Polyamines

This book covers key topics in polyamine research from a range of organisms, including plants, mammals, and prokaryotes such as bacteria and archaea. The book provides an introduction to general concepts in the field of polyamine research, as well as more detailed information. With the availability of genome sequence data from a broad range of organisms, the evolution of the genes involved in polyamine metabolism is discussed. The mode of action of polyamines has been shown to be dependent on cation channels, and this mechanism is described in the book. The origin of polyamine transporters (from bacteria, yeasts, and plants) is described. The various effects of polyamines on growth and survival are also documented. The book details the mechanisms of polyamine homeostasis and the role of polyamine molecules as precursors of secondary metabolites such as plant alkaloids and toxins derived from spiders and wasps. The role of polyamines in longevity and disease is discussed. A link between polyamine contents and cancer progression is reported, as is the use of polyamine metabolites as diagnostic markers in the initial stages of cancer. Moreover, a novel approach that utilizes the polyamine pathway of a parasite as a drug target in African sleeping sickness is described. Therefore, this book is a valuable resource, both as a textbook for undergraduate and graduate students and also as a reference book for front-line polyamine researchers.

"This book by Kusano and Suzuki (Eds.) provides a comprehensible and excellent update about the current state of the art in the polyamine field in plants, mammals and bacteria. Overall, the book is very well structured, the chapters very well selected and it seems of high interest for both specialists in the field and the general public. ... Overall, an excellent book which is highly recommendable to read." (Rubén Alcázar, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona, May 2015)

"The authors have managed to present the highlights of each subject in quite a few pages, which makes the book easy to read ... . The strength of the book is that it reviews the recent literature dealing with polyamines not in one organism. Instead, information from research on polyamines in prokaryotes, such as bacteria and archaea, and eukaryotes, including plants and mammals are reviewed. This makes the book very useful, especially for young researchers and graduate students, who are exposed to trans-organismal information on polyamines, but also to all scientists who wish to have a spherical view of the topic. To conclude, the Book edited by Kusano and Suzuki is expected to become a helpful reference book for the scientific community, who works or intend to work in the field of polyamines or whoever wishes to get acquainted with the field of polyamines."(Prof. Kalliopi A. Roubelakis-Angelakis, University of Crete, Greece, April 2015)