Cell-Cell Interactions: A Practical Approach (Practical Approach Series)

Providing a wealth of practical information relating to this area of intense research in cell biology, this comprehensive volume describes the methods essential to identifying and characterizing the the molecules that mediate cellular interactions in a variety of systems. The type of communication between a cell and its immediate environment is closely related to the phenotype of that cell and the structure and function of the tissues and organs in which the cell resides. This detailed approach to cell-cell interactions includes methods for preparing relevant probes, analyzing adhesive and junctional interactions in multicellular organizations, determining which structural features of a relevant molecule are functionally important, and for assaying the consequences of cell-cell interactions in cell culture. Since the methods have applications in many related areas, this book will be invaluable to a wide range of biological scientists and students wishing to investigate the mechanisms and consequences of cellular interactions in their system of choice.