Proceedings of Session VII of the Tenth International Symposium on Chromaffin Cell Biology, held August 25-28, 1999, in Bergen, Norway, and a post-symposium workshop on Chromogranins: from Fundamental Physiology to Clinical Aspects, held August 28, 1999, on board the coastal steamer MS Richard With.
This book deals with the chromogranins, secretory prohormones from the diffuse neuroendocrine system. The current concepts of their structure, biogenesis, biosynthesis, secretion, tissue-specific distribution, and processing are presented for the first time all within one volume, with emphasis on the functional aspects of the biologically active sequences and the clinical perspectives of the circulation prohormones.

Inhalt
The Chromogranins.- Chromogranins: Current Concepts.- Intracellular Functions.- Signal-Mediated Sorting of Chromogranins to Secretory Granules.- The Condensed Matrix of Mature Chromaffin Granules.- Functional Role of Chromogranins.- Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Receptor and Chromogranins A and B in Secretory Granules.- Transcription, Expression, and Secretion.- Regulation of Chromogranin a Transcription and Catecholamine Secretion by the Neuropeptide Pacap.- Neuroendocrine Cell-Specific Expression and Regulation of the Human Secretogranin II Gene.- Characterization of Chromogranins in the Frog Rana ridibunda.- Expression of Equine Chromogranin A.- Salivary Secretion of Chromogranin A Control by Autonomic Nervous System.- Tissue-Specific Processing, Transport, and Distribution.- Proteolytic Processing of Chromogranins.- Endothelial Handling of Chromogranin A.- Tissue Plasminogen Activator and Chromaffin Cell Function.- Chromogranin A Immunoreactivity in Neuroendocrine Cells in the Human Gastrointestinal Tract and Pancreas.- Chromogranin A and Its Derived Peptides in the Rat and Procine Gastro-Entero-Pancreatic System.- Functional Aspects of Biologically Active Sequences.- Regulation of Parathyroid Secretion.- Vasostatins.- Vasostatins.- Pancreastatin.- The Novel Catecholamine Release-Inhibitory Peptide Catestatin (Chromogranin A344364).- Secretoneurin A Novel Link Between The Nervous and the Immune System.- Chromogranin A Induces a Neurotoxic Phenotype in Brain Microglial Cells.- Antibacterial and Antifungal Peptides Derived from Chromogranins and Proenkephalin-A.- Clinical Aspects of the Circulating Prohormones.- Measurements of Chromogranins and Chromogranin-Related Peptides by Immunological Methods.- Chromogranins as Diagnostic and Prognostic Markers inNeuroendocrine Tumours.- Assessment of Chromogranin a Using Two-Site Immunoassay.- Chromogranin A and Tumor Necrosis Factor-? (TNF) in Chronic Heart Failure.- Chromogranin A (CGA) and the Enterochromaffin-Like (ECL) Cell.- Chromogranins in Non-Endocrine Tumours.- Concluding Remarks.- Chromogranin A in Human Disease.- A Physiological Role for the Granins as Prohormones for Homeostatically Important Regulatory Peptides?.