PAS proteins : regulators and sensors of development and physiology /

Summary: Publisher Summary 1 Crews (biochemistry and biophysics, U. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) traces the first identified PAS gene to the 1920s, and notes their critical roles in wide-ranging biochemical processes in organisms from bacteria and plants to humans. In ten contributed chapters, US scientists comprehensively review the structures of all classes of known PAS proteins, their evolution, and developmental and physiological functions in relation to such human health issues as cancer, Down syndrome, obesity, and mental health and sleep disorders. PAS derives its name from fruit fly and human proteins. Annotation 漏2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)   Publisher Summary 2 PAS proteins control numerous physiological and developmental events, and span phylogeny from bacteria to man. Bacterial and plant PAS proteins act as sensors of environmental stimuli, including light, oxygen, and energy status.Not surprising, given these roles, there is intense investigation of the roles of bHLH-PAS proteins in issues of human health including: (1) cancer induction, (2) cancer growth and vascularity, (3) birth defects, including Down syndrome, (4) appetite control and obesity, (5) sleep rhythm disorders, and (6) mental health disorders such as social interactions and learning.PAS proteins encompass many fields of biology, and scientists who work in these fields (circadian rhythms, oxygen regulation, toxin metabolism, bacterial sensors, and development) are an audience, particularly those who actively work on PAS proteins and researchers interested in transcriptional control, signal transduction, and evolution.