The Molecular Basis of Sex and Differentiation: A Comparative Study of Evolution, Mechanism and Control in Microorganisms / Edition 1

by Milton H. Saier, Gary R. Jacobson

Overview

Man's mind stretched to a new idea never goes back to its original dimensions Oliver Wendell Holmes Our current understanding of sex and biological differentiation results from the application of three principal experimental approaches to these subjects: those of the physiologist, the biochemist, and the geneticist. These three approaches are illustrated by the materials presented in the chapters of this volume. Chapters 1-5 emphasize conceptualization of developmental processes, describing systems principally from the standpoint of the physiologist. Structures and functions are defined with only occasional reference to specific molecular details. Chapters 6- 10 present the views of the biochemist, attempting to describe functions influ­ encing or regulating cellular behavior at the molecular level. And Chapters 11- 14 illustrate the approaches of the modem-day geneticist in his attempts to gain a detailed understanding of processes controlling gene expression. While it is possible to delineate these three major sections, each emphasizing a distinct experimental approach, it must be realized that the yield of knowledge increases exponentially with the number of experimental approaches available to the investigator. Information resulting from the application of each of these approaches must converge to give the same answers for anyone biological phenomenon in anyone experimental system. Further, if we can learn of details regarding a particular process by applying different experimental approaches, our postulates concerning the underlying molecular mechanisms are likely to be more accurate. But biological systems are not unrelated.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780387960074
Publisher:	Springer New York
Publication date:	10/10/1984
Edition description:	Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1984
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.02(d)

Table of Contents

1 Embryology and the Study of Microbial Development.- 2 Molecular Events Accompanying Morphogenesis.- Cell-Cycle Dependent Morphogenesis in Caulobacter.- Control of Vegetative Morphogenesis in Neurospora.- Ion Currents Associated with Morphogenesis in Brown Algae.- The Generation and Roles of Ion Currents in Development.- Selected References.- 3 Cellular Mortality, Growth Regulation, and the Phenomenon of Cancerous Transformation.- Evolution of Multicellularity.- Two Fundamental Types of Cancerous Transformation.- Teraarcinogenesis—Reversible Malignancy.- Transformation of Normal Somatic Cells.- Selected References.- Chapte 4 Sporulation in Evolutionary Divergent Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes.- Sporulation in Bacillus.- Bacterial Endospore Germination.- Ascospore Formation in Yeast.- Conidiation in Streptomyces and Neurospora.- Fruiting in Myxobacteria and Dictyostelium.- Selected References.- 5 Control of Spatial Differentiation by Chemical Morphogens.- Spatial Control of Fruiting Body Formation in Dictyostelium.- Heterocyst Development in Blue-Green Bacteria (Anabaena).- The Temporal Program for Heterocyst Formation.- Spatial Regulation of Heterocyst Development.- Control of Morphogenesis in Hydra.- Selected References.- 6 Transmembrane Transport and the Control of Bioelectrical Activities.- Classification of Transport Systems in Bacteria.- Solute Facilitators.- Chemically Driven Active Transport.- Group Translocation Catalyzed by the Bacterial Phosphotransferase System.- Regulation of Transport Function by the Membrane Potential and the Control of Bioelectric Activity.- Evolution of Interrelated Metabolic Enzymes, Transport Proteins, Membrane Receptors, and Regulatory Proteins.- Selected References.- 7 Cell Surface Receptors, Second Messengers, and the Control of Cellular Activities.- Mechanisms of Inter- and Intracellular Signal Transmission.- Control of Carbohydrate Catabolic Enzyme Synthesis by Intracellular Inducer and Cyclic AMP.- Coordinate Regulation of Adenylate Cyclase and Inducer Uptake by the Phosphotransferase System.- Induction of Protein Synthesis by Extracellular Inducers.- Selected References.- 8 Mechanisms of Chemoreception, Electrical Signal Transduction, and Biological Response.- Bacterial Chemotaxis: A Model of Sensation, Regulation, and Adaptation.- Bacterial Chemoreceptors.- The Avoidance Reaction of Paramecium.- Ion Channels and Behavioral Mutants in Paramecium.- Chemotactic Control of Behavior in Dictyostelium discoideum.- Selected References.- 9 Pheromone-Mediated Control of Sexual Activity.- Control of Bacterial Conjugation by Sex Pheromones.- Pheromone Control of Yeast Mating.- Pheromone Control of Sexual Activities in Insects.- Genetic Dissection of Courtship Behavior in Drosophila.- Selected References.- 10 Cellular Recognition: Mechanisms and Consequences of Homotypic and Heterotypic Adhesions.- t Loci in Mice: Components of a Genetic Program for Embryonic Development.- Cellular Recognition and Tissue Formation.- Sexual Agglutination in Yeast.- Developmental Control of Cellular Cohesion in Dictyostelium discoideum.- Heterotypic Adhesion of Bacterial Viruses to Their Hosts and Phage-Mediated Receptor Conversion.- Cell-Cell Contact as a Signal for Induction of Tissue-Specific Protein Biosynthesis.- Contact Inhibition of Fibroblast Growth.- Sea Urchin Egg Fertilization.- Selected References.- 11 Switch Mechanisms Regulating Gene Expression.- Epigenetics in Animal Cells Maintained in Tissue Culture.- DNA Methylation and the Control of Gene Expression in Animal Cells.- Paramutation in Plants.- Transposable Elements in Plants Controlling Gene Expression and Mutation Rate.- Switch Mechanisms in Microorganisms.- Biphasic Flagellar Phase Variation in Salmonella.- Inversion of the G Segment in Phage Mu.- Invertible and Transposable Elements in Differentiation.- Selected References.- 12 Sex Determination and the Interconversion of Mating Type.- Sex Determination in Yeast.- Mating Type Interconversion in Yeast.- Pattern Control of Mating Type Switching.- Sex Determination in Drosophila.- Sexual Interconversion in Higher Plants and Animals.- Selected References.- 13 Genetic Control of Development, Mating Type Determination, and Programmed Death in Ciliated Protozoa.- Genetics of Paramecium and Tetrahymena.- Control of Gene Expression in Ciliates.- Mating Type Determination in Ciliates.- Irreversible Mating Type Determination by DNA Excision.- DNA Excision in Immunoglobulin Synthesis.- Aging and Programmed Death in Ciliates.- Selected References.- 14 Conclusions and Perspectives.- Index 209.