Experimental and Clinical Neuroscience – serie

Environmental considerations are playing an increasingly important role in determining management strategies for soil and land since many important environmental issues involve aspects of the biology of the soil. The first part of the book provides an introduction to soils, its inhabitants and their activities. The second part covers the influence of man on the natural cycles of soil. Topics such as acid rain and nitrogen fertilizers are considered alongside pesticides and genetically modified organisms. A new final chapter has been added which considers how the population can apply the concept of sustainability to issues such as global climate change and farming systems.

Environmental considerations are playing an increasingly important role in determining management strategies for soil and land. Many important environmental issues involve aspects of the biology of soil, and these issues cannot be considered satisfactorily in isolation from a general understanding of soil biology as a whole.

One of the most active and productive areas of biological science in the past decade has been the study of the biochemical and biophysical prop­ erties of cell membranes. There is little doubt that membranes are essen­ tial components of all cellular systems and that each type of membrane manifests specific and characteristic cellular functions. In the nervous system, important events such as neurotransmission, receptor binding, ion transport, axonal transport, and cell uptake are all known to take place within the neural cell membrane. Phospholipids, one of the major components of membranes, not only provide the membrane with its structural integrity and physical proper­ ties, but also play an important role in regulating membrane function. Attention has recently been focused on the asymmetric localization of these molecules, the identification of discrete metabolic pools of phospholipids within the membrane matrix, and their involvement in sig­ nal transmission. Although synaptic membranes generally lack an active mechanism for the de novo biosynthesis of phospholipids, a number of enzymic routes are present for their interconversions and for facilitating metabolic turnover. Metabolites generated during the interconversion reactions may also exert a great influence in modulating membrane func­ tions. The phosphogylcerides of neural membranes are especially enriched in polyunsaturated fatty acids. However, only very small amounts of these fatty acids are present in the free form, and they are maintained in dynamic equilibrium with the membrane phospholipids.

This volume examines molecular approaches to neuromuscular disease research, with emphasis on such forefront topics as toxic model of disease, genetic lesions and behavioural neurology. It should be of interest to neuroscientists, clinical neurologists, biochemists, pathologists, psychologists, physiologists and immunologists working on neuromuscular diseases

During the past decade we have witnessed several major dis­ coveries in the area of protein synthesis and post-translational modification of protein molecules. In this volume, many of the lat­ est research developments in these fields are reported by the dis­ tinguished international group of scientists who presented their state-of-the-art results at the 13th Linderstr0m-Lang Conference held at God0Ysund, Norway, June 14-18, 1983. We feel that the presentation here of so wide a variety of articles on both the molecular and the cellular aspects of protein synthesis will be of considerable value to many scientists working in the area who were unable to attend, as well as to many who are active in related areas. In addition to the research papers, the contents of the six scientific sessions held during the conference have been summarized by the respective session chairmen. These individual summaries provide insightful syntheses of all the recent progress in each field, identify which current problems remain of special inter­ est, and suggest what the future may hold in the several areas of protein synthesis research covered. Though this volume obviously cannot provide a complete survey of all important ongoing research on the molecular and cellular biology of translational and post-translational events, we are confi­ dent that it will facilitate a much better understanding of many im­ portant contemporary problems in research on protein synthesis, including cell differentiation, translational accuracy, protein modifi­ cation, intracellular transport, and membrane turnover.

A multidisciplinary survey of the progress in research on CNS trace amines. The profound pharmacological, physiological, and behavioural effects of these endogenous substances, effects whose proper understanding is rapidly emerging as a result of strong methodological advances, promises great progress in the clinical treatment of psychiatric and neurological disorders. This work should be of interest to all experimental and clinical neuroscientists.

The nature and diversity of presentations at the second International Conference on Insect Neurochemistry and Neurophysiology (ICINN--86) held at the University of Maryland on August 4-6. 1986, attest to the vital­ ity and broad scope of research in insect neuroscience. The present vol­ ume is a written account of the invited lectures, contributed papers, and posters presented at the conference, and as such, serves as a fair indica­ tor of the trends in current research in this field here and abroad. The principal portion of this book consists of seven review papers that were presented by invited speakers. Although the topics vary wide­ ly, they reflect on and emphasize the main theme of the conference, i. e. , the nature and function of molecular messengers that communicate be­ meen the central nervous system and organs or tissues involved in the growth, development, reproduction, and behavior of insects. This empha­ sis is continued in the following three sections on neurochemistry, neuro­ physiology, and neuroanatomy, although no conscious effort was made by the organizers to highlight these particular fields of neuroscience. It is evident that the recent advances in both physical and chemical analyti­ cal techniques have made possible the acquisition of structurally defined probes, the long sought-after tools for unraveling the secrets of endogen­ ous communication. Each section of short papers derived from the oral and poster presentations at the conference is prefaced by an overview that highlights and summarizes the section's content.

