Microbial Transport Systems

Transport of molecules across the cell membrane is a fundamental process of all living organisms. It is essential for understanding growth, development, nutrition as well as uptake and excretion of exogenous or synthesized molecules. Microbes respresent general and basic functional systems where many transport processes have been studied on a molecular basis. Knowledge of the microbial transport processes will provide new perspectives to treatments by inhibitors, drugs, antibiotics, vitamins, growth promotion compounds, activators and toxic compunds of various kinds.

Transport of molecules across the cell membrane is a fundamental process of all living organisms. It is essential for understanding growth, development, nutrition as well as uptake and excretion of exogenous or synthesized molecules. Microbes respresent general and basic functional systems where many transport processes have been studied on a molecular basis. Knowledge of the microbial transport processes will provide new perspectives to treatments by inhibitors, drugs, antibiotics, vitamins, growth promotion compounds, activators and toxic compunds of various kinds.

Much of the information currently available on the transport systems of bacterial and animal cell membranes and their mode of coupling to metabolic supply of energy can be found in this volume. Consideration of the participating enzymes dictated the choice of topics: Several transport systems where little information is available on the enzymology of the process are not included, while separate chapters deal with y-glutamyl transpeptidase and intestinal disaccharidases which meet many of the requirements of transport enzymes. The volume also includes two chapters on photosynthetic membranes as a general introduction to the topic. Other aspects of biological transport and photosynthesis will be developed in detail in a forthcoming volume now in preparation. These chapters reveal the excitement and rapid advance of the field, the daily reports of new concepts, new techniques, and new experimental findings which instantly interact to generate further progress. Our aim was to provide a starting point for those who are just beginning, and an opportunity for others to stop, take stock, and start in a new direction. My warmest thanks to all who contributed to this volume.

With the growing realization that microbial transport proteins exhibit homologies to various degrees not only among themselves, but also to membrane proteins of eukaryotic cells, this book represents a timely review of the current state of knowledge and research.

This volume of Current Topics in Membranes focuses on metal transmembrane transporters and pumps, a recently discovered family of membrane proteins with many important roles in the physiology of living organisms. The book summarizes the most recent advances in the field of metal ion transport and provides a broad overview of the major classes of transporters involved in homeostasis of heavy metals. Various families of the transporters and metal specificities are discussed with the focus on the structural and mechanistic aspects of their function and regulation. The reader will access information obtained through a variety of approaches ranging from X-ray crystallography to cell biology and bioinformatics, which have been applied to transporters identified in diverse biological systems, such as pathogenic bacteria, plants, humans and others. Field is cutting-edge and a lot of the information is new to research community Wide breadth of topic coverage Contributors of high renown and expertise

Extensive and up-to-date review of key metabolic processes in bacteria and archaea and how metabolism is regulated under various conditions.

Advances in Microbial Physiology: Advances in Bacterial Electron Transport Systems and Their Regulation, the latest volume in the Advances in Microbial Physiology series, continues the long tradition of topical and important reviews in microbiology, with this latest volume focusing on the advances in bacterial electron transport systems and their regulation. Contains contributions from leading authorities in the field of microbial physiology Informs and updates on all the latest developments in the field Presents a primary focus for this edition on the advances made in bacterial electron transport systems and their regulation