Cellular Lipid Metabolism
For years lipids have fascinated cell biologists and biochemists due to their profound effects on cell function. "Cellular Lipid Metabolism" highlights new concepts and recent findings, but also reviews important discoveries made in the past. Outstanding
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Christian Ehnholm Editor
Cellular Lipid Metabolism
Editor Prof. Christian Ehnholm National Public Health Institute Mannerheimintie 166 00300 Helsinki Finland [email protected]
ISBN: 978-3-642-00299-1 e-ISBN: 978-3-642-00300-4 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-00300-4 Library of Congress Control Number: 2009922260 © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2009 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilm or in any other way, and storage in data banks. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the German Copyright Law of September 9, 1965, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer. Violations are liable to prosecution under the German Copyright Law. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. Cover design: WMXDesign GmbH. Heidelberg, Germany Printed on acid-free paper Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com)
Preface
The key to every biological problem must in the end be sought in the cell and yet, although we know a lot about the mechanism by which cells operate, there is still a shortage in our understanding of how lipids affect cell biology. For years lipids have fascinated cell biologists and biochemists because they have profound effects on cell function. Encoded within lipid molecules is the ability to spontaneously form macroscopic, two-dimensional membrane systems. In addition to their function as physical and chemical barriers separating aqueous compartments, membranes are involved in many regulatory processes, such as secretion, endocytosis, and signal transduction. The functional interaction between lipids and proteins is essential for such membrane activities. Lipids serve as one of the major sources of energy, both directly and when stored in adipose tissues. They also act as thermal insulators in the subcutaneous tissues and serve as electrical insulators in myelinated nerves, allowing the rapid propagation of waves of depolarization. Some lipids act as biological modulators and signal transducers (e.g., pheromones, prostaglandins, thromboxanes, leukotrienes, steroids, platelet-activating factor, phosphatidylinositol derivates) and as vehicles for carrying fat-soluble vitamins. Research on cell biology is at present in a very active phase and molecular genetics is helping us to recognize and exploit the unity of all living systems and to reveal the fundamental mechanisms by which the cell operates. The challenge in composing a book on Cellular lipid metabolism has been to select concepts that are important for our understanding in areas that have changed or in which new co
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