This is the third Proceedings book to arise from biennial conferen- ces on the Trace Amines. Since our first meeting in 1983 in Edmonton, Canada, progress has been brisk and, as will be seen from the ensuing pages, it is now possible to include major contributions from inverte- brate neurobiologists as well as receptorologists. In the opening ses- sion we heard about the distribution of the trace amines-now clear- ly a misnomer-in insects and the pharmacological, receptor, and syn- aptic characteristics of octopamine and tryptamine as well as the pos- sibility of monoamines in general being targets for insecticide discov- ery. In mammalian brain the distribution and characterization of the tryptamine receptor has proceeded to the point where two types have been described as well as novel agonists and antagonists, and, for the first time, a binding site for p-tyramine has been described.The com- bination of lesions and pharmacological and metabolic manipulations now permits the mapping of trace aminergic pathways, and the rap- idly accumulating evidence from releasing drugs, in situ microdialy- sis, iontophoresis, and second messenger systems lends credence to the claim that the trace amines possess neuromodulatory functions.

This volume contains the proceedings of the Third International Conference on Insect Neurochemistry and Neurophysiology (ICINN'89), which was held at the University of Maryland at College Park, Maryland, on July 10-12, 1989. The ICINN meetings were ini- tiated in 1983 at a time when insect neurobiology was emerging as a vigorous sector of entomology, requiring a degree of attention and autonomy long before granted to its sister field, vertebrate neurobiol- ogy. The distinctly medical aspects of the latter were replaced by potentiali ties for developing new approaches to insect control, and the difference was reflected in the kind of sponsorship that has made the ICINNs possible. It is to the credit of the sponsors of the present con- ference, i. e. , Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agri- culture,American Cyanamid, BASF, Dow Chemical USA, E. I. DuPont de Nemours, Monsanto, Nippon Soda, Rohm and Haas, and Sandoz Crop Protection, that they recognized the need for providing a forum for specialized scientific presentations as well as a medium by which ideas and information could be exchanged directly and cooperation could be planned.As in the previous conferences in 1983 and 1986, the ICINN'89 program contained state-of-the-art plenary lectures or reviews by invited speakers as well as shorter research communications pre- sented orally or as posters. The latter two are included here in three sections: neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, and neurophysiology.

One of the most active and productive areas of biological science in the past decade has been the study of the biochemical and biophysical prop­ erties of cell membranes. There is little doubt that membranes are essen­ tial components of all cellular systems and that each type of membrane manifests specific and characteristic cellular functions. In the nervous system, important events such as neurotransmission, receptor binding, ion transport, axonal transport, and cell uptake are all known to take place within the neural cell membrane. Phospholipids, one of the major components of membranes, not only provide the membrane with its structural integrity and physical proper­ ties, but also play an important role in regulating membrane function. Attention has recently been focused on the asymmetric localization of these molecules, the identification of discrete metabolic pools of phospholipids within the membrane matrix, and their involvement in sig­ nal transmission. Although synaptic membranes generally lack an active mechanism for the de novo biosynthesis of phospholipids, a number of enzymic routes are present for their interconversions and for facilitating metabolic turnover. Metabolites generated during the interconversion reactions may also exert a great influence in modulating membrane func­ tions. The phosphogylcerides of neural membranes are especially enriched in polyunsaturated fatty acids. However, only very small amounts of these fatty acids are present in the free form, and they are maintained in dynamic equilibrium with the membrane phospholipids.

This volume contains the proceedings of the Third International Conference on Insect Neurochemistry and Neurophysiology (ICINN'89), which was held at the University of Maryland at College Park, Maryland, on July 10-12, 1989. The ICINN meetings were ini- tiated in 1983 at a time when insect neurobiology was emerging as a vigorous sector of entomology, requiring a degree of attention and autonomy long before granted to its sister field, vertebrate neurobiol- ogy. The distinctly medical aspects of the latter were replaced by potentiali ties for developing new approaches to insect control, and the difference was reflected in the kind of sponsorship that has made the ICINNs possible. It is to the credit of the sponsors of the present con- ference, i. e. , Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agri- culture,American Cyanamid, BASF, Dow Chemical USA, E. I. DuPont de Nemours, Monsanto, Nippon Soda, Rohm and Haas, and Sandoz Crop Protection, that they recognized the need for providing a forum for specialized scientific presentations as well as a medium by which ideas and information could be exchanged directly and cooperation could be planned.As in the previous conferences in 1983 and 1986, the ICINN'89 program contained state-of-the-art plenary lectures or reviews by invited speakers as well as shorter research communications pre- sented orally or as posters. The latter two are included here in three sections: neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, and neurophysiology.

This is the third Proceedings book to arise from biennial conferen- ces on the Trace Amines. Since our first meeting in 1983 in Edmonton, Canada, progress has been brisk and, as will be seen from the ensuing pages, it is now possible to include major contributions from inverte- brate neurobiologists as well as receptorologists. In the opening ses- sion we heard about the distribution of the trace amines-now clear- ly a misnomer-in insects and the pharmacological, receptor, and syn- aptic characteristics of octopamine and tryptamine as well as the pos- sibility of monoamines in general being targets for insecticide discov- ery. In mammalian brain the distribution and characterization of the tryptamine receptor has proceeded to the point where two types have been described as well as novel agonists and antagonists, and, for the first time, a binding site for p-tyramine has been described.The com- bination of lesions and pharmacological and metabolic manipulations now permits the mapping of trace aminergic pathways, and the rap- idly accumulating evidence from releasing drugs, in situ microdialy- sis, iontophoresis, and second messenger systems lends credence to the claim that the trace amines possess neuromodulatory functions.

