Bacterial Physiology: A Molecular Approach

✍ Scribed by Peter J. Lewis (auth.), Walid El-Sharoud (eds.)

• Publisher: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 376
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

The application of new molecular methodologies in the study of bacterial behaviour and cell architecture has enabled new revolutionary insights and discoveries in these areas. While this has also raised a number of scientific mysteries about bacteria, it certainly improved our understanding of these organisms as complex and adaptive entities rather than just simple tiny buckets of enzymes. The value of this recent knowledge in bacterial physiology is not only restricted to fundamental biology, but it also extends to biotechnology and drug-discovery disciplines where understanding cell behaviour and structure is essential for better exploitation of useful bacteria and effective eradication of harmful ones. This makes a new text accommodating recent developments in bacterial physiology highly relevant to a wide range of readership including those interested in basic and applied knowledge.

✦ Table of Contents

Front Matter....Pages i-xv
Subcellular Organisation in Bacteria....Pages 1-42
Molecular Components of the Bacterial Cytoskeleton....Pages 43-71
Mechanosensitive Channels: Their Mechanisms and Roles in Preserving Bacterial Ultrastructure During Adaptation to Environmental Changes....Pages 73-95
Structural and Functional Flexibility of Bacterial Respiromes....Pages 97-128
Protein Secretion in Bacterial Cells....Pages 129-153
Regulation of Transcription in Bacteria by DNA Supercoiling....Pages 155-178
Quorum Sensing....Pages 179-232
Environmental Sensing and the Role of Extracytoplasmic Function Sigma Factors....Pages 233-261
Extracellular Sensors and Extracellular Induction Components in Stress Tolerance Induction....Pages 263-292
Ribosome Modulation Factor....Pages 293-311
The Role of RpoS in Bacterial Adaptation....Pages 313-337
Phenotypic Variation and Bistable Switching in Bacteria....Pages 339-365
Back Matter....Pages 367-371

✦ Subjects

Microbiology; Bacteriology; Medical Microbiology; Applied Microbiology; Microbial Ecology; Biochemistry, general