Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

This new edition provides a comprehensive look at themolecular genetics and biochemical basis of fungal biology, covering importantmodel organisms such as Aspergilli while also integrating advances made with zygomycetes and basidiomycetes. This book groups a total of 15 chapters authored by expert scholars in theirrespective fields into four sections. Five chapters cover various aspects ofgene expression regulation. These range from regulation in organismalinteractions between parasitic fungi and their host plant, heavy metal stressand global control of natural product genes to conidiation and regulationthrough RNA interference. Two chapters are dedicated to signal transduction,highlighting MAP-kinase-dependent signaling and heterotrimeric G-proteins. Fungal carbohydrates are the subject of the third section, which addresses bothpolymeric cell wall carbohydrates and trehalose as an important, low molecularweight carbohydrate. The fourth section emphasizes the metabolism of majorelements (carbon, nitrogen, sulfur) and critical cellular pathways for primaryand secondary products.