Receptors

Receptors: Models for Binding, Trafficking, and Signaling bridges the gap between chemical engineering and cell biology by lucidly and practically demonstrating how a mathematical modeling approach combined with quantitative experiments can provide enhanced understanding of cell phenomena involving receptor/ligand interactions. In stressing the need for a quantitative understanding of how receptor-mediated cell functions depend on receptor and ligand properties, the book offers comprehensive treatments of both basic and state-of-the-art model frameworks that span the entire spectrum of receptor processes--from fundamental cell surface binding, intracellular trafficking, and signal transduction events to the cell behavioral functions they govern, including proliferation, adhesion, and migration. The book emphasizes mechanistic models that are accessible to experimental testing and includes detailed examples of important contemporary issues. This much-needed book introduces chemical engineers and bioengineers to important problems in receptor biology and familiarizes cell biologists with the insights that can be gained from engineering analysis and synthesis. As such, chemical engineers, researchers, and advanced students in the fields of biotechnology, biomedical sciences, bioengineering, and molecular cell biology will find this book to be conceptually rich, timely, and useful.

Many advances have been made in the last decade in the understanding of the computational principles underlying olfactory system functioning. Neuromorphic Olfaction is a collaboration among European researchers who, through NEUROCHEM (Fp7-Grant Agreement Number 216916)-a challenging and innovative European-funded project-introduce novel computing p

And he takes us into the laboratories of today's molecular chemists and neuroscientists who are creating drugs that will change our brains in ways that only a few years ago seemed the stuff of science fiction.

A comprehensive, state-of-the-art review of our current understanding of the molecular and structural biology of 5-HT receptors and their potential use for drug discovery. The authors describe the anatomical, cellular, and subcellular distribution of 5-HT receptors and demonstrate a powerful approach to elucidating their physiological role using knockout mice in which the 5-HT receptors were deleted. They also review our understanding of the physiological role(s) of 5-HT receptors based mainly on studies performed in genetically engineered mice. Highlights include discussions of the behavioral phenotypes of 5-HT receptor knockout animals, the molecular biology and pharmacology of 5-HT receptors, and insights into the complexity of 5-HT receptor signal transduction.

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.

Nuclear receptors are ligand activated transcription factors that control numerous biological functions. Consequently, altering activity of these receptors is proposed, and indeed documented, to affect many physiological and pathological conditions in experimental animals and humans. Thus, nuclear receptors have become a major target in the effort to treat numerous diseases. This book will shed light on and emphasize intricate processes involved in designing as well as discovering physiological and pharmacological modulators of these important proteins. World-renowned scientists will share with the reader their professional expertise and extensive experience acquired through decades working with nuclear receptors. Chapters address the various means and consequences of modulating nuclear receptor activity will be presented and discussed. These modulators cover a wide span of moieties ranging from synthetic chemicals to natural products. In addition, the classification of these chemicals ranges from pan agonists to selective agonists and inverse agonists to antagonists. They also include proteolytic means to obliterate the receptor in the event that modulating its activity through canonical pharmacological agents becomes less effective and/or less desirable due to anticipated or experienced toxicities. Modulation of receptor activity may also take place in the absence of a ligand or through manipulating the structure of the receptor itself by controlling posttranslational events.

A number of developments spanning a multitude of techniques makes this an exciting time for research in serotonin receptors. A comprehensive review of the subject from a multidisciplinary perspective, Serotonin Receptors in Neurobiology is among the first books to include information on serotonin receptor knockout studies. With contributions from leading experts in their fields, the book explores serotonin receptors from a broad-based, multidisciplinary approach. The approaches described vary from molecular biological techniques to fluorescence microscopy and imaging, to genetic manipulation in animal models, providing a wide range of tools to study serotonergic phenomena. While each of these approaches has its own advantages and limitations, the synthesis of information and knowledge achieved from studies using multiple approaches will result in a comprehensive understanding of the underlying complex phenomena involved in serotonergic signaling and its implications in health and disease. The book provides an overall understanding of these receptors based on currently used methodologies and techniques. It describes specific experimental procedures that will be of use to researchers interested in addressing similar problems involving other G-protein-coupled receptor signaling systems.