteinase Inhibitors. The cordial atmosphere, the frank discussions and the profitable exchange of ideas during the First International Research Conference on Proteinase Inhibitors which was held on November 4--6, 1970 in Munich were a stimulant for us to consider holding a Second Conference especially as the steadily increasing research activities in this and related fields called for a new assessment of recent efforts in proteinase inhibitor research. In the three years since the First Conference was held, this field has developed particularly in the areas of molecular aspects of protein-protein interactions and in the extension to inhibitors of nonserine proteinases and peptidases. In planning this meeting the Organizing Committee was faced with the problem of selecting a limited number of participants and we decided that it was appropriate and necessary to focus in detail on the chemistry of proteinase inhibitors, their interac tions with a variety of enzymes and also to invite more general papers to survey the physiological and clinical aspects of the subject which we felt would be of importance in the future.

During the past fifty years, thousands of natural products have been isolated from plants, fungi, and bacteria. Apart from intense searches by pharmaceutical companies for medicinals and the concentrated effort mounted by the National Cancer Institute, many of these have not been tested in biological systems. The major reasons for this appear to be, at least, twofold. First, individual researchers looking for biologically active natural products will often isolate only small amounts of material sufficient to determine a structure and calculate the specific activity for their particular bioassay systems: insufficient funds preclude re-isolating the compound unless industrial potential is foreseen. Second, the difficulty with which original structures were proved prior to 1972. This required the isolation of relatively large quantities of a natural product and there followed extensive degradation, elemental analyses of the parent and its fragments, then synthesis, piece by piece, of the molecule. All this took time and energy. No wonder that when the structure was proved the chemist was enervated. And coupled to this was the fact that many chemists were not trained to test their materials in biological systems. In contrast, today a natural product can be isolated, its mass and molecular formula determined and, if there is some serendipity, crystals may be obtained for single crystal x-ray analysis. If conditions are near perfect, it is possible to isolate and identify a novel compound in a month.