Book excerpt: Cell Biology, A Comprehensive Treatise, Volume 4: Gene Expression: Translation and the Behavior of Proteins discusses the translation of genetic information into proteins. It also explains the activities and behaviors of proteins, which is the final stage of gene expression. This book opens with a discussion of the components and mechanism of the translational machinery – their structures, biogenesis, and cellular levels. It then explains the protein synthesis, wherein each chapter focuses on one aspect of the detailed process. Other topics covered in this book are the structure and function of cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein complexes and the proteolytic cleavage in the posttranslational processing of proteins. This text also covers the regulation of enzyme activity and the movement of material between nucleus and cytoplasm. The last three chapters are more in-depth discussions on protein synthesis, intracellular transport, regulation, and secretion. As with the other volumes of this book series, readers will definitely benefit from the vast information provided in this book regarding protein, its activities, behaviors, and synthesis.