Molecular microbiology is a rapidly expanding area of contemporary science: the application of molecular biology has opened up the microbial world in many remarkable ways. The attraction of microbes is that they are self-contained and that they offer complete solutions to understanding the phenomenon of life.
This book provides a concise introduction to current research in the field. Four major areas are introduced and explained:

• Bacterial Biochemistry
• Bacterial Genomes
• Gene Expression
• Microbial Cell Biology

Inhalt

Part 1: Bacterial Biochemistry. Life and Death in Stationary Phase - The Citric Acid Cycle and Oxygen-Regulated Gene Expression in Escherichia coli Part 2: Genomes and their Survival. Gene Transfer by Bacterial Conjugation: Establishment of the Immigrant Plasmid in the Recipient Cell - Bacteriophage Mu - Regulation of Bacteriophage (alpha) Replication - Replication and Maintenance of Bacterial Plasmids Part 3: Expression. Bacterial Gene Regulatory Proteins: Organisation and Mechanism of Action - Bacterial Two-Component Regulatory Systems - Metal Regulation of Gene Expression in Bacterial Systems - Regulation of Prespore-Specific Transcription During Sporulation in Bacillus subtilis - Quorum Sensing: Bacterial Cell-Cell Signalling from Bioluminescence to Pathogenicity - Studying Protein Synthesis Factors in Yeast: Structure, Function and Regulation Part 4: Microbial Cell Biology. The Roles of Molecular Chaperones in the Bacterial Cell - Protein Traffic in Bacteria - Oxygen Toxicity, Oxygen Starvation and the Assembly of Cytochrome C-Dependent Electron Transfer Chains in Escherichia coli - Aspects of the Molecular Genetics of Antibiotics - Interactions of the Bacterial Pathogen Listeria monocytogenes With Mammalian Cells - The Behaviour of Bacterial Pathogens in vivo.