Structure Function And Genetics Of Ribosomes

Structure, Function, and Genetics of Ribosomes

During the past few decades we have witnessed an era of remarkable growth in the field of molecular biology. In 1950 very little was known of the chemical constitution of biological systems, the manner in which information was transmitted from one organism to another, or the extent to which the chemical basis of life is unified. The picture today is dramati cally different. We have an almost bewildering variety of information de tailing many different aspects of life at the molecular level. These great advances have brought with them some breath-taking insights into the molecular mechanisms used by nature for replicating, distributing, and modifying biological information. We have learned a great deal about the chemical and physical nature of the macromolecular nucleic acids and proteins, and the manner in which carbohydrates, lipids, and smaller mole cules work together to provide the molecular setting of living systems. It might be said that these few decades have replaced a near vacuum of information with a very large surplus. It is in the context of this flood of information that this series of mono graphs on molecular biology has been organized. The idea is to bring together in one place, between the covers of one book, a concise assessment of the state of the subject in a well-defined field.

Protein Synthesis and Ribosome Structure

Knud Nierhaus, who has studied the ribosome for more than 30 years, has assembled here the combined efforts of several scientific disciplines into a uniform picture of the largest enzyme complex found in living cells, finally resolving many decades-old questions in molecular biology. In so doing he considers virtually all aspects of ribosome structure and function -- from the molecular mechanism of different ribosomal ribozyme activities to their selective inhibition by antibiotics, from assembly of the core particle to the regulation of ribosome component synthesis. The result is a premier resource for anyone with an interest in ribosomal protein synthesis, whether in the context of molecular biology, biotechnology, pharmacology or molecular medicine.

Ribosomes, Structure, Function, and Genetics