Molecular Mechanisms of Neuronal Responsiveness

Book excerpt: Section I of this volume focused on basic mechanisms of intracellular communication and includes chapters on the regulation of stimulus-secretion coupling, and on the role of ion-channels, mobilization of calcium ions, metabolism of fatty acids and polyphosphoinositides, cyclic nucleotides and protein phosphorylation systems--in receptor-mediated stimulation. A diversity of experimental approaches in represented: electrophysiological studies, biochemical investigations conducted on several levels of organization (cell-free assays, intact cultured cells, in situ and in-vivo studies) and the use of model systems and novel procedures of molecular biology for shedding new light on molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal responsivness.