Short description:

The goal of the characterization and discovery of G protein-coupled receptors, arguably the most important class of signaling molecules in humans and other vertebrates, has spawned numerous vital methodologies.  In Methods for the Discovery and Characterization of G Protein-Coupled Receptors, experts in the field present the very latest on the methods and technology used to characterize and discover novel mechanisms of GPCRs which, in many cases, can be used directly to design experiments for the reader?s particular GPCR of interest and their specific avenue of investigation. Divided into four convenient sections, this detailed volume covers GPCRs in the genome, trafficking of GPCRs, GPCRs on the membrane, as well as the regulation of these key receptors.  Chapters also feature an important section called ?Future Directions? which gives the reader an insight into advances soon to be realized in each area. Written for the popular Neuromethods series, this book contains the kind of detailed description and implementation advice that is crucial for getting optimal results.

Long description:

The goal of the characterization and discovery of G protein-coupled receptors, arguably the most important class of signaling molecules in humans and other vertebrates, has spawned numerous vital methodologies.  In Methods for the Discovery and Characterization of G Protein-Coupled Receptors, experts in the field present the very latest on the methods and technology used to characterize and discover novel mechanisms of GPCRs which, in many cases, can be used directly to design experiments for the reader?s particular GPCR of interest and their specific avenue of investigation. Divided into four convenient sections, this detailed volume covers GPCRs in the genome, trafficking of GPCRs, GPCRs on the membrane, as well as the regulation of these key receptors.  Chapters also feature an important section called ?Future Directions? which gives the reader an insight into advances soon to be realized in each area. Written for the popular Neuromethods series, this book contains the kind of detailed description and implementation advice that is crucial for getting optimal results.

Authoritative and cutting-edge, Methods for the Discovery and Characterization of G Protein-Coupled Receptors serves as an ideal guide for scientists determined to further our knowledge of crucially important set of receptors.

From the reviews:

?Methods for the Discovery and Characterization of G Protein-Coupled Receptors is an excellent reference text for anyone concerned with the dynamic life of GPCRs in living tissues. The book is suitably organized to cater to a wide audience, and the material is presented in a logical framework to permit understanding of major concepts by a novice. ? This would be a particularly valuable book for any structural biologist looking to build complexity into their experimental system to account for in vivo phenomena.? (Michelle O?Malley, ChemBioChem, Vol. 13 (6), April, 2012)

Table of Contents:

In Silico Identification of Novel G Protein-Coupled Receptors.- Alternative Pre-mRNA Splicing of G Protein-Coupled Receptors.- Detecting Polymorphisms in G Protein-Coupled Receptor Genes.- Regulation of the Transcription of G Protein-Coupled Receptor Genes.- Deciphering the Evolution of G Protein-Coupled Receptors in Vertebrates.- A New Approach to Visualize Endogenously Expressed G Protein-Coupled Receptors in Tissues and Living Cells.- Post-Translational Regulation of G Protein-Coupled Receptors.- Discovering G Protein-Coupled Receptor Motifs Mediating Export from the Endoplasmic Reticulum.- Identifying G Protein-Coupled Receptor Escorts, Chaperones, and Intracellular Tethers Regulating Receptor Density at the Cell Surface.- A Novel Method for Determining the Kinetics of G Protein-Coupled Receptor Plasma Membrane Expression.- Characterizing the Pharmacology of G Protein-Coupled Receptors in Transfected Cell Lines.- Novel Assay Technologies for the Discovery of G Protein-Coupled Receptor Drugs.- Discovering Cell-Type-Specific Patterns of G Protein-Coupled Receptor Phosphorylation.- Quantifying Allosteric Modulation of G Protein-Coupled Receptors.- Experimental Designs for the Study of Receptor-Receptor Interactions.- Elucidating Agonist-Selective Mechanisms of G Protein-Coupled Receptor Desensitization.- Detecting the Role of Arrestins in G-Protein Coupled Receptor Regulation.- Characterizing Molecular Mobility and Membrane Interactions of G Protein-Coupled Receptors.- Using RNA Interference to Downregulate G Protein-Coupled Receptors.- Upregulating G Protein-Coupled Receptors with Receptor Antagonists.