Publisher's Synopsis
This book features contributions from experts in cell biology,genetics, neurobiology, immunology and structural biology. The unifying element is that they all study processes of cell shapechange and motility. Several key questions in this field ofresearch are discussed: What are the organising principles behind cell shapechange? Are there 'master switches' present in every celltype? How are extracellular signals interpreted by the cell in orderto activate intracellular mechanisms? What is the influence of the extracellular matrix on cellmovement and internal signalling pathways? How do pathogens subvert cellular systems in order to stimulateor block their uptake? The book addresses all of these important questions. Dataare presented on the key proteins that regulate cell shape: the GTPbinding proteins of the Rho family. There are also extensivediscussions of the potential applications of the data to clinicalproblems, particularly that of cell motility in cancer.
