MACROMOLECULES IN THE FUNCTIONING CELL

Prefazione - Indice

Prefazione

This volume - dedicated to Professors A. Ruffo, of the National Academy of Lincei, and A.A. Bayev, of the USSR Academy of Sciences - is based on the 5th Soviet-Italian Symposium on "Macromolecules in the Functioning Cell", held in Pavia in September 1986 under the sponsorship of the Italian Society of Biochemistry in confunction with the program of cultural and scientific cooperation between the Italian National Research Council and the USSR Academy of Sciences.
The first group of lectures, presented at the Symposium, concerns the gene organization, expression and cloning: the primary structure of the 58 rRNA genes, a tandem promoter regulating the expression of 'cut B' gene and the transcription of the 'san' and K51 loci; the mechanisms leading to the hypomethylation of repair patches; then, the structure of the aminoacyl-tRNA, the expression of the beta interferon by the recombinant BK plasmid pBK-TK-1, the laccase cloning and a plasmid vector for protoplast trasformation; further, the induction of neuron specific genes during the neuronal differentiation, the A T-specific ligands, the human aldolase isoenzyme gene family, the gene map of the sea urchin mitochondrial DNA and the genetical analysis of the cow casein genes.
The second group of lectures regards the structure andfunction of proteins: of the HMG and non-histone proteins in chromatin, of superoxide dismutase and hexokinase, of hemoglobin in 'Scapharca inaequivalvis', of the human serum albumin; furthermore, several properties of a phosphate carrier of mitochondria and modulation ofj leukocyte function by monoclonal antibodies are shown.
The third group of lectures concerns the problems of metabolic regulation: the ganglioside and the glycoproteinjunctions; the biology of the collagen; the UDP-sugars synthesizing enzymes; the glutamine synthetase cascade by CMP in 'E. coli'; the pyridine nucleotide synthesis in erythrocytes; some aspects of the NAD biosynthesis in yeast and of the nucleotide metabolism are shown; finally, the macromolecular synthesis in brain is discussed.
A sincere appreciation is expressed to Authors of the lectures, for their high scientific standard and thus for their fundamental contribution to the success of the bilateral enterprise. Thanks are due to the University of Pavia, for outstanding hospitality. We are indebted to the Committee of Biology and Medicine of the National Research Council, particularly to its President Prof E. Garaci, for having made the present publication possible.



ALESSANDRO CASTELLANI
CESARE BALDUlNI
PIETRO VOLPE