Nicotinic Receptors

A comprehensive overview of nicotinic receptors that addresses their history from crystal structure to behavior as well as their implications in disease and potential as therapeutic targets. It includes background information on all subtypes of nicotinic receptors, the most recent information on the distribution throughout the nervous system and discussion of their implications in learning and memory, addiction and neurological and psychiatric disease such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Takes advantage of several recent developments in the fields of optogenetics, viral expression and gene analysis to focus on current knowledge on the functional aspects of nicotinic receptors.

Nicotine research has been conducted for the better part of a century, but with the discovery of the relationship of nicotinic systems to Alzheimer's disease, the differentiation of nicotinic receptor subtypes, and the development of novel nicotinic ligands, the field of nicotine research has exploded. This book will provide you reference to the latest research methods and findings concerning nicotinic neural systems. Featuring a unique approach, Nicotinic Receptors in the Nervous System provides integrated coverage of cutting-edge research concerning neuronal nicotinic systems relevant to smoking addiction and cognitive dysfunction. By bringing together molecular and neurochemical applications, this 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. Within the next several years, it is very promising that clinical research will support the use of nicotinic treatments for addiction, pain, and cognitive and motor dysfunction. Nicotinic Receptors in the Nervous System provides you 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.

Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors in Health and Disease provides the latest information Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), which are involved in numerous diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and schizophrenia, and are important potential translational targets for treatment of these diseases, as well as therapy for addiction. This book focuses on the roles and function of nAChRs inside and outside of the nervous system, with an emphasis on translational implications and future prospects for the treatment of numerous disorders. This greater understanding of the basic neurobiology and clinical roles of nAChRs provides important insights for future clinical treatments of many major disorders. Describes the roles, expression and function of nicotinic receptors Includes receptor involvement, both inside and outside the nervous system Details nicotinic receptor involvement in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Cancer, Schizophrenia, and more Emphasizes future treatment prospects of disorders via modulation of nAChR signaling

Jasper's Basic Mechanisms, Fourth Edition, is the newest most ambitious and now clinically relevant publishing project to build on the four-decade legacy of the Jasper's series. In keeping with the original goal of searching for "a better understanding of the epilepsies and rational methods of prevention and treatment.", the book represents an encyclopedic compendium neurobiological mechanisms of seizures, epileptogenesis, epilepsy genetics and comordid conditions. Of practical importance to the clinician, and new to this edition are disease mechanisms of genetic epilepsies and therapeutic approaches, ranging from novel antiepileptic drug targets to cell and gene therapies.

The acetylcholine nicotinic receptor is among the most studied receptors in neuroscience. Involved in muscle contraction and a wide variety of other neurological functions, including the processing of nicotine, it was the first receptor to be isolated and observed at the molecular level, providing a major research pathway for scientists working in neuroscience, biochemistry, pharmacology, and behavioral science. This book describes four decades of scientific research that inform our current understanding of this receptor. Jean-Pierre Changeux and Stuart J. Edelstein played important roles in pioneering research on the acetylcholine nicotinic receptor and on allosteric proteins, and here they reveal the complete scientific trajectory of that research. They begin with a historical perspective, describing how several fields converged around a single receptor and then explain the initial receptor purification and characterization. Subsequent chapters trace the investigations into various aspects of receptor structure and function, including the chemical structure of the binding site, the identity and properties of the ion channel, and the mechanism of signal transmission. In the final portion of the book, Changeux and Edelstein discuss recent studies on the three-dimensional structure of the receptor molecule and share their novel understanding of inherited diseases such as congenital myasthenia and epilepsy. They also address the integration of the receptor into its synaptic membrane environment and its distribution, physiology, and regulation in brain functions and cognition. Richly illustrated and lucidly written, this book provides an exceptional opportunity for scientists and students to follow a historic advance in our knowledge of molecular mechanisms and the workings of the brain.

The nicotinoids are the most important new class of pesticides, joining the organophosphorus compounds, methylcarbamates, and pyrethroids as the major insecticides. Recently, imidacloprid and related nicotinoids have begun replacing organophosphorus and methylcarbamate compounds as insecticides to control insect pests on major crops. Nicotinoids act on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, as does naturally occurring nicotine, but with remarkable effectiveness against insects while being safe for mammals; they are quickly degraded and do not persist in the environment. This volume describes the relationship of nicotinoids to botanical insecticidal alkaloids, their discovery and development as insecticides, and the prospects for their expanded use and for the development of resistance. This book is the first to provide concise, comprehensive information on nicotinoids, their chemistry, mode of action, metabolism, and application in agriculture.