Front Cover; Advances in Microbial Physiology, Volume 31; Copyright Page; Contents; Contributors; Chapter 1. The TOL Plasmids: Determinants of the Catabolism of Toluene and the Xylenes; I. Introduction; II. Biochemistry of the pathway; Ill. Organization of the catabolic genes; IV. Regulation of catabolic genes; V. Recombination and transposition; VI. Growth of TOL strains on benzoate (""benzoate curing""); VII. Evolution of catabolic pathways; VIII. Use of TOL plasmid genes in construction of novel strains and vectors; IX. Epilogue; X. Acknowledgements; References

Chapter 2. Recent Research into the Physiology of Mycobacterium lepraeI. Introduction; II. Growth of Mycobacterium leprae; III. The cell envelope; IV. Metabolism in Mycobacterium leprae; V. Interaction of Mycobacterium leprae with host cells; VI. Possible applications; VII. Conclusions; VIII. Acknowledgements; References; Chapter 3. Magnetotactic Bacteria: Microbiology, Biomineralization, Palaeomagnetism and Biotechnology; I. Introduction; II. Occurrence; Ill. Methods of study; IV. Physiology; V. Fine structure; VI. Biomineralization; VII. Magnetotaxis; VIII. Palaeomagnetism

IX. Biotechnological applicationsX. Addendum; XI. Acknowledgements; References; Chapter 4. Microbial Stress Proteins; I. Introduction; II. What are stress proteins?; III. Stress proteins are highly conserved; IV. Induction of stress-protein synthesis; V. Acquired thermotolerance; VI. Immune response; VII. Protein assembly and translocation; VIII. Summary; IX. Acknowledgements; References; Chapter 5. Microbial Anaerobic Respiration; I. Introduction; II. General overview of the organization and function of respiratory chains; III. Methanogenesis; IV. Sulphate as a respiratory oxidant

V. Fumarate respirationVI. Oxides of nitrogen as respiratory oxidants; VII. Other anaerobic oxidants; VIII. Conclusions; References; Author index; Subject index