Restriction enzymes are highly specific nucleases which occur ubiquitously among prokaryotic organisms, where they serve to protect bacterial cells against foreign DNA. Many different types of restriction enzymes are known, among them multi-subunit enzymes which depend on ATP or GTP hydrolysis for target site location. The best known representatives, the orthodox type II restriction endonucleases, are homodimers which recognize palindromic sequences, 4 to 8 base pairs in length, and cleave the DNA within or immediately adjacent to the recognition site. In addition to their important biological role (up to 10 % of the genomes of prokaryotic organisms code for restriction/modification systems!), they are among the most important enzymes used for the analysis and recombination of DNA. In addition, they are model systems for the study of protein-nucleic acids interactions and, because of their ubiquitous occurence, also for the understanding of the mechanisms of evolution.

The aim of the book is to introduce the reader to the kinetic analysis of a wide range of biological processes at the molecular level. It is intended to show that the same approach can be used to resolve the number of steps in enzyme reactions, muscle contraction, visual perception and ligand binding receptors that trigger other physiological processes. Attention is also given to methods for characterizing these steps in chemical terms. Although the treatment is mainly theoretical, a wide range of examples and experimental techniques are also introduced and an historical approach is used to demonstrate the development of the theory and experimental techniques of kinetic analysis in biology.

Restriction enzymes cleave DNA at specific recognition sites and have many uses in molecular biology, genetics, and biotechnology. More than 4000 restriction enzymes are known today, of which more than 621 are commercially available, justifying their description by Nobel Prize winner Richard Roberts as "the workhorses of molecular biology." This book by Wil Loenen is the first full-length history of these invaluable tools, from their recognition in the 1950s to the flowering of their development in the 1970s and 1980s to their ubiquitous availability today. Loenen has worked with restriction enzymes throughout her career as a research scientist, during which she came to know many of the leaders in this field personally and professionally. She is the author of several authoritative and widely appreciated reviews of the enzymes' biology. Her book was written with the close assistance of several of the field's pioneers, including Rich Roberts, Stuart Linn, Tom Bickle, Steve Halford, and the late Joe Bertani. The seed for the book was sown at a retirement party for Noreen Murray, to whom the book is dedicated, and its roots lie in a remarkable 2013 conference at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory that celebrated the people and events that were vital to the field's development. Funding for the book was made possible by the Genentech Center for the History of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

Restriction Endonucleases and Methylases, the fifth volume in the series, Gene Amplification and Analysis, covers important new research advances in molecular biology brought about by the use of restriction endonucleases and methylases. Contributions by authorities in the field focus on research studies that examine both the structure and catalytic properties of this important group of DNA enzymes. This volume also serves as a useful reference for reaction conditions and the general application of restriction endonucleases as reagents for molecular biology. Restriction Endonucleases and Methylases is invaluable reading for those who wish to better understand the restriction enzymes utilized in various areas of research in molecular biology.

An extension of the original volume, reflecting the latest advances in understanding these elements. This title is published by the American Society for Microbiology Press and distributed by Taylor and Francis in rest of world territories.

The last few years have seen the rapid development of new methodology in the field of molecular biology. New techniques have been regularly introduced and the sensitivity of older techniques greatly improved upon. Developments in the field of genetic engineering in particular have contributed a wide range of new techniques. The purpose of this book therefore is to introduce the reader to a selection of the more advanced analytical and preparative techniques which the editors consider to be frequently used by research workers in the field of molecular biology. In choosing techniques for this book we have obviously had to be selective, and for the sake of brevity a knowledge of certain basic biochemical techniques and terminology has been assumed. However, since many areas of molecular biology are developing at a formidable rate and constantly generating new terminology, a glossary of terms has been included. The techniques chosen for this book are essentially based on those used in a series of workshops on 'techniques in molecular biology' that have been held at The Hatfield Polytechnic in recent years. In choosing these chapters we have taken into account many useful suggestions and observations made by participants at these workshops. Each chapter aims to describe both the theory and relevant practical details for a given technique, and to identify both the potential and limitations of the technique. Each chapter is written by authors who regularly use the technique in their own laboratories.

The binding of proteins to DNA and the manipulation of DNA by proteins are crucial aspects of the biological role of DNA in the living cell. This book provides a comprehensive and lucid discussion of the molecular interactions involved.

Recombinant DNA Technology is focussed on the current state of knowledge on the recombinant DNA technology and its applications. The book will provide comprehensive knowledge on the principles and concepts of recombinant DNA technology or genetic engineering, protein expression of cloned genes, PCR amplification of DNA, RFLP, AFLP and DNA fingerprinting and finally the most recent siRNA technology. It can be used by post-graduate students studying and teachers teaching in the area of Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, Genetics, Microbiology, Life Science, Pharmacy, Agriculture and Basic Medical Sciences.

In the four years since the first edition of this book was published, the molecular revolution has continued. DNA has been named by Time maga zine as the Molecule of the Year, a Nobel Prize has been awarded to a young man for the invention of the polymerase chain reaction, and televi sion viewers have learned of the DNA fingerprint. Molecular technology in medicine is increasing. The availability of DNA probes for cancer suscepti bility is stressing our system of insurance, testing our ideas about medical ethics, and teaching us new things about cancer. In this edition, I have added a number of new sections, as well as a new chapter. New examples of molecular medicine have been added to demonstrate current applications of this technology. The basic concepts of molecular biology remain the basis for the first three chapters of the book. The excitement surrounding molec ular medicine that I mentioned in the preface to the first edition continues. It is now tinged with a touch of awe and a little bit of fear at the changes that recombinant DNA technology has brought to our society. v Preface to the First Edition This book describes the discoveries that have created a field called molecu lar medicine. The use of recombinant DNA technology in medical research and most recently in medical practice constitutes a revolutionary tool in our study of disease.