In the last two decades, our knowledge on regulatory peptides and their cognate receptors, most of which are members of the seven transmembrane receptor families, has increased enormously. Regulatory peptides are small proteins which, besides their hormonal functions in regulating cellular metabolism in various tissues, may also act as neurotransmitters, and thus they often carry the prefix "neuro." Many of the cognate receptors involved in transducing the peptidergic signal across the cell membrane via a family of G proteins exist in multiple forms, the number of which frequently exceeds that of the corresponding peptide ligands. In this book, various peptide-receptor systems are discussed, e.g. CRF, somatostatin, TRH, opioid peptides, vasopressin, and oxytocin. It also discusses new strategies such as "reverse physiology" to uncover new peptides and orphan receptors.

Regulatory peptides represent the most diverse and versatile family of messenger molecules. They are produced by all living organisms from bacteria to mammals. They are involved in a wide variety of biological functions. Biologically active peptides and their receptors thus constitute an unlimited source of inspiration for the development of innovative drugs and cosmetics. The present eBook is a unique collection of research articles and reviews that provide a representative examplification of the latest progress in regulatory peptide research.

J. M. Polak and S. R. Bloom For some time Experientia has published, as a unique feature, interdis ciplinary multi-author reviews, giving a comprehensive overview of sub jects regarded as 'growing edges' of science. The enthusiasm shown by the readers was contagious and thus it was felt necessary to compile a special volume dealing with the novel aspects of regulatory peptides. This book covers some of the growing areas in regulatory peptide research and, although it is based on the original volume of Experientia, it is expanded and updated. The topic of 'regulatory peptides' is relatively young and has grown at an unprecedented pace, from the embryonic conception of 'gut hor mones' or 'brain neuropeptides' some 15 years ago to the realisation that these active pep tides are found, almost without exception, in every part of l8 23 the body in all vertebrate and many invertebrate species • Why the term 'regulatory peptides'? It represents a convenient label encompassing both the active peptides present in nerves, which are re leased as (putative) neurotransmitters, and those in endocrine cells, which act locally or at a distance as circulating hormones, these being the l8 main components of the so-called diffuse neuroendocrine or APUD 17 system • Morphological studies support this physiological viewpoint.

This Research Topic features recent developments in the field of regulatory peptide physiology and peptide-based therapeutics.

Regulatory peptides represent the most diverse and versatile family of messenger molecules. They are produced by all living organisms from bacteria to mammals. They are involved in a wide variety of biological functions. Biologically active peptides and their receptors thus constitute an unlimited source of inspiration for the development of innovative drugs and cosmetics. The present eBook is a unique collection of research articles and reviews that provide a representative examplification of the latest progress in regulatory peptide research.

The NMDA receptor plays a critical role in the development of the central nervous system and in adult neuroplasticity, learning, and memory. Therefore, it is not surprising that this receptor has been widely studied. However, despite the importance of rhythms for the sustenance of life, this aspect of NMDAR function remains poorly studied. Written

The need to continually discover new agents for the control or treatment of invertebrate pests and pathogens is undeniable. Agriculture, both animal and plant, succeeds only to the extent that arthropod and helminth consumers, vectors and pathogens can be kept at bay. Humans and their companion animals are also plagued by invertebrate parasites. The deployment of chemical agents for these purposes inevitably elicits the selection of resistant populations of the targets of control, necessitating a regular introduction of new kinds of molecules. Experience in other areas of chemotherapy has shown that a thorough understanding of the biology of disease is an essential platform upon which to build a discovery program. Unfortunately, investment of research resources into understanding the basic physiology of invertebrates as a strategy to illuminate new molecular targets for pesticide and parasiticide discovery has been scarce, and the pace of introduction of new molecules for these indications has been slowed as a result. An exciting and so far unexploited area to explore in this regard is invertebrate neuropeptide physiology. This book was assembled to focus attention on this promising field by compiling a comprehensive review of recent research on neuropeptides in arthropods and helminths, with contributions from many of the leading laboratories working on these systems.

The diagnostic and therapeutic achievements in radiopharmaceuticals and nuclear medicine instrumentation - PET, SPECT, MR, CT and their hypbrids PET-CT and SPECT-CT - are the result of the interdisciplinary research efforts of cell-biologists, chemists, pharmacologists, physicists, computer-scientists, engineers, nuclear medicine physicians, a

Research on the molecular aspects of fish reproduction has progressedswiftly over the past few years. With the availability of wide-rangingmolecular tools, fish researchers have elucidated many of themolecular mechanisms regulating reproduction which operate in thebrain, pituitary and gonad.

Biological processes are driven by complex systems of functionally interacting signaling molecules. Thus, understanding signaling molecules is essential to explain normal or pathological biological phenomena. A large body of clinical and experimental data has been accumulated over these years, albeit in fragmented state. Hence, systems biological approaches concomitant with the understanding of each molecule are ideal to delineate signaling networks/pathways involved in the biologically important processes. The control of these signaling pathways will enrich our healthier life. Currently, there are more than 30,000 genes in human genome. However, not all the proteins encoded by these genes work equally in order to maintain homeostasis. Understanding the important signaling molecules as completely as possible will significantly improve our research-based teaching and scientific capabilities. This encyclopedia presents 350 biologically important signaling molecules and the content is built on the core concepts of their functions along with early findings written by some of the world’s foremost experts. The molecules are described by recognized leaders in each molecule. The interactions of these single molecules in signal transduction networks will also be explored. This encyclopedia marks a new era in overview of current cellular signaling molecules for the specialist and the interested non-specialist alike During past years, there were multiple databases to gather this information briefly and very partially. Amidst the excitement of these findings, one of the great scientific tasks of the coming century is to bring all the useful information into a place. Such an approach is arduous but at the end will infuse the lacunas and considerably be a streamline in the understanding of vibrant signaling networks. Based on this easy-approach, we can build up more complicated biological systems.