New Co-Author, Angelika Amon
The new edition of MCB introduces a new member to our author team, respected researcher and teacher Angelika Amon of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Amon is an Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute as well as a member of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and the National Academy of Sciences. Her laboratory studies the molecular mechanisms that govern chromosome segregation during mitosis and meiosis and the consequences when these mechanisms fail during normal cell proliferation and cancer development.
Increased Clarity, Improved Pedagogy
In the new edition, the authors have scrutinized every chapter with an eye toward bringing out key concepts and making connections easier to follow. Perennially challenging topics, such as cellular energetics, cell signaling, and immunology, have been revised to improve student understanding. Coverage of developmental biology has been streamlined to focus on just those key areas central to cell biology courses. Every figure in the book was reconsidered and, if possible, simplified to highlight key lessons. Heavily revised end-of-chapter materials include 30% new questions including additional Analyze the Data problems to give students added practice at interpreting experimental evidence.
The result is a book that balances currency and experimental focus
with attention to clarity, organization, and pedagogy.
Highlights of the New Edition
Chapter 1 Molecules, Cells, and Evolution now frames cell biology in the light of evolution: because we all come from the same ancestor cell, the molecules and processes of cell biology are similar in all forms of life. We can use model organisms to study aspects of cell structure and function that have been conserved across millions of years of evolution.
Chapter 9 Culturing, Visualizing, and Perturbing Cells has been rewritten to include cutting edge methods including FRAP, FRET, siRNA, and chemical biology, making it a state-of-the art methods chapter.
Cell signaling chapters [Chapters 15 & 16] have been reorganized and illustrated with simplified overview figures, to help students navigate the complexity of signaling pathways.
Fully Reconceived, Thoroughly Updated Chapter 19 The Eukaryotic Cell Cycle now begins with the concept of "START" (a cell's commitment to entering the cell cycle starting with DNA synthesis) and then progresses through the cycle stages. The chapter focuses on yeast and mammals and uses general names for cell cycle components as much as possible.
New Discoveries, New Methodologies
_ Covalent regulation of protein activity by ubiquitination/ deubiquitination [Ch. 3]
_ Molecular chaperones including the Hsp90 family of proteins [Ch. 3]
_ The eukaryotic (yeast) ribosome structure and the roles of polymerases delta (lagging strand) and epsilon (leading strand) in eukaryotic DNA synthesis [Ch. 4]
_ Non-radioactive probes (for in-situ hybridization, for example) [Ch. 5]
_ Quantitative PCR (and RT-PCR) and high-throughput sequencing [Ch. 5]
_ Epigenetics and the histone code [Ch. 6]
_ Personal genome sequencing and the 1000 Genome Project [Ch. 6]
_ Epigenetic mechanisms of transcriptional regulation (including
bromodomains and chromodomains) [Ch. 7]
_ Transcriptional regulation by non-coding RNAs (e.g., Xist in
X-chromosome inactivation, DNA methylation stimulated by siRNA)
[Ch. 7]
_ Fluorescent mRNA labeling to demonstrate mRNA localization in
yeast budding [Ch. 8]
_ Structure and function of the nuclear pore complex [Chs. 8 and 13]
_ Additional coverage of FRAP, FRET, and siRNA techniques [Ch. 9]
_ Lipid droplets and their formation [Ch. 10]
_ Role of charged amino acids in T-cell receptor assembly [Ch. 10]
_ Structures of the Na+/K+ ATPase and muscle Ca2+ ATPase [Ch. 11]
_ Structure and mechanism of the multidrug transporter ABCB1
(MDR1) [Ch. 11]
_ Structure and function of the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane
Regulator (CFTR) [Ch. 11]
_ The role of an anion antiporter in CO2 transport in blood [Ch. 11]
