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Volume V deals with the problems of turnover in the nervous system.
"Turnover" is defined in different ways, and the term is used in
different contexts. It is used rather broadly in the present
volume, and intentionally so. The turnover of macromolecules is
only one aspect; here "turnover" in dicates the simultaneous and
coordinated formation and breakdown of macromolecular species. The
complexities of cerebral protein turnover are shown in a separate
chapter dealing with the synthesis of proteins, in another on
breakdown, and in still another on the relationship of these two
(showing how the two halves of turnover are controlled). The fact
that most likely the two halves of protein turnover, synthesis and
breakdown, are separated spatially and the mechanisms involved are
different further emphasizes the complexity of macromolecular
turnover. "Turnover" is used in a different context when the
turnover of a cycle is discussed; but here again a number of
complex metabolic reactions have to be interrelated and controlled;
some such cycles are discussed briefly in this volume, additional
cycles have been discussed with metabolism, and some cycles still
await elucidation or discovery.
The purpose of the present volume, the first of two on the
pharmacology, biochemistry, and physiology of cyclic nucleotides,
is to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date anthology on the
nature and role of these important chemical regulators. Each of the
chapters is the work of internationally known researchers who
present a lucid and detailed review of their subject and not merely
a single laboratory's viewpoint. The chapters emphasize critical
assessments of the field rather than mere listings of experimental
findings. By so doing, the contributors present the role of cyclic
nucleotides in relationship to other intracellular regulators. Each
chapter begins with a detailed summary to allow the reader to
obtain a rapid overview of subsequent material. In addition, there
are extensive bibliographies and a detailed subject index. Wherever
pertinent, the chapters contain sections on drug mechanisms,
physiological relevance, and disease processes. The Volume is
divided into two sections, each beginning with an overview written
by Professors T. W. RALL and P. GREENGARD, respectively. The first
section focuses on the detailed pharmacology and chemistry of
cyclic nucleotides, including their formation, degradation,
measurement, and interaction with various modulatory agents, such
as receptors and calcium. The second section is concerned with the
biochemistry of protein phosphorylation, a process which appears to
be one of the most important mechanisms for the intracellular
expression of cyclic nucleotide action in eukaryotic cells.
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