The nature and diversity of presentations at the second International Conference on Insect Neurochemistry and Neurophysiology (ICINN--86) held at the University of Maryland on August 4-6. 1986, attest to the vital­ ity and broad scope of research in insect neuroscience. The present vol­ ume is a written account of the invited lectures, contributed papers, and posters presented at the conference, and as such, serves as a fair indica­ tor of the trends in current research in this field here and abroad. The principal portion of this book consists of seven review papers that were presented by invited speakers. Although the topics vary wide­ ly, they reflect on and emphasize the main theme of the conference, i. e. , the nature and function of molecular messengers that communicate be­ meen the central nervous system and organs or tissues involved in the growth, development, reproduction, and behavior of insects. This empha­ sis is continued in the following three sections on neurochemistry, neuro­ physiology, and neuroanatomy, although no conscious effort was made by the organizers to highlight these particular fields of neuroscience. It is evident that the recent advances in both physical and chemical analyti­ cal techniques have made possible the acquisition of structurally defined probes, the long sought-after tools for unraveling the secrets of endogen­ ous communication. Each section of short papers derived from the oral and poster presentations at the conference is prefaced by an overview that highlights and summarizes the section's content.

A probable neurobiological role for the trace amines began to emerge as soon as techniques sufficiently sophisticated to detect them were developed. Techniques for quantitative analyses included radioenzymatic procedures and, more recently, HPlC-EC and auto­ mated GC-MS. The methods are applied after separation of the sub­ stances to be analyzed and after their purification by physicochemical procedures that are becoming more and more efficient. The identification and quantitative analysis of minute amounts of trace amines in biological fluids or tissues is in itself a remarkable technological achievement. The enormous task that several teams of research workers have set themselves is to investigate the origin of the trace amines, to understand their metabolism, and to discover whether or not they possess an important biological role. The 2nd Trace Amines Symposium at Weitenburg Castle near Tubingen from the 15th to the 19th May 1985 was held to gain a somewhat clearer insight into the present state of knowledge. Since the first meeting in 1983 our knowledge has increased and interest is deepening. Hence the idea proposed at that first meeting, of organizing similar gather­ ings at regular intervals, has come to fruition. Covered in the Neuropsychopharmacology section of this book are studiesof the effects of certain trace amines on different forms of be­ havior, on neurotransmission mediated by . the classical neuro­ transmitters, on their biosynthesis or on catabolism, on their possible occurrence as a result of alternative metabolic pathways for the amino acids, and in some instances their neuroanatomical distributions.

The third Symposium of the Foundation for Life Sciences was held in February 1983 at the Newport Inn Conference Centre in Sydney. It was direced towards an understanding of the molecular neuropathology of muscle and nerve under a wide variety of conditions that may be induced by external agents or genetic lesions. The first session on experimental neurology explored the processes involved in maintenance of nerve and muscle function. This included many papers on myelination, studies on immune reactions affecting nerves, on synapses, and on neuronal development. This section was expanded to explore the control of muscle function in nerves, including a discussion on cross reinnervation. Toxic models of disease in the nervous system were then discussed, including pathological states induced by physical agents such as kainic acid, diphtheria toxin, and IDPN. A new dimension was added to the Symposium when for the first time psychologists participated and contributed to the session on external stressors and their effects on behavior. Heavy metals, herbicides, repetitive work, anxiety, and their effects on behavior and health were all represented. The discussion in this session attracted much interest from the participants, particularly the basic scientists.

During the past decade we have witnessed several major dis­ coveries in the area of protein synthesis and post-translational modification of protein molecules. In this volume, many of the lat­ est research developments in these fields are reported by the dis­ tinguished international group of scientists who presented their state-of-the-art results at the 13th Linderstr0m-Lang Conference held at God0Ysund, Norway, June 14-18, 1983. We feel that the presentation here of so wide a variety of articles on both the molecular and the cellular aspects of protein synthesis will be of considerable value to many scientists working in the area who were unable to attend, as well as to many who are active in related areas. In addition to the research papers, the contents of the six scientific sessions held during the conference have been summarized by the respective session chairmen. These individual summaries provide insightful syntheses of all the recent progress in each field, identify which current problems remain of special inter­ est, and suggest what the future may hold in the several areas of protein synthesis research covered. Though this volume obviously cannot provide a complete survey of all important ongoing research on the molecular and cellular biology of translational and post-translational events, we are confi­ dent that it will facilitate a much better understanding of many im­ portant contemporary problems in research on protein synthesis, including cell differentiation, translational accuracy, protein modifi­ cation, intracellular transport, and membrane turnover.