Guidebook to the Cytoskeletal and Motor Proteins

The biology of the 1980s and 1990s may well come to be remembered as the era of discovery of new proteins. Recent advances in molecular biology, genetics, and protein purification have conspired to accelerate the rate at which cellular proteins and their amino acid sequences are being identified. Now that the floodgate of discovery has been opened wide, the amount of new information on cellular proteins is exceeding most scientists' capacity for assimilation. At the same time, however, it has become imperative for research workers to expand their knowledge base because interactions between previously unconnected sets of proteins are being uncovered at such a rapid pace. These considerations have led Thomas E. Kreis and Ronald D. Vale to compile both the Guidebook to Cytoskeletal and Motor Proteins and the Guidebook to the Extracellular Matrix and Adhesion Proteins. Both books are distinguished by numerous outstanding features, including: concise compendiums of molecular information, consolidation of information from widely scattered sources, key references, clearly designed pages with many high-quality illustrations, and the first compilations of concise descriptions of the structure, function, and distribution of the proteins covered. Guidebook to Cytoskeletal and Motor Proteins covers actin and actin binding proteins, tubulin and associated proteins, the intermediate filaments, motor proteins, cytoskeletal anchor proteins, organelle membrane associated structural proteins, and other proteins. Introductory chapters provide overviews for each class of protein. Biological and structural attributes of about 200 individual proteins, or groups of closely related proteins, are concisely described by investigators who participated in their discovery or characterization. In addition, information regarding purification methods, assays of activity, and available reagents, together with a list key review and research articles, are included. Over 240 authors contributed to the entries. Guidebook to the Extracellular Matrix and Adhesion Proteins provides a concise compendium of the proteins found in the extracellular matrix and those known to be involved in cell-cell contact and adhesion. Organized alphabetically, it summarizes the key characteristics of these proteins and includes the same features--such as introductory chapters and contributions from the field's leading experts--that make its companion volume so essential. Designed to explain the each protein in an accessible manner, the book is also referenced for in-depth reading and provides excellent overviews.