Microtubules are at the heart of cellular self-organization, and their dynamic nature allows them to explore the intracellular space and mediate the transport of cargoes from the nucleus to the outer edges of the cell and back. In Microtubule Dynamics: Methods and Protocols, experts in the field provide an up-to-date collection of methods and approaches that are used to investigate microtubule dynamics in vitro and in cells. Beginning with the question of how to analyze microtubule dynamics, the volume continues with detailed descriptions of how to isolate tubulin from different sources and with different posttranslational modifications, methods used to study microtubule dynamics and microtubule interactions in vitro, techniques to investigate the ultrastructure of microtubules and associated proteins, assays to study microtubule nucleation, turnover, and force production in cells, as well as approaches to isolate novel microtubule-associated proteins and their interacting proteins. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular BiologyTM series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Definitive and practical, Microtubule Dynamics: Methods and Protocols provides the key protocols needed by novices and experts on how to perform a broad range of well-established and newly-emerging techniques in this vital field.

Microtubules: in vivo includes chapters by experts around the world on many aspects of microtubule imaging in living and fixed cells; assays to study microtubule function in a wide array of model organisms and cultured cells; high resolution approaches to study of the cytoskeleton. The authors share their years of experience, outlining potential pitfalls and critical factors to consider in experimental design, experimental implementation and data interpretation. - Includes chapters by experts around the world on many aspects of microtubule imaging in living and fixed cells; assays to study microtubule function in a wide array of model organisms and cultured cells; high resolution approaches to study of the cytoskeleton - The authors share their years of experience, outlining potential pitfalls and critical factors to consider in experimental design, experimental implementation and data interpretation

A Top 25 CHOICE 2016 Title, and recipient of the CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title (OAT) Award. How much energy is released in ATP hydrolysis? How many mRNAs are in a cell? How genetically similar are two random people? What is faster, transcription or translation?Cell Biology by the Numbers explores these questions and dozens of others provid

Plant cells house highly dynamic cytoskeletal networks of microtubules and actin microfilaments. They constantly undergo remodeling to fulfill their roles in supporting cell division, enlargement, and differentiation. Following early studies on structural aspects of the networks, recent breakthroughs have connected them with more and more intracellular events essential for plant growth and development. Advanced technologies in cell biology (live-cell imaging in particular), molecular genetics, genomics, and proteomics have revolutionized this field of study. Stories summarized in this book may inspire enthusiastic scientists to pursue new directions toward understanding functions of the plant cytoskeleton. The Plant Cytoskeleton is divided into three sections: 1) Molecular Basis of the Plant Cytoskeleton; 2) Cytoskeletal Reorganization in Plant Cell Division; and 3) The Cytoskeleton in Plant Growth and Development. This book is aimed at serving as a resource for anyone who wishes to learn about the plant cytoskeleton beyond ordinary textbooks.

The cytoskeleton is a highly dynamic intracellular platform constituted by a three-dimensional network of proteins responsible for key cellular roles as structure and shape, cell growth and development, and offering to the cell with "motility" that being the ability of the entire cell to move and for material to be moved within the cell in a regulated fashion (vesicle trafficking). The present edition of Cytoskeleton provides new insights into the structure-functional features, dynamics, and cytoskeleton's relationship to diseases. The authors' contribution in this book will be of substantial importance to a wide audience such as clinicians, researches, educators, and students interested in getting updated knowledge about molecular basis of cytoskeleton, such as regulation of cell vital processes by actin-binding proteins as cell morphogenesis, motility, their implications in cell signaling, as well as strategies for clinical trial and alternative therapies based in multitargeting molecules to tackle diseases, that is, cancer.

Essential processes in biology such as cell and nuclear division, development, intracellular transport and physiological response, rely on the perception of environmental and intracellular signals and their transduction to subcellular targets. The mechanisms by which these signals are received by cells and transduced towards the proper targets by cytoskeletal components constitute one of the most important and rapidly developing areas in modern plant biology. In addition, fundamentally important responses of plants to biotic and abiotic factors also involve signalling to and through the cytoskeleton, which helps explain the current interest of biotechnology in this field of fundamental research. Manipulation of cytoskeletal components, the microtubules and microfilaments, had, until recently, not been a priority issue for plant biotechnology. However, given the fundamental role of the cytoskeleton during plant growth and development, the potential for biotechnological applications is immense. The NATO Advanced Research Workshop, “The Plant Cytoskeleton: Genomic and Bioinformatic Tools for Biotechnology and Agriculture” was held in Yalta, Ukraine, from September 19 to 23, 2006 – which continued the tradition of the first two International Symposia “Plant Cytoskeleton: Molecular Keys for Biotechnology” (Yalta, Ukraine, 1998) and “The Plant Cytoskeleton: functional diversity and biotechnological implications” (Kiev, Ukraine, 2002).

Cellular Migration and Formation of Neuronal Connections, Second Edition, the latest release in the Comprehensive Developmental Neuroscience series, presents the latest information on the genetic, molecular and cellular mechanisms of neural development. This book provides a much-needed update that underscores the latest research in this rapidly evolving field, with new section editors discussing the technological advances that are enabling the pursuit of new research on brain development. This volume focuses on the formation of axons and dendrites and cellular migration.

This volume details comprehensive state-of-the-art methods on actin microfilaments and microtubules and how they work to achieve different cellular functions in different cellular contexts. Chapters guide readers through protein purification, in vitro reconstitution of several cytoskeleton properties, analyses of microtubule- and actin-based structures, functional dissection of post-translational modifications, and roles in several biological processes. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Cytoskeleton Dynamics: Methods and Protocols aims to provide a wide range of experimental approaches and be an invaluable resource for present and future generations of cytoskeleton researchers. The chapter “Visualization and Functional Analysis of Spindle Actin and Chromosome Segregation in Mammalian Oocytes” is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.