This book provides a comprehensive overview of the current progress in muscle contraction and cell motility research. It discusses structural, mechanical, and biochemical characteristics of skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscles, and cell motility. The experimental objects of the studies described in this volume extend from humans to molecules. A distinct feature of this volume is that, in some chapters, evidence against the textbook view is presented, showing how well-established dogma can be denied by an unexpected discovery. This book is as interesting as it is informative for general readers and young scientists alike, and it is sure to inspire both to challenge the enticing mysteries that still remain in this exciting research field.

About the Author

Haruo Sugi graduated from the Postgraduate School of the University of Tokyo, Japan, with a PhD in 1962 and was appointed instructor in the Department of Physiology of the University of Tokyo. From 1965 to 1966, he worked at Columbia University as a research associate and at the National Institutes of Health as a visiting scientist. He was a professor in and chairman of the Department of Physiology, Teikyo University Medical School, Japan, from 1973 to 2004, when he became emeritus professor.

Reviews

"Sugi's book provides an extensive collection of the latest and most up-to-date aspects of the field of muscle contraction from the leaders of the field. Especially appealing are the frank critiques of the current models, which provide abundant food for thought. I heartily encourage anyone interested in the field to devour the contents of this informative book."
-Prof. Gerald H. Pollack, University of Washington, USA

"Professor Haruo Sugi continues his valuable tradition of regular compendia of important reviews by leading experts in the field of muscle research. The reviews cover skeletal, cardiac and smooth muscle as well as cell motility. Some of the reviews are didactic, while others shed new light on old concepts. The volume is packed with useful, in-depth information for the newcomer and the expert alike."
-Dr. Pradeep Luther, Imperial College London, UK

"For over more than two decades, the muscle symposia organized by Prof. Haruo Sugi have allowed both young and seasoned muscle scientists to confront new data and new hypotheses. The present book includes a fascinating chapter by Sugi himself where the fundamental event of the myosin power stroke is studied afresh with a new powerful EM technique."
-Prof. Jean-Marie Gillis, University of Louvain, Belgium

"It is widely believed that the mechanisms of muscle contraction and its regulation have been completely understood, but the reality is quite different, as highlighted in this book. Although the sliding mechanism of contraction and the regulatory role of Ca2+ have been established, the structural changes of the protein assembly responsible for these mechanisms have not been elucidated yet. This book concretely indicates where the future challenges lie concerning the mechanisms of muscle contraction and motility of non-muscle cells."
-Prof. Shin'ichi Ishiwata, Waseda University, Japan

"Muscle contraction and related mechanisms of cell motility are covered in many biochemistry, cell biology, and physiology texts. Textbook writers seek out information that illustrates basic principles and select examples that support these ideas. On the other hand, the contributors of a multi-authored work, such as Muscle Contraction and Cell Motility: Fundamentals and Developments, edited by Haruo Sugi, are free to address problems that are troubling them. These topics should be considered by researchers in the field to ensure progress is based on objective foundations."
-Prof. Clive R. Bagshaw, University of California at Santa Cruz, USA

Book Information
ISBN 9789814745161
Author Haruo Sugi
Format Hardback
Page Count 474
Imprint Pan Stanford Publishing Pte Ltd
Publisher Pan Stanford Publishing Pte Ltd
Weight(grams) 1040g