A major advance in the biological sciences in the past decade has been the biochemical identification of cell membrane receptors. The existence of re ceptor substances on the surface of cells that recognize and bind to extracellular molecules was proposed at the beginning of the century by the pharmacologist and immunologist Paul Ehrlich and the physiologist J. N. Langley. Since then, receptors have been found to play an important role in numerous physiological and pathological processes. Over the years many attempts have been made to physically isolate and chemically characterize receptors, but because of the receptors' extremely low concentration and membrane localization, these ef forts have met with limited success. Yet, despite the failure to characterize receptor substances, the concept of the presence of such molecules has had considerable heuristic value. Using pharmacological, physiological, and im munologic approaches, researchers have identified several specific receptors, e. g. , a-and ~-adrenergic, nicotinic and muscarinic cholinergic, and histami nergic. With the characterization of various types of receptors on cell mem branes, many drugs were developed that proved to be experimentally and ther apeutically useful. It was only in the early 1970s that methods for the specific measurement, chemical characterization, and physical isolation of cell membrane receptors were developed. These advances were made possible by the availability of ligands with high specific radioactivity that retained their biological activity and of experimental procedures that differentiated between specific and non specific binding of ligands.

The study of purinergic mechanisms has for long been focused on the actions of the nucleoside adenosine, whereby the contribution of nucleotides to the signaling systems has been underestimated.Based on the proceedings of a IUPHAR Satellite Conference held in Leipzig, Germany, this book offers a comprehensive update and overview of nucleotide release, the structure and function of nucleotide receptors, nucleotide-metabolizing ecto-enzymes as well as the physiological functions of nucleotides in the nervous system. The physiology and molecular biology of receptors for ATP and other nucleotides are examined, as are the physiology and molecular biology of enzymes that hydrolyze extracellular nucleotides.At present, a pharmacology of the nucleotide signaling system is being developed. Of particular interest is the production of receptor subtype-specific antagonists and of drugs that selectively affect the extracellular lifetime of the nucleotide.An excellent source of reference for institutes of pharmacology, biochemistry, neurology, zoology, and physiology, and for the pharmaceutical industry.

Receptors for cell hormones, growth factors, Fourth, alterations in the development of neu and neurotransmitters are involved in the ral receptors may have profound implications control and modulation of an enormous array for the structure and function of the of biological processes. The development of organism. As much as possible, the reper these receptors has distinct spatial and tem cussions of disrupting the orchestration of poral arrangements, and alterations in this receptor development in the nervous system pattern during embryogenesis can have signi are discussed. In many instances, however, ficant consequences for the well-being of the we are just beginning to learn about some fetus, infant, child and adult. The developing receptors and the authors may not be in a nervous system is particularly dependent on position to discuss the consequences of recep receptors because its period of structural and tor dysfunction. functional organization extends through both In designing these two volumes, we have prenatal and postnatal phases. Moreover, asked major figures in each field to review the receptors are a key element in neural com literature, to apprise the audience of their munication in both the developing and adult latest findings, and to provide a perspective on organism, so that the ontogeny of receptors is the role of receptors in the developing nervous crucial in determining the myriad connections system. These books are intended to sum forming the circuitry of the nervous system.

Featuring a unique approach, Nicotinic Receptors in the Nervous System provides integrated coverage of research on neuronal nicotinic systems relevant to smoking addiction and cognitive dysfunction. By bringing together molecular and neurochemical applications, the book provides the key to understanding function and dysfunction of nicotinic systems and how they are significant for disease, addiction, and the development of novel drug treatments. The book presents readers with the basic mechanistic background for these treatments as well as the functional assessment necessary to determine therapeutic effects.

The acetylcholine nicotinic receptor is an ionic channel whose aperture is directly controlled by acetylcholine. It is a key molecule in the chemical communication between nerve cells and between nerve cell and muscle. The structure and function of muscular nicotinic receptors have been unraveled in recent years and its beauty and mysteries were reviewed in the Santorini NATO ARW organized by Dr. Maelicke in 1986. The neat, linear structure of this molecule and its conservation throughout evolution, from bacteria to humans, have led to the suggestion that it has reached the optimal structure for performing its function. But when scientists began to look at the nicotinic receptor in the nervous system, they found several surprises. From the beginning, pharmacological and physiological experiments, have made it clear that the functional characteristics of neuronal nicotinic receptors are substantially different from those of muscle receptors. Furthermore, recent sophisticated techniques such as patch clamp and gene cloning have revealed that the nicotinic receptor in the nervous system is not a single molecule but (although there are some important exceptions) a large family of similar molecules, which have in common the property of binding nicotinic agonists or antagonists. Over the last few years, the physiological implications of nicotinic receptors have been reevaluated on the basis of more precise behavioural and pharmacological techniques. Moreover, the involvement of nicotinic receptors in degenerative pathologies of the eNS, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, has also been discovered very recently.

