Signal Transduction by Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species: Pathways and Chemical Principles

Since publication of the first edition of this book, (then entitled Oxidative Stress and Signal Transduction), reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) have taken centre stage in the field of signal transduction. Our understanding of the many signalling pathways that co-ordinate the cell's response to its environment has made significant strides and evidence is now mounting that the ROS and RNS enzymatically produced by the cells are required for different aspects of the cycle of life from growth to apoptosis. The enzymes responsible for the production of ROS and RNS have been unravelled and the participation of these species in numerous signalling pathways has been documented. The next step is now to identify the targets of ROS and RNS and the mechanisms by which they alter their activity in the affected signalling pathway and significant progress has already been made. This exciting area of research will benefit from the pulling together of the work from hard-core chemists and free radical aficionados along with that of signalling enthusiasts and cell biologist devotees. This was the idea behind the conception of this new book.This text provides relevant chemistry that can be applied across signalling systems and summarizes the state of knowledge in the area of redox signalling, including controversies when they exist and future directions. ROS and RNS have been implicated in inflammation, ageing and cancer and their novel role in signal transduction may offer new clues to their participation in these processes. This volume should be of great interest to researchers involved in a large range of scientific fields from biochemistry and physiology to pharmacology.