Receptor Ligand Sorting Along The Endocytic Pathway

This research monograph focuses on a biomolecular separation process that occurs within most cells. Two types of molecules, receptors and ligands, are separated and routed along different intracellular pathways; this is a critical step in the process of receptor-mediated endocytosis. The development of an understanding of the basic mechanisms of this separation process is presented, with an emphasis on discovering the fundamental and measurable parameters that influence the event. Mathematical models of sorting are evaluated to predict the range of possible outcomes. These are compared with a variety of experimental data on different receptor/ligand systems. In addition, the influence of the separation on overall receptor/ligand processing dynamics is discussed. The book is intended for both biomathematicians and biologists. It is not necessary to understand the details of the model equations and their solution in order to test the models experimentally. The analysis suggests experiments that might be done to further investigate the sorting process and the text details methods for analyzing these experimental results.

This book focuses on the context dependency of cell signaling by showing how the endosomal system helps to structure and regulate signaling pathways. The location and concentration of signaling nodes regulate their activation cycles and engagement with distinct effector pathways. Whilst many cell signaling pathways are initiated from the cell surface, endocytosis provides an opportunity for modulating signaling networks’ output. In this book, first a series of reviews describe the endocytic and endosomal system and show how these subcellular platforms sort and regulate a wide range of signaling pathway components and phenotypic outputs. The book then reviews the latest scientific insights into how endocytic trafficking and subcellular location modulate a set of major pathways that are essential to normal cellular function and organisms’ development.

Receptors: Models for Binding, Trafficking, and Signaling bridges the gap between chemical engineering and cell biology by lucidly and practically demonstrating how a mathematical modeling approach combined with quantitative experiments can provide enhanced understanding of cell phenomena involving receptor/ligand interactions. In stressing the need for a quantitative understanding of how receptor-mediated cell functions depend on receptor and ligand properties, the book offers comprehensive treatments of both basic and state-of-the-art model frameworks that span the entire spectrum of receptor processes--from fundamental cell surface binding, intracellular trafficking, and signal transduction events to the cell behavioral functions they govern, including proliferation, adhesion, and migration. The book emphasizes mechanistic models that are accessible to experimental testing and includes detailed examples of important contemporary issues. This much-needed book introduces chemical engineers and bioengineers to important problems in receptor biology and familiarizes cell biologists with the insights that can be gained from engineering analysis and synthesis. As such, chemical engineers, researchers, and advanced students in the fields of biotechnology, biomedical sciences, bioengineering, and molecular cell biology will find this book to be conceptually rich, timely, and useful.

In the mid-1980s the European Journal of Biochemistry set out to publish review articles. The enterprise proved successful resulting in high-level reviews written by well- known scientists appearing in the Journal. The reviews represent emerging and rapidly growing fields of research in fundamental as well as applied areas of biochemistry, such as medicine, biotechnology, agriculture and nutrition. Novel methodological andtechnological approaches which stimulate biochemical research are also included. The authors of the reviews are explicitly asked to be critical, selective, evaluative and interdisciplinarily oriented. The reviews should encourage young scientists toward independent and creative thinking, and inform active investigators about the state of the art in a given field.

In step with the rapid growth of research into the biochemical and functional characterization of the endosome, Volume 19 surveys the recent advances in the methodological aspects of this field. Coverage includes the use of free flow electrophoresis to define endosome subpopulations, the endosomal compartments in rat hepatocytes, the role of endosomes in transmembrane signalling, and six additional articles.

Receptors in the Evolution and Development of the Brain: Matter into Mind presents the key role of receptors and their cognate ligands in wiring the mammalian brain from an evolutionary developmental biology perspective. It examines receptor function in the evolution and development of the nervous system in the large vertebrate brain, and discusses rapid eye movement sleep and apoptosis as mechanisms to destroy miswired neurons. Possible links between trophic deficits and connectional diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and ALS are also discussed. This book is extremely useful to those with an interest in the molecular and cellular neurosciences, including those in cognitive and clinical branches of this subject, and anyone interested in how the incredibly complex human brain can build itself. Provides an understanding of the key role receptors play in brain development and the selection process necessary to construct a large brain Traces the evolution of receptors from the most primitive organisms to humans Emphasizes the roles that REM sleep and apoptosis play in this selection via trophic factors and receptors Describes the role that trophic factor-receptor interactions play throughout life and how trophic deficits can lead to connectional diseases, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and ALS Provides a potential mechanism whereby neuronal stem cells can cure these diseases

Many hormones, growth factors, and other large molecules bind to speci Jic receptors on the surface of eukaryotic cells and are rapidly taken into these cells. Current techniques of protein purification have made available sufficient amounts of these molecules so that detailed studies of their interaction with cells could be carried out. These studies have been performed on just a few types of cells, but it is clear that all types of cells carry out a_ similar internalization process. The realization that cells rapidly internalize hormones, growth factors, transport proteins, toxins, and viruses has led many investigators to address a similar series of questions: (1) What is the pathway by which macromolecules enter cells? (2) Do all macromolecules enter by the same pathway? (3) What is the function of internalization of large molecules? (4) What is the biochemical mechan ism of internalization? In this volume we have tried to provide answers to these and related questions. To do this we have asked scientists currently active in the field to contribute chapters in their special areas of interest. The selection of the material covered reflects in large part areas of active research. Because of space limitations some important areas have not been covered as fully as we would have liked in this volume, but will be covered in a future volume. Our aim has been to present a consistent view and, when disagreements exist, to point out the basis of such disagreements.