Preface. List of contributors. I. General Topics. Chapter 1. Transmitter receptors - general principles and nomenclature (F. Hucho). 1. Historical aspects and definition. TiPS Receptor Nomenclature Supplement 1993. Chapter 2. Ligand binding studies - theory and experimental techniques (H. Otto). 1. Introduction 2. The experimental scenario 3. Experimental strategies 4. Experimental techniques. Chapter 3. Receptor regulation (F. Nantel, M. Bouvier) 1. Introduction 2. Receptor regulation 3. Conclusion. II. 'Prototype Receptors'. Chapter 4. The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (F. Hucho). 1. Introduction 2. Function and occurrence 3. Pharmacology and toxicology 4. Biochemistry. Chapter 5. The &bgr;-adrenergic receptors (M. Lohse, E.J.M. Helmreich). 1. Introduction 2. Pharmacological characterization 3. Function and structure 4. Regulation of &bgr;-adrenoceptor function 5. Clinical aspects 6. Outlook. III. Receptors for 'Classic' neurotransmitters. Chapter 6. GABAA and glycine receptors (A. Stephenson). 1. Introduction. 2. GABAA and glycine receptor molecular pharmacology 3. GABAA and glycine receptors biochemistry and molecular biology 4. Oligometric receptor structures and their distribution 5. Functional properties of cloned GABAA and glycine receptors 6. GABAA and glycine receptors in disease states 7. Concluding remarks. Chapter 7. Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (J. Järv, A. Rinken). 1. Introduction 2. Phenomena used for receptor assay 3. Compounds interacting with the receptor 4. Pharmacological and molecular subtypes of muscarinic receptor 5. Receptor molecule 6. Ligand-receptor interactions 7. Mechanisms of signal transduction 8. Two-site receptor model. Chapter 8. Receptors for 5-hydroxytryptamine (D.H. Bobker, J.T. Williams). 1. Introduction 2. History 3. Nomenclature 4. Biochemistry of 5-HT synthesis, storage, and neurotransmission 5. Anatomy of central serotonin 6. 5-HT1A receptor 7. 5-HT1B and 5-HT1D receptors 8. 5-HT1C receptor 9. 5-HT2 receptors 10. 5-HT3 receptor 11. 5-HT receptors that stimulate adenylate cyclase 12. Molecular biology 13. Conclusion. Chapter 9. Dopamine receptors (P.G. Strange). 1. Introduction 2. Functions and distribution of dopamine receptors 3. Dopamine receptor subtypes: definitions and overall properties 4. Biochemical characterization of dopamine receptors. Chapter 10. Glutamate receptors (G.E. Fagg, A.C. Foster). 1. Introduction 2. Function and occurrence 3. Pharmacology and toxicology 4. Molecular biology 5. Miscellaneous effects 6. References. Chapter 11. Opioid receptors (E.A. Barnard, J. Simon). 1 Introduction 2. Multiple opioid receptors and their ligands 3. Subtypes of opioid receptor types 4. Cellular mechanisms of opioid actions 5. The states of opioid receptors in the membrane 6. Solubilisation and purification of opioid receptors 7. Molecular biology of opioid receptors. Chapter 12. Guanylyl cyclases as effectors of hormone and neurotransmitter receptors (D. Koesling, E. Böhme, G. Schultz). 1. Introduction 2. Membrane-bound guanylyl cyclases 3. Soluble guanylyl cyclase 4. Related proteins 5. Summary. Chapter 13. The elucidation of neuropeptide receptors and their subtypes through the application of molecular biology (W. Meyerhof, M.G. Darlison, D. Richter). 1. Introduction 2. Receptor identification and purification 3. Receptor pharmacology 4. Receptor molecular biology 5. Physiological roles of neuropeptide receptors 6. Ontogeny of somatostatin receptors in the rat brain 7. Concluding remarks 8. Acknowledgements. Index.