_ Structures of Complex I and II as well as the mechanism of electron
flow and proton pumping in the electron transport chain [Ch. 12]
_ Generation and inactivation of toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS)
[Ch. 12]
_ The mechanism of proton flow through the half-channels of
ATP Synthase [Ch. 12]
_ Tail-anchored membrane proteins [Ch. 13]
_ How modifications of N-linked oligosac charides are used to monitor
protein folding and quality control [Ch. 13]
_ The mechanism of formation of multivesicular endosomes involving
ubiquitination and ESCRT [Ch. 14]
_ Advances in our understanding of autophagy as a mechanism for
recycling organelles and proteins [Ch. 14]
_ Affinity purification techniques for studying signal transduction
proteins [Ch. 15]
_ Structure of the ß-adrenergic receptor in the inactive and active states
and with its associated trimeric G protein, G??as [Ch. 15]
_ Activation of EGF receptor by EGF via the formation of an asymmetric
kinase domain dimer [Ch. 16]
_ Hedgehog (Hh) signaling in vertebrates involving primary cilia [Ch. 16]
_ NF-kB signaling pathway and polyubiquitin scaffolds [Ch. 16]
_ Integration of signals in fat cell differentiation via PARR? ??[Ch. 16]
_ Mechanism of Arp2/3 nucleation of actin filaments [Ch. 17]
_ The dynamics of microfilaments during endocytosis and the role of
endocytic membrane recycling during cell migration [Ch. 17]
_ Intraflagellar transport and the function of primary cilia [Ch. 18]
_ Plant mitosis and cytokinesis [Ch. 18]
_ Proteins involved in mitotic spindle formation and kinetochore
attachment to microtubules [Ch. 19]
_ Elastic fibers that permit many tissues to undergo repeated stretching
and recoiling [Ch. 20]
_ Extracellular matrix remodelling and degradation by matrix
metallo proteinases [Ch. 20]
_ Advances in our understanding of stem cells, regulation of asymmetric
cell division, and regulation of cell death [Ch. 21]
_ Structure of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor [Ch. 22]
_ Molecular model of the MEC-4 touch receptor complex in C. elegans [Ch. 22]
_ Synapse formation in neuromuscular junctions [Ch. 22]
_ Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and the inflammasome [Ch. 23]
_ Epigenetics and cancer [Ch. 24]
New Medical Examples
_ Cholesterol transport and atherosclerosis as an illustration of the
hydrophobic effect [Ch. 2]
_ Use of genetically engineered corn with high lysine content to promote
the growth of livestock as an illustration of the importance of essential
amino acids [Ch. 2]
_ Poliovirus and HIV-1 as examples of viruses that infect only certain cell types due to tissue-specific cell surface receptors [Ch. 4]
_ HPV vaccine and its ability to protect against common types of HPV,
and development of cervical cancer [Ch. 4]
_ Huntington’s disease as an example of a microsatellite expansion disease [Ch. 6]
_ Potential treatment of cystic fibrosis using small molecules that would
allow the mutant protein to traffic normally to the cell surface [Ch. 11]
_ Role of genetic defects in ClC-7, a chloride ion channel, in the
hereditary bone disease osteopetrosis [Ch. 11]
_ Mitochondrial diseases such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and Miller syndrome [Ch. 12]
_ Use of ligand-binding domains of cell-surface receptors as therapeutic
drugs, such as the extracellular domain of TNFa receptor used to treat
inflammation [Ch. 15]
_ Role of Hedgehog (Hh) signaling in human cancers including
medulloblastomas and rhabdomyosarcomas [Ch. 16]
_ Role of B-Raf kinase in melanoma and use of selective inhibitors of
B-Raf in cancer treatment [Ch. 16]
_ Defects in a regulator of dynein as a cause lissencephaly [Ch. 18]
_ Elastic fiber protein fibrillin 1 and Marfan’s Syndrome [Ch. 20]
_ Use of iPS cells in uncovering the molecular basis of ALS [Ch. 21]
_ Variations in human sense of smell [Ch. 22]
_ Microarray analysis of breast cancer tumors as a way to distinguish
gene expression patterns and individualize treatment [Ch. 24]