E-Book Overview
Experimental techniques are the life blood of science. The better the methodology is, the more reliable and accurate the results will be. Ultimately, this will lead to a clearer interpretation of those results and firmer conclusions from any set of experiments. Experimental methodology in the area of cardiovascular biochemistry and molecular biology has advanced considerably in the last decade. Because of these factors, it was thought that a focused issue of <em>Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry dedicated to the novel, latest technological advances in the field was warranted. We must thank Dr Naranjan S. Dhalla, Editor-in-Chief of <em>Molecular and Cellular<em>Biochemistry, for his willingness to publish an issue with such a focus. We have attracted some of the leaders in the field of cardiovascular biology to submit articles describing some of the most novel, significant techniques currently in use in their laboratories. The purpose of the manuscripts was not to describe the recent experimental findings from each laboratory as is done in most conventional manuscripts. Instead, the purpose of the articles found within this focused volume of <em>Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry was to describe how the technique is performed on the laboratory bench so that others less familiar with the technique may be able to use it in their own labs. The subjects described in this volume can be generally subdivided into three categories: molecular biology, cell biology and basic biochemistry. The methods cover wide areas including various DNA and RNA expression technologies, transfection techniques, quantification of ion flux movement, measurements of lipid metabolism, advances in the culture of specific cardiovascular cell populations, and the use of confocal microscopy to examine cell structure and function. We thank all of the authors who have contributed so much of their time and efforts and, most importantly, shared the `secrets' of these valuable techniques with the rest of the cardiovascular research community.
E-Book Content
NOVEL METHODS IN MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOCHEMISTRY OF MUSCLE Developments in Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Series Editor: Naranjan S. Dhalla, Ph.D., M.D. (Hon.), FACC 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. V.A. Najjar (ed.): Biological Effects of Glutamic Acid and Its Derivatives. 1981 ISBN 90-6193-841-4 V.A. Najjar (ed.): Immunologically Active Peptides. 1981 ISBN 90-6193-842-2 V.A. Najjar (ed.): Enzyme Induction and Modulation. 1983 ISBN 0-89838-583-0 V.A. Najjar and L. Lorand (eds.): Transglutaminase. 1984 ISBN 0-89838-593-8 GJ. van der Vusse (ed.): Lipid Metabolism in Normoxic and Ischemic Heart. 1989 ISBN 0-7923-0479-9 J.F.C. Glatz and G.J. van der Vusse (eds.): Cellular Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins. 1990 ISBN 0-7923-0896-4 H.E. Morgan (ed.): Molecular Mechanisms of Cellular Growth. 1991 ISBN 0-7923-1183-3 GJ. van der Vusse and H. Starn (eds.): Lipid Metabolism in the Healthy and Diseased Heart. 1992 ISBN 0-7923-1850-1 Y. Yazaki and S. Mochizuki (eds.): Cellular Function and Metabolism. 1993 ISBN 0-7923-2158-8 J.F.c. Glatz and G.J. van der Vusse (eds.): Cellular Fatty-Acid-Binding Proteins, II. 1993 ISBN 0-7923-2395-5 R.L. Khandelwal and J.H. Wang (eds.): Reversible Protein Phosphorylation in Cell Regulation. 1993 ISBN 0-7923-2637-7 J. Moss and P. Zahradka (eds.): ADP-Ribosylation: Metabolic Effects and Regulatory Functions. 1994 ISBN 0-7923-2951-1 V.A. Saks and R. Ventura-Clapier (eds.): Cellular Bioenergetics: Role of Coupled Creatine Kinases. 1994 ISBN 0-7923-2952-X J. Slezak and A. ZiegelhOffer (eds.): Cellular Interactions in Cardiac Pathophysiology. 1995 ISBN 0-7923-3573-2 J.A. Barnes, H.G. Coore, A.H. Mohammed and R.K. Sharma (eds.): Signal Transduction Mechanisms. 1995 ISBN 0-7923-3663-1 A.K. Srivastava and J.-L. Chia