Water The Forgotten Biological Molecule

The main objective of this book is to bring together multidisciplinary contributions from leading authorities on the properties and roles of water in cell systems which are otherwise dispersed in the literature and difficult to gather. The authors are drawn from areas of physics, chemistry, biology and physiology, where water plays a central role. The book focuses on current research and developments in the theoretical and experimental studies of water in biological systems and compounds, such as interaction with hydrophobic or hydrophilic structures, protein and membrane surfaces. It provides insights into the importance of water in cellular processes and physiology and, ultimately, in life, brain function, and health.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE WATER MOLECULEThe Water Molecule, Liquid Water, Hydrogen Bonds, and Water NetworksMartin ChaplinWATER AS A SOLVENTProtein Dynamics and Hydration WaterMarie-Claire Bellissent-FunelEffect of Hydration on Protein DynamicsMikio Kataoka and Hiroshi NakagawaStatistical-Mechanics Theory of Molecular Recognition: Water and Other Molecules Recognized by ProteinNorio Yoshida, Yasuomi Kiyota, Thanyada Rungrotmongkol, Saree Phongphanphanee, Takashi Imai, and Fumio Hirata Hydrophobic Molecules in WaterB. CabaneWATER AT INTERFACESHow Water Meets a Hydrophobic InterfaceYingxi (Elaine) ZhuCharacteristics of Water Adjacent to Hydrophilic InterfacesHyok Yoo, David R. Baker, Christopher M. Pirie, Basil Hovakeemian, and Gerald H. PollackWATER AND CELL MEMBRANESWater and Membranes: Insights from Molecular Dynamics SimulationsMounir TarekWater in Membranes, Water in Cells: Neutrons Reveal Dynamics and InteractionsM. Jasnin, A. M. Stadler, and G. ZaccaiStructure and Inhibitor of Water Channel in BrainYukihiro Tanimura, Kazutoshi Tani, Hiroshi Suzuki, Kouki Nishikawa, Akiko Kamegawa, Yoko Hiroaki, and Yoshinori FujiyoshiWater, Membranes, and Life Without WaterJohn H. CroweWATER AND CELLULAR STRUCTURE/PHYSIOLOGYInterfacial Water and Cell Architecture/Function Frank MayerWater-Based Biological Homeostasis in Multiple Fluid-Filled Compartments in the Higher Organisms: Regulation by the Paracellular Barrier–Forming Tight Junctions of Epithelial Cell SheetsYuji Yamazaki, Atsushi Tamura, and Sachiko TsukitaRole of the Septin Cytoskeleton for the Functional Organization of the Plasma Membrane Makoto KinoshitaWater Movements Associated with Neuronal Activity Revealed by Optical Methods: Focus on Digital Holographic Microscopy P. Marquet, P. Jourdain, C. Depeursinge, and P. J. MagistrettiWATER, HEALTH, AND LIFEWater and the Mind: Role of Water, Cell Membranes, and Diffusion in Brain Function ImagingDenis Le BihanWater and BrainHidenao FukuyamaWater, a Key Molecule for Living, Water in Metabolism and BiodiversityGilles Boeuf

Denis Le Bihan is a member of the French Academy of Sciences and director and founder of NeuroSpin, an ultra-high-field MRI facility (Atomic Energy Commission, Saclay, France).Hidenao Fukuyama is chairman of the Human Brain Research Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.