A NATO Advanced Study Institute on "New Developments in Lipid-Protein Interactions and Receptor Function" was held on the Island of Spetsai, Greece, from August 16-27, 1992. This Institute was organized to bring together researchers in the field of membrane organization and dynamics with those actively involved in studies on receptor function, signal transduction mechanisms and gene regulation. 2 Presentations and discussions focussed on the regulation of intracellular Ca +-levels, on the second messengers derived from inositol lipids and on the specific phospholipase C isozymes involved in these processes. A major focus was on G-proteins and the effect of lipid anchors on their function. These principles of regulation were further discussed in the context of receptors for acetylcholine, lysophosphatidic acid and low-density lipoproteins. In addition, various aspects of the genomic regulation of cell growth and differentiation by transcription factors were presented. These topics were put into perspective by discussing the most recent developments in lipid-protein interactions, protein insertion into membranes, membrane lipid organization and lipid dynamics as mediated by phospholipid transfer proteins. This book presents the content of the major lectures and a selection of the most relevant of the most important topics posters. These proceedings offer a comprehensive account presented during the course of the Institute. The book is intended to make these proceedings accessible to a large audience.

A NATO Advanced study Institute on "Receptors, Membrane Trans port and Signal Transduction", was held on the Island of Spet sai, Greece, from August 16-27, 1988, in order to consider re cent developments in membrane receptor research, membrane trans port and signal transduction mechanisms. These topics were put in the larger context of current knowledge on the structure and function of membranes; connections between different fields of research were established by in-depth dis cussions of energy transduction and transport mechanisms. The general principles of regulation by signal transduction and protein phosphorylation/dephosphorylation were presented in the context of specific cellular processes. Discussions included al so the role of protein tyrosine kinases which are structurally related to oncogene products and, therefore, implicated in va rious aspects of cell development and transformation. This book presents the content of the major lectures and a se lection of the most relevant posters presented during the course of the Institute. The book is intended to make the proceedings of the Institute accessible to a larger audience and to offer a comprehensive account of those topics on receptors, membrane transport and signal transduction that were discussed extensive ly during the course of the Institute. February 1989 The Editors CONTENTS I. G-PROTEINS, ADENYLATE CYCLASE AND PROTEIN PHOSPHORYLATION Selective regulation of G proteins by Cell surface receptors ......... .