Plant Cell Wall Patterning and Cell Shape

Cell separation is an important process that occurs throughout the life cycle of a plant. It enables the radicle to emerge from the germinating seed, vascular tissue to differentiate, sculpturing of leaves and flowers to take place, pollen to be shed from the mature anther, fruit to soften, senescent and non-functional organs to be lost, and seeds to be shed. In addition to its intrinsic scientific interest, many of the developmental processes to which it contributes have importance for agriculture and horticulture. This is the first volume to focus exclusively on these processes and to link improvements in our scientific understanding with methods that may allow us to manipulate cell separation and adhesion to the benefit of the agricultural and horticultural industries. It will therefore be of interest to the experimental scientist and to those who wish to apply these techniques commercially.

The cell cycle in plants consists of an ordered set of events, including DNA replication and mitosis, that culminates in cell division. As cell division is a fundamental part of a plant’s existence and the basis for tissue repair, development and growth, a full understanding of all aspects of this process is of pivotal importance. Cell Cycle Control and Plant Development commences with an introductory chapter and is broadly divided into two parts. Part 1 details the basic cell machinery, with chapters covering cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), cyclins, CDK inhibitors, proteolysis, CDK phosphorylation, and E2F/DP transcription factors. Part 2, which describes the cell cycle and plant development, covers cell cycle activation, cell cycle control during leaf development, endoreduplication, the cell cycle and trichome, fruit and endosperm development, the hormonal control of cell division and environmental stress, and cell cycle exit. The editor of this important book, Professor Dirk Inz?, well known and respected internationally, has brought together an impressive team of contributing authors, providing an excellent new volume in Blackwell Publishing’s Annual Plant Reviews Series. The book is an essential purchase for research teams working in the areas of plant sciences and molecular, cell and developmental biology. All libraries in universities and research establishments where biological sciences are studied and taught should have copies of this essential and timely volume.

This book features contributions from experts in cell biology, genetics, neurobiology, immunology and structural biology. The unifying element is that they all study processes of cell shape change and motility. Several key questions in this field of research are discussed: What are the organising principles behind cell shape change? Are there ‘master switches’ present in every cell type? How are extracellular signals interpreted by the cell in order to activate intracellular mechanisms? What is the influence of the extracellular matrix on cell movement and internal signalling pathways? How do pathogens subvert cellular systems in order to stimulate or block their uptake? The book addresses all of these important questions. Data are presented on the key proteins that regulate cell shape: the GTP binding proteins of the Rho family. There are also extensive discussions of the potential applications of the data to clinical problems, particularly that of cell motility in cancer.

The ability to culture cells is fundamental for mass propagation and as a baseline for the genetic manipulation of plant nuclei and organelles. The introduction to Plant Cell Culture: Essential Methods provides a general background to plant cell culture, including basic principles, technologies and laboratory practices that underpin the more detailed techniques described in subsequent chapters. Whilst each chapter provides a background to the topic area and methodology, a crucial aspect is the provision of detailed protocols with emphasis on trouble shooting, describing common problems and detailed advice for their avoidance. Plant Cell Culture: Essential Methods provides the reader with a concise overview of these techniques, including micropropagation, mutagenesis, cryopreservation, genetic and plastid transformation and somatic cell technologies. This book will be an essential addition to any plant science laboratory's bookshelf. Highlights the best and most up-to-date techniques for working on plant cell culture Explains clearly and precisely how to carry out selected techniques in addition to background information on the various approaches Chapters are written by leading international authorities in the field and cover both well-known and new, tried and tested, methods for working in plant cell culture An essential laboratory manual for students and early-career researchers.

This work deals with basic plant physiology and cytology, and addresses the practical exploitation of plants, both as crops and as sources of useful compounds produced as secondary metabolites. Covers problems of commercial exploitation, socio-legal aspects of genetic engineering of crop plants, and of the difficulties of marketing natural compunds produced by cells under artificial conditions.

Research in nano and cell mechanics has received much attention from the scientific community as a result of society needs and government initiatives to accelerate developments in materials, manufacturing, electronics, medicine and healthcare, energy, and the environment. Engineers and scientists are currently engaging in increasingly complex scientific problems that require interdisciplinary approaches. In this regard, studies in this field draw from fundamentals in atomistic scale phenomena, biology, statistical and continuum mechanics, and multiscale modeling and experimentation. As a result, contributions in these areas are spread over a large number of specialized journals, which prompted the Editors to assemble this book. Nano and Cell Mechanics: Fundamentals and Frontiers brings together many of the new developments in the field for the first time, and covers fundamentals and frontiers in mechanics to accelerate developments in nano- and bio-technologies. Key features: • Provides an overview of recent advances in nano and cell mechanics. • Covers experimental, analytical, and computational tools used to investigate biological and nanoscale phenomena. • Covers fundamentals and frontiers in mechanics to accelerate developments in nano- and bio-technologies. • Presents multiscale-multiphysics modeling and experimentation techniques. • Examines applications in materials, manufacturing, electronics, medicine and healthcare. Nano and Cell Mechanics: Fundamentals and Frontiers is written by internationally recognized experts in theoretical and applied mechanics, applied physics, chemistry, and biology. It is an invaluable reference for graduate students of nano- and bio-technologies, researchers in academia and industry who are working in nano and cell mechanics, and practitioners who are interested in learning about the latest analysis tools. The book can also serve as a text for graduate courses in theoretical and applied mechanics, mechanical engineering, materials science, and applied physics.

By presenting the latest technological advances and growing national and international regulation, this new book explores state-of-the-art developments in the challenging field of tissue and cell processing. It provides a guide to easier and safer practice in operational principles of preservation, decontamination, and sterilization. Nearly half of the book is devoted completely to tissue- or cell-specific issues relating to processing. With lists of learning points and case studies which consist of sample processing protocols, descriptions of where processing went wrong, sample risk assessments, or validation studies, the authors help you find specific information fast.

This volume brings together a broad array of scientific expertise to focus on the characterization and utilization of cellulosic materials. Researchers from Austria, Germany, Sweden, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, and the U.S. explore many facets of the plant cell wall, from its fundamental structure and its manipulation via molecular biology to its application in composite materials. Exciting applications of near infrared spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, confocal microscopy, and molecular coupling as a viscoelastic probe provide new insights into the ultrastructure and properties of cellulosic materials.

Finally, a stand-alone, all-inclusive textbook on yeast biology. Based on the feedback resulting from his highly successful monograph, Horst Feldmann has totally rewritten he contents to produce a comprehensive, student-friendly textbook on the topic. The scope has been widened, with almost double the content so as to include all aspects of yeast biology, from genetics via cell biology right up to biotechnology applications. The cell and molecular biology sections have been vastly expanded, while information on other yeast species has been added, with contributions from additional authors. Naturally, the illustrations are in full color throughout, and the book is backed by a complimentary website. The resulting textbook caters to the needs of an increasing number of students in biomedical research, cell and molecular biology, microbiology and biotechnology who end up using yeast as an important tool or model organism.

This collection of presentations from the Ciba Foundation Symposium of 1985 deals with the central role of calcium in intracellular processes. Discusses control of intracellular calcium as well as control by intracellular calcium, covering such topics as muscle contraction, metabolic processes, hormone and transmitter secretion, membrane transport and permeability, cellular architecture and growth, and the possible contribution of calcium gradients to early embryonic development. Includes carefully edited and extensive (almost half the book) discussions of chapter topics between active workers in the field at the end of each chapter.