Heavy metals essential to organisms are termed “biometals”. Bio-inorganic chemistry deals with the functions of biometals in vivo at an atomic to molecular level, while cellular regulation of biometals such as absorption and transport has been investigated in cell biology. Although these research fields have independently developed and matured, interdisciplinary information across these fields is required for a comprehensive understanding of the roles of biometals at atomic to molecular, cellular and organism levels.

This book highlights the latest progress in zinc biology, from its chemistry to its association with diseases. Zinc is the second most abundant trace metal in living organisms, playing a crucial role in many biological processes. It functions as a catalyst in enzymatic reactions, a structural component in proteins, and a signalling molecule in cellular pathways. Zinc homeostasis is tightly regulated by proteins involved in absorption, storage, transport, and utilization. Disruptions in homeostasis are linked to various diseases.

Resulting from a 5-year project on Integrated Biometal Science in Japan, this book not only documents the latest research but also fills a gap between chemical understanding and our real life.

Heavy metals essential to organisms are termed “biometals”. Bio-inorganic chemistry deals with the functions of biometals in vivo at an atomic to molecular level, while cellular regulation of biometals such as absorption and transport has been investigated in cell biology. Although these research fields have independently developed and matured, interdisciplinary information across these fields is required for a comprehensive understanding of the roles of biometals at atomic to molecular, cellular and organism levels.

This book highlights the latest progress in zinc biology, from its chemistry to its association with diseases. Zinc is the second most abundant trace metal in living organisms, playing a crucial role in many biological processes. It functions as a catalyst in enzymatic reactions, a structural component in proteins, and a signalling molecule in cellular pathways. Zinc homeostasis is tightly regulated by proteins involved in absorption, storage, transport, and utilization. Disruptions in homeostasis are linked to various diseases.

Resulting from a 5-year project on Integrated Biometal Science in Japan, this book not only documents the latest research but also fills a gap between chemical understanding and our real life.

This book describes the crucial role of  "zinc signals" in biological processes on a molecular and physiological basis, discussing future directions and questions underlying this unique phenomenon. To accomplish this, a group of worldwide leaders in the field, who have made outstanding contributions, overview zinc signals from a professional standpoint. Zinc plays an indispensable role in various cellular processes. It regulates a great number of protein functions including transcription factors, enzymes, adapters, and growth factors as a structural or catalytic factor or both. Recently, another function of zinc has received extensive interest and attention because of its potential importance as a signaling mediator. Zinc plays a dynamic role as an intracellular and extracellular signaling factor and thus regulates cellular signaling pathways, which enables communication between cells, conversion of extracellular stimuli to intracellular signals, and control of various intracellularevents. These functions of zinc have become recognized as “zinc signals,” which play critical roles in physiology, and therefore their imbalance can cause a variety of problems with regard to human health. Because the notion of zinc signals is quite new and no integrative review books focusing on them have yet been published, we believe this book will provide very timely information on the subject and thus should be of importance and interest to a wide range of readers.

This book, now in an extensively revised second edition, describes the crucial role of zinc signaling in biological processes on a molecular and physiological basis. Global leaders in the field review the latest knowledge, including the very significant advances in understanding that have been achieved since publication of the first edition. Detailed information is provided on all the essentials of zinc signaling, covering molecular aspects and the roles of zinc transporters, the zinc sensing receptor, and metallothioneins. Detection techniques for zinc signals, involving genetically encoded and chemical probes, are also described. The critical contributions of the zinc signal in maintaining health and the adverse consequences of any imbalance in the signal are then thoroughly addressed. Here, readers will find up-to-date information on the significance of the zinc signal in a wide range of conditions, including cardiovascular disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes,autoimmune diseases, inflammatory conditions, skin disease, osteoarthritis, and cancer. The book will be of value for researchers, clinicians, and advanced students.

Heavy metals essential to organisms are termed “biometals”. Bio-inorganic chemistry deals with the functions of biometals in vivo at an atomic to molecular level, while cellular regulation of biometals such as absorption and transport has been investigated in cell biology. Although these research fields have independently developed and matured, interdisciplinary information across these fields is required for a comprehensive understanding of the roles of biometals at atomic to molecular, cellular and organism levels.

This book highlights the latest progress in zinc biology, from its chemistry to its association with diseases. Zinc is the second most abundant trace metal in living organisms, playing a crucial role in many biological processes. It functions as a catalyst in enzymatic reactions, a structural component in proteins, and a signalling molecule in cellular pathways. Zinc homeostasis is tightly regulated by proteins involved in absorption, storage, transport, and utilization. Disruptions in homeostasis are linked to various diseases.

Resulting from a 5-year project on Integrated Biometal Science in Japan, this book not only documents the latest research but also fills a gap between chemical understanding and our real life.

Heavy metals essential to organisms are termed “biometals”. Bio-inorganic chemistry deals with the functions of biometals in vivo at an atomic to molecular level, while cellular regulation of biometals such as absorption and transport has been investigated in cell biology. Although these research fields have independently developed and matured, interdisciplinary information across these fields is required for a comprehensive understanding of the roles of biometals at atomic to molecular, cellular and organism levels.

This book highlights the latest progress in zinc biology, from its chemistry to its association with diseases. Zinc is the second most abundant trace metal in living organisms, playing a crucial role in many biological processes. It functions as a catalyst in enzymatic reactions, a structural component in proteins, and a signalling molecule in cellular pathways. Zinc homeostasis is tightly regulated by proteins involved in absorption, storage, transport, and utilization. Disruptions in homeostasis are linked to various diseases.

Resulting from a 5-year project on Integrated Biometal Science in Japan, this book not only documents the latest research but also fills a gap between chemical understanding and our real life.

This book describes the crucial role of  "zinc signals" in biological processes on a molecular and physiological basis, discussing future directions and questions underlying this unique phenomenon. To accomplish this, a group of worldwide leaders in the field, who have made outstanding contributions, overview zinc signals from a professional standpoint. Zinc plays an indispensable role in various cellular processes. It regulates a great number of protein functions including transcription factors, enzymes, adapters, and growth factors as a structural or catalytic factor or both. Recently, another function of zinc has received extensive interest and attention because of its potential importance as a signaling mediator. Zinc plays a dynamic role as an intracellular and extracellular signaling factor and thus regulates cellular signaling pathways, which enables communication between cells, conversion of extracellular stimuli to intracellular signals, and control of various intracellularevents. These functions of zinc have become recognized as “zinc signals,” which play critical roles in physiology, and therefore their imbalance can cause a variety of problems with regard to human health. Because the notion of zinc signals is quite new and no integrative review books focusing on them have yet been published, we believe this book will provide very timely information on the subject and thus should be of importance and interest to a wide range of readers.

This book, now in an extensively revised second edition, describes the crucial role of zinc signaling in biological processes on a molecular and physiological basis. Global leaders in the field review the latest knowledge, including the very significant advances in understanding that have been achieved since publication of the first edition. Detailed information is provided on all the essentials of zinc signaling, covering molecular aspects and the roles of zinc transporters, the zinc sensing receptor, and metallothioneins. Detection techniques for zinc signals, involving genetically encoded and chemical probes, are also described. The critical contributions of the zinc signal in maintaining health and the adverse consequences of any imbalance in the signal are then thoroughly addressed. Here, readers will find up-to-date information on the significance of the zinc signal in a wide range of conditions, including cardiovascular disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes,autoimmune diseases, inflammatory conditions, skin disease, osteoarthritis, and cancer. The book will be of value for researchers, clinicians, and advanced students.