1st Edition

alpha2Adrenergic Receptors

Edited By Lewis L. Lanier, Lee E. Limbird Copyright 1997
    226 Pages
    by CRC Press

    The study of adrenergic receptors has a long history due to their impact on human physiology, pathology and psychology. They are among the best characterised of the cellular receptors mediating the response of the cell to hormones and neurotransmitters and as such are used as models for a wide range of receptor systems, with knowledge gained from the study of adrenergic receptors being applied to diverse types of cell signaling mechanisms. The ai-adrenergic receptors provide one of the best-known models of the super-family of G-protein coupled receptors.

    This book undertakes to cover all angles of current research in ai-adrenergic receptors, each chapter being written by a leader in the field. Starting with an excellent overview of the subject, it provides insights into ligand binding and the effects of site-directed mutagenesis; the transfer of the signal through the G-protein to various effectors and the internal cellular response; receptor trafficking; and the therapeutic implications of the receptors, with the effects of agonists and antagonists.

    The scope of this volume makes it an indispensable guide for researchers working on any feature of az-adrenergic receptors. It will also prove valuable to anyone with an interest in the structure and function of G-protein coupled receptors and the mechanisms by which they direct the response of the cell to multiple types of external stimuli.

    Preface, Contributors, Acknowledgements, Meeting Summary, Identification, Characterization and Subclassification of a.2-Adrenoceptors: An Overview, 1 0C2a Adrenergic Receptor Peptides and G Proteins: Structure and Mechanism, 2 Delineating Ligand-specific Structural Changes in Adrenergic Receptors by Use of Fluorescence Spectroscopy, 3 Characterization of Stereoselective Interactions of Catecholamines with the a2a-Adrenoceptor via Site Directed Mutagenesis, 4 Regulating Signal Transfer from Receptor to G-protein, 5 Caveolin, an Integral Membrane Protein Component of Caveolae Membranes In Vivo: Implications for Signal Transduction, 6 Molecular Determinants of Agonist-Independent Activity in Adrenergic Receptors, 7 a2-Adrenergic Receptor Activation and Intracellular Ca2+, 8 The Interface Between 0C2-Adrenoceptors and Tyrosine Kinase Signalling Pathways, 9 Differential Regulation of 0C2-Adrenergic Receptor Subtypes by Norepinephrine and Buffers, 10 Molecular Basis of 0C2-Adrenergic Receptor Subtype Regulation by Agonist, 11 a2-Adrenergic Receptor Subtypes Display Different Trafficking Itineraries in Madin-Darby Canine Kidney II Cells, 12 Intracellular 0C2a-Adrenergic Receptors in Neurons and GT1 Neurosecretory Cells, 13 Immunolocalization of Native ax-Adrenergic Receptor Subtypes: Differential Tissue and Subcellular Localization, 14 a2-Adrenergic Receptors in the Pathophysiology and Treatment of Depression, 15 Clinical Applications of ax-Adrenergic Agonists in the Perioperative Period - Neurobiologic Considerations, 16 0C2 and ai-Adrenergic Receptors in the Regulation of Peripheral Vascular Function, 17 Therapeutic Use of Ox-Adrenoceptor Agonists in Glaucoma, NDEX, ASPET COLLOQUIA

    Biography

    Stephen M. Lanier is Associate Professor in the Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics at the Medical University of South Carolina, USA. He obtained his Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Tennessee Center for Health Sciences, USA, in 1982 and has since been actively involved in research on adrenergic receptors.

    Lee E. Limbird is Professor of Pharmacology at Vanderbilt University, USA, where she also holds the Chair. She obtained her Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the University of North Carolina, USA, in 1973 and in 1994 was awarded the Established Investigator Award of the National Association for Research on Schizophrenia and Depressions.