Abstract

From Cyclotrons to Cytochromes: Essays in Molecular Biology and Chemistry focuses on the uses of the cyclotron and radioactive isotopes in molecular biology and chemistry. The book includes a tribute to Martin Kamen, who played an important role in the development of biochemical sciences in the United States, particularly through his research on the cyclotron. The text also documents research on isotopes carried out at the Radiation Laboratory of the University of California at Berkeley during the 1930s, as well as the role of radioactive carbon in bacterial metabolism and experimental work on cytochromes.
This volume is organized into six sections encompassing 54 chapters and begins with an overview of science and technology, and then discusses carbon-14 and its half-life. The next chapters discuss the chemistry and structure of cytochromes; the role of cytochromes and redox systems in photosynthesis; the biological aspects of phosphorylation and oxidation; and protein structure. The book also methodically explains the regulatory mechanisms and miscellaneous metabolic processes such as the metabolism of cyclic nucleotides and related compounds; biological functions of lactate dehydrogenase; and nucleotide excision repair of damaged DNA. The final chapter discusses the deamidation of asparagine and glutamine side chains when incorporated into polypeptide chains, with reference to the role of cryptic amidase active sites in catalyzing the process.
This book is a valuable resource for biochemists and molecular biologists.