Receptors in the Human Nervous System is a synthesis of the results of receptor mapping by leaders in the field. In addition to a comprehensive discussion of the distribution and possible interactions of the receptors of different neuroactive substances, this book also contains an abundance of pictorial representations of receptor distributions. High-quality photographs of one receptor are often juxtaposed with photographs of the distribution of a different receptor or receptor subtype for the consideration of possible interactions between different systems. The book surveys the distribution of receptor subtypes for the classical monoamine transmitters (acetylcholine, adrenaline, noradrenaline and serotonin) as well as the distribution of receptors for the excitatory and inhibitory amino acids, (glutamate, GABA and benzodiazepines) as well as the opioid peptides, angiotensen and other neuropeptides. The distribution of multiple types of serotonin receptors is given in detail, and the codistribution of receptors in the cortex is discussed. The book is directed toward researchers in the field of chemical neuroanatomy, as well as pharmacologists, neurophysiologists, and neuroscientists.

5-HT2A receptors are G-protein coupled receptors that are widely distributed throughout the brain, most notably on neuronal and glial cells. 5-HT2A receptors have been implicated in various central physiological functions including mood regulation, memory, sleep, nociception, eating, and reward behaviors, and they are also believed to control the cardiovascular system. This book provides a comprehensive overview of these receptors including sections on their properties and distribution, approaches for their study, their role in a number of brain functions and diseases, and their role as therapeutic targets. ​

Nuclear receptors are a family of transcription factors consisting of 49 members identified in the human genome. Nuclear receptors regulate transcription by binding to response elements in the regulatory regions of target genes and thereby affect expression of genes involved in differentiation, growth, lipid homeostasis, inflammation and immunity. Over the past two decades significant advances have been made in the understanding of the regulation of gene expression by nuclear receptors. The knowledge on nuclear receptors has delivered novel therapies for lipid control and hormone replacement, and for management of cancer and diabetes. Therefore, nuclear receptors are attractive molecular targets for design of therapy for diabetes, obesity, atherosclerosis, cancer, inflammation and neurodegeneration. The focus of this volume is centered on the mechanistic involvement of nuclear receptors in cardiological, metabolic and neurological disorders, on possible explanation of pathways involved in pathogenesis, on susceptibility to and prevention of metabolic and neurological disorders and on the aspects of drug finding including chemistry and rational drug design. This volume reviews recent progress on nuclear receptors critically and will intrigue those pursuing interest in physiology, pathology and medicine.

Adenosine Receptors in Neurodegenerative Diseases covers the role of adenosine receptors in brain function, also focusing on related methodologies and perspectives in therapeutics. The book provides an up-to-date overview by the best specialists in the field, helping readers consider the importance of adenosine and expand the global impact and visibility of adenosine research in the CNS field. Chapters include adenosine biology and signaling, gene regulation, control of motor function, and novel adenosine-based therapies in the CNS. It is an ideal resource for researchers, advanced graduate students, clinicians, and industry scientists working in the fields of clinical neuroscience and molecular and cellular neuroscience. - Comprehensive reference that details adenosine receptors in neurodegenerative disorders, with details on brain function and possible therapeutics - Gives insights on how these receptors modulate the neurodegenerative outcomes in different disorders - Edited by two of the leading researchers in the field regarding adenosine role in the brain in aging and neurodegenerative conditions

Mammalian Toll-like receptors (TLRs) were first identified in 1997 based on their homology with Drosophila Toll, which mediates innate immunity in the fly. In recent years, the number of studies describing TLR expression and function in the nervous system has been increasing steadily and expanding beyond their traditional roles in infectious diseases to neurodegenerative disorders and injury. Interest in the field serves as the impetus for this volume in the Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology series entitled "Toll-like receptors: Roles in Infection and Neuropathology". The first five chapters highlight more traditional roles for TLRs in infectious diseases of the CNS. The second half of the volume discusses recently emerging roles for TLRs in non-infectious neurodegenerative diseases and the challenges faced in these models with identifying endogenous ligands. Several conceptual theories are introduced in various chapters that deal with the dual nature of TLR engagement and whether these signals favor neuroprotective versus neurodegenerative outcomes. This volume should be informative for both experts as well as newcomers to the field of TLRs in the nervous system based on its coverage of basic TLR biology as well as specialization to discuss specific diseases of the nervous system where TLR function has been implicated. A must read for researchers interested in the dual role of these receptors in neuroinfection and neurodegeneration.