Neurobiology

Understanding how the brain works is undoubtedly the greatest challenge for human intelligence and one of the most ambitious goals of contemporary science. We are certainly far from this goal, but significant advancements in several fields of Neuroscience and Neurobiology are being obtained at an increasing pace. The NATO ASI School in Neurobiology, held in Erice May 2-12,1995, as the 23rd Course of the International School of Biophysics, provided an update on three basic topics: Biophysics and Molecular Biology ofIon Channels, Sensory Transduction, and Higher Order Functions. Current knowledge on these subjects was covered by formal lectures and critical discussions between lecturers and participants. This book collects original contributions from those scientists who attended the School. Many students presented their results in poster sessions, steering lively informal discussions. A selection of these contributions is also included. A major portion of the program of the School was devoted to a general overview of current trends of thought and experimental approaches in neurobiology, emphasising the importance of understanding molecular aspects of the elementary events underlying sensory transduction and processing in the nervous system, without indulging however in a pure reductionistic view of such complex phenomena. Recent studies of molecular biology and the electrophysiology of heterologously expressed ionic channels, have shed new light on the molecular mechanisms underlying ionic permeation of excitable membranes and its regulation by physical and chemical parameters.

Inhalt
Ionic Channels.- 1. The Role of the N-Terminal of the cGMP-Gated Channel from Vertebrate Rods.- 2. Electrophysiological Studies of Mitochondrial Channels.- 3. Functional and Structural Constituents of Neuronal Ca2+ Channel Modulation by Neurotransmitters.- 4. Functional, Conformational, and Molecular Modelling Studies of Voltage-Sensitivity and Selectivity of Synthetic Peptides Derived from Ion Channels.- 5. The Hyperpolarization-Activated Current (Ih/Iq) in Rat Hippocampal Neurons.- 6. Properties of Native and Cloned Cyclic Nucleotide Gated Channels from Bovine.- 7. NMDA-Induced Motor Activation in Rodents: Non-Aminergic Mechanisms and Long-Lasting Effect.- 8. Target Striatal Cells Regulate Development of Midbrain Dopaminergic Neurones.- 9. Comparison of Near Membrane and Bulk Cytoplasmic Calcium Concentration in Single Cardiac Ventricular Myocytes during Spontaneous Calcium Waves.- Sensory Transduction.- 10. Facts and Fantasies about Hair Cells.- 11. Precise and Perceptually Relevant Processing of Amplitude Modulation in the Auditory System: Physiological and Functional Models.- 12. Olfactory Sensory Transduction.- 13. The Vomeronasal Organ.- 14. Neurogenic Inflammation of the Skin Induces Plastic Changes in ?2-Adrenergic Pain Modulation in Rats.- 15. Role of K+ Channels in Semicircular Canal Adaptation.- 16. Potassium Currents of Hair Cells in Thin Slices of Vestibular Epithelium.- 17. A Compartment Model for Vertebrate Phototransduction Predicts Sensitivity and Adaptation.- 18. Modelling Odor Intensity and Odor Quality Coding in Olfactory Systems.- 19. The Electronic Ear: Towards a Blueprint.- Neural Networks and Higher Functions.- 20. Coupling of Networks of Neurons to Substrate Planar Microtransducers: A Review.- 21. Electrical Activity in the Leech NervousSystem Can Be Studied Using a CCD Imaging Technique.- 22. Higher Cognitive Function of the Hippocampus as the Integration of a Hierarchical Model Derived from an n-Level Field Theory.- 23. Functional Connections between the Architecture of the Dendritic Arborization and the Microarchitecture of the Dendritic Membrane.- 24. The Functional Significance of Cerebellar Anatomy: Theory and Experiments.- 25. Architecture for a Replicative Memory.- 26. Measuring Information from Neuronal Activity.- 27. Visual Processing in the Temporal Lobe for Invariant Object Recognition.- 28. Biophysical Aspects of Cortical Networks.- 29. On the Time Required for Recurrent Processing in the Brain.- 0. Perception of Luminance and Color: Comparing Functional Properties of Detection and Induction in Human.