signal transduction books

	Signal Transduction
	By: Bastien D. Gomperts ISBN: 0122896327 Publisher: Academic Press Release Date: 15 October, 2003 Bioscience book rank: 597841	The authors intended this book for students and professionals. I don't fall into either group but I enjoyed it and learned from it, so I'm reviewing it for other similarly inclined non-scientists. <br /> <br />Cell-to-cell communication is of supreme importance to multicellular organisms and so it is of interest from many points of view. For example, I am very interested in its role in evolutionary developmental biology. Other people will be more interested in hormones, nerve signaling, et al. Signal Transduction is that part of communication that happens inside the cell, between the signal and the DNA. Thus it doesn't include neurotransmitters which activate ion channels in the membrane, nor does it include steroids, which pass through the membrane and into the nucleus. Nevertheless, it covers most cell communication. In particular, there is a lot of material on G-protein-coupled receptors, which make up a majority of the receptors, and tyrosine kinase receptors, which are also plentiful. <br /> <br />As the authors describe it, chapters 1-9 are on the "nuts and bolts" of transduction. This includes a very brief introduction to intercellular signaling molecules (such as hormones and neurotransmitters) and receptors, followed by some details about the internals, including calcium ions and phosphate exchange. In the second part, "attention is concentrated on transduction processes set in action by growth factors and adhesion molecules". There is also a short section on insulin. This part fills in the chains from the receptors to the DNA and describes the processes which regulate the chains and switch them off after they've done their jobs. <br /> <br />The choice of emphasis in the second part allows the authors to spend some time on cancer. Failure in the growth factor pathways can cause cells to proliferate out of control; failure in cell adhesion can result in metastasis. Accordingly, there are sections on the cell cycle, the transformations of cancer cells, and apoptosis. <br /> <br />(For more details, click above on "See all Editorial Reviews".) <br /> <br />I said that I am not a scientist, but that doesn't mean that Signal Transduction is a book for beginners. The reader must have some experience with molecular biology diagrams in which symbols stand for molecules that are interacting with each other. Some biochemistry is required, though not a lot. The reader will need to know what amino acids, lipids, and nucleotides are. If you're unsure if this is the level for you, it might help you to click on my name above and read the "In My Own Words" part of my profile and to click on "Read all my reviews" to get some idea of what I've been reading. Signal Transduction isn't the most advanced book that I've read, but it's more advanced than most. <br /> <br />The book jacket calls this book a "text reference" and a "valuable resource". That is the right way to see it; I have already used it to help me understand some articles on the Internet. But I also recommend that you read the book at least once all the way through, both to get the lay of the land and to enjoy this fine book. <br /> <br />I mentioned that cell signaling is very important in evolutionary developmental biology ("Evo-Devo"). For any reader interested in that subject, I highly recommend Sean Carroll's From DNA to Diversity. If you are interested in evolution, note in Signal Transduction how enormous complexity comes about through duplication and modification of genes; indeed, whole transduction chains can be regarded as modules that are duplicated with modification. <br /> <br />If you want to know more about what happens at the other end of the chain, at the DNA, I recommend Molecular Biology of the Gene by Watson, et al. If you want to know more about cancer, there is an excellent elementary book, Molecular Biology of Cancer, by Lauren Pecorino; this book helped prepare me for Signal Transduction. This book is a very good introduction to the subject. Depth and breadth of coverage is in general well balanced and the abundant diagrams help understanding quite a bit. The topics choosen by the authors are informative and put together an ok picture of signaling processes. There is one main areas that have been omited and I think prevent the book from giving a "very good" (as opposed to just ok) picture of the field, namely: spatio-temporal dynamics of signaling cascades and mathematical modeling of this processes. In my opionion, understanding the spatio-temportal organization of the signaling machinery is fundamental to understand signaling and the authors do not present the subject adequately (if at all). The second failure is in the area of "systems thinking". The book fails to convey the complexity of the multiple levels of feedback and other forms of regulation that make these systems work. Spatio-temporal organization and dynamics are a fundamental part of signaling pathways and you can't get a realistic picture of what is going on without them. <br /> <br />The field is advancing at warp speed and a new edition may be in order. Perhaps the new edition could include a couple of chapters about spatial organization and a more "holistic" view of signaling systems. My research group used a previous edition of this text in a seminar series during our weekly group meetings as a review text. It is very good at introducing the subject matter or serving as a refresher for students. The background info adds a nice touch. The ample illustrations help convey the information for the visual learners among us.
