Biochemical