Monoclonal Antibodies Specific for Leukocyte Adhesion Molecules -- Epitope Mapping -- Sequencing of Antibodies -- Purification Through Affinity Chromatography and Microsequencing -- Functional Analysis of Cell Adhesion Molecules -- Application of Polymerase Chain Reaction for the Discovery of New Adhesion Molecule Family Members -- Construction and Purification of Adhesion Molecule Immunoglobulin Chimeric Proteins -- Immunofluorescence of Cultured Cells -- Detection of Adhesion Molecules by Immunohistochemistry on Human and Murine Tissue Sections -- In situ Hybridization with RNA Probes -- Purification of Fibronectin from Human Plasma -- Adhesion to Matrix Proteins -- Leukocyte-Endothelial Monolayer Adhesion Assay (Static Conditions) -- Cell-Cell Adhesive Interactions in an In Vitro Flow Chamber -- Adhesion of Tumor Cells to Endothelium Under Static Conditions -- Adhesion of Tumor Cells Under Flow -- Platelet Adhesion to the Subendothelium Under Flow -- Leukocyte Transmigration Through Vascular Endothelium -- Cell Migration into a Wounded Area In Vitro -- Determination of the Endothelial Barrier Function In Vitro -- Induction of Intracellular Signals Through Binding of Adhesive Molecules -- Induction of Ca2+ Flux by Adhesion Molecules in Lymphocytes -- Integrin-Mediated Stimulation of Tyrosine Phosphorylation in Lymphoid Cells -- The Identification of Signaling Molecules by the Yeast Two-Hybrid System.

In Adhesion Protein Protocols, an international corps of expert investigators describe their optimized techniques for both the identification of new cell adhesion proteins and the characterization of novel adhesive structures. Their cutting edge methods will enable both novice and experienced researchers readily to identify and clone new adhesion proteins, to successfully produce inhibitors of adhesive activity, to develop biological models for the assay of cell-to-matrix and cell-to-cell adhesion in vitro, and to measure the signaling activities of adhesion proteins. The protocols described here constitute a guide to some of the most important assays in cell biology, promising significant results not only to those interested in adhesion processes, but also to scientists from many different disciplines. Adhesion Protein Protocols is the first collection of methodologies devoted entirely to the study of adhesion molecules. By illuminating these molecules and the possibilities for manipulating them, the new experimental strategies collected here offer powerful approaches to the regulation of immunity, inflammation, tissue remodeling, and embryonic development. The book will become the standard source for those wishing to discover new adhesion molecules and to characterize their biological activity.