Main description:

For the first time world-leading experts in the area of cellular signaling have joined to the production of a book on Smad signal transduction. Smads are the principal intracellular effectors of TGF-b family members that control numerous cellular responses with critical roles in development and in tissue homeostasis. In a series of 22 cutting-edge chapters forward looking reviews of Smads are provided that cover their discovery, evolution, role in development, mechanism of action and regulation, and how deregulation in Smad signalling contributes to human diseases. Written for an audience with basic understanding of molecular and cell biology, this volume provides an in-depth review of a rapidly developing field and extensive cross-references between chapters are provided. This book will be of particular interest to basic and applied biomedical researchers (students, post-docs or group leaders) with desire to understand the principles of cell-cell communication and mechanisms by which signaling pathways and gene programs control cell proliferation and differentiation, and how this knowledge may come to be applied in the clinic.

Feature:

First comprehensive book on Smad signal transduction

Authored by the leading scientists in the field

Back cover:

For the first time world-leading experts in the area of cellular signaling have joined to the production of a book on Smad signal transduction. Smads are the principal intracellular effectors of TGF-b family members that control numerous cellular responses with critical roles in development and in tissue homeostasis. In a series of 22 cutting-edge chapters forward looking reviews of Smads are provided that cover their discovery, evolution, role in development, mechanism of action and regulation, and how deregulation in Smad signalling contributes to human diseases. Written for an audience with basic understanding of molecular and cell biology, this volume provides an in-depth review of a rapidly developing field and extensive cross-references between chapters are provided. This book will be of particular interest to basic and applied biomedical researchers (students, post-docs or group leaders) with desire to understand the principles of cell-cell communication and mechanisms by which signaling pathways and gene programs control cell proliferation and differentiation, and how this knowledge may come to be applied in the clinic.

Contents:

1. Preface: the Smad family; P. ten Dijke and C-H. Heldin. 2. Evolution of Smad proteins; S. Newfeld. 3. Smad signaling in C. elegans; R. Padgett and G. Paterson; 4. Mad signaling in Drosophila; L.Raftery. 5. Delineating the TGF- ß/Smad-induced cytostatic response; F. Liu. 6. TGF- ß/Smad signaling in mesenchymal cell differentiation; R. Derynck. 7. Regulation of cell death and survival by Smads; K. Luo. 8. TGF- ß/Smad signaling in epithelial to mesenchymal transition; A. Moustakas. 9. Functional analysis of Smads through gene ablation in mice; C. Deng. 10. Regulation of Smad activation through endocytic segregation of TGF- ß receptors; J. Wrana. 11. Nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of Smad proteins; C. Hill. 12. Structural insights into Smad function and specificity; Y. Shi . 13. Regulation of Smad function by phosphorylation; S. Souchelnytskyi. 14. Regulation of Smad function through ubiquitination and sumoylation; X.-H. Feng. 15. Smad co-activators and co-repressors; K. Miyazono. 16. Integration of signaling pathways via Smads and Smad interacting proteins; L. Attisano. 17. Interplay between Smad and MAP kinase signaling pathways; A. Mauviel. 18. Gene expression signatures of TGF- ß/Smad-induced responses; E. Böttinger. 19. Systems biology approaches to TGF- ß/Smad signaling; M. Tewari. 20. Inhibitory Smads; mechanism of action and role in human diseases; A. Nakao. 21. Alterations of Smad signaling in carcinogenesis; S.-J. Kimand J. Letterio. 22. TGF- ß receptor kinase inhibitors for treatment of cancer; J. Yingling. 23. TGF- ß receptor kinase inhibitors for treatment of fibrosis; N. Laping and S. Huet.