This detailed book brings together a new set of protocols to arm cell biologists with techniques that are currently being used in a number of well-established laboratories around the world. The contents represent the great strides made in the field of cell-cell communications with respect to the identification and characterization of key components of the communication apparatus, assembly and maintenance of the communications structures, and concomitantly their roles in not only tissue formation and maintenance but also regeneration and repair. Written for the highly successful series, chapters include introductions to their respective chapters, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, serves as an ideal guide for experts and newcomers alike seeking to increase our understanding of the crucial biological and physiological roles of cell-cell communications in tissue function and organismal integrity.weiterlesen