	Xenopus Protocols: Cell Biology and Signal Transduction (Methods in Molecular Biology)
	By: X. Johné Liu ISBN: 1588293629 Publisher: Humana Press Release Date: 13 December, 2005 Bioscience book rank: 1033752
	Signal Transduction in the Retina (Methods in Signal Transduction Series)
	By: Steven J. Fliesler, Oleg G. Kisselev ISBN: 0849373158 Publisher: CRC Release Date: 26 December, 2007 Bioscience book rank: 581297
	Introduction to Cellular Signal Transduction
	By: Ari Sitaramayya ISBN: 0817639829 Publisher: Birkhäuser Boston Release Date: 10 May, 1999 Bioscience book rank: 613202
	Targeted Interference with Signal Transduction Events (Recent Results in Cancer Research)
	By: B. Groner ISBN: 3540312080 Publisher: Springer Release Date: 11 July, 2007 Bioscience book rank: 1239147
	Signal Transduction by Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species: Pathways and Chemical Principles
	By: H.J. Forman, J.M. Fukuto, M. Torres ISBN: 1402011172 Publisher: Springer Release Date: 01 March, 2003 Bioscience book rank: 1225590	Got Signal Transduction? That's a joke of mine I like to say. <p>But seriously folks-- folks-- this book is no joke.<p>Signal Transduction by Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species: Pathways and Chemical Principles is a bargain at [the price]. It would be a bargain at one thousand US dollars. This is the only book you will ever need on signal transduction by reactive oxygen and nitrogen species concerning pathways and chemical principles. Peace of mind is what you're paying for here, and I for one am not about to put a price on peace of mind.<p>Peace of mind: priceless. <p>Signal Transduction by Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species: Pathways and Chemical Principles: awesome.
	G Protein-Coupled Receptors (Signal Transduction Series)
	By: Tatsuya Haga, Gabriel Berstein ISBN: 0849333849 Publisher: CRC Release Date: 24 September, 1999 Bioscience book rank: 1011135	Comprehensive compendium from leading scientists in the field of membrane receptor function and methodology. Appealing material is presented by Dr. Birdsall on receptor-radioligand binding analysis and ligand-receptor allosteric interactions. Other highlights are the chapters covering heterologous receptor expression techniques, receptor-ion channel methodology and receptor-structure analysis. A must have for those interested in this field.
	Signal Transduction and Human Disease
	By: Toren Finkel, J. Silvio Gutkind ISBN: 0471020117 Publisher: Wiley-Liss Release Date: 30 May, 2003 Bioscience book rank: 1013517	"An excellent text. Well written, precise chapters that explain the interface between molecular medicine and clinical practice at a level appropriate for educated laypersons, physicians and scientists." --Marschall S. Runge, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina "[Signal Transduction and Human Disease] is the kind of monograph that can be read quickly to understand a critical area of basic biology... Very helpful in getting into the more complex literature." --Myron L. Weisfeldt, M.D., Director, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland
	Signaling Through Cell Adhesion Molecules (Methods in Signal Transduction)
	By: Jun-Lin Guan ISBN: 0849333857 Publisher: CRC Release Date: 20 May, 1999 Bioscience book rank: 1247719	While I did find this a very detailed and HIGHLY useful book for signal transduction as a whole, I feel that there is a bias towards cell-to-matrix adhesion (integrins, what not) versus cell-to cell (cadherins, CAMs, etc). Overall a wonderful collection of the current data in the field, but the name is a bit of a misnomer. I would say this is a upper-undergrad/ lower-graduate level text, yet would be useful to someone who has been in the field for years.
	Biochemistry of Signal Transduction and Regulation
	By: Gerhard Krauss ISBN: 3527305912 Publisher: Wiley-VCH Release Date: 14 November, 2003 Bioscience book rank: 980890	One gets the sense upon reading this book that it was translated into English from some esoteric dead language and not from that close cousin of English, contemporary German. One would think that a book this expensive and a publisher this well-known would be able to fork out enough cash to hire a competent translator. If you thought signal transduction was Talmudic in its complexity, you will not be disappointed as you try to unravel the meaning of sentences in this truly awful and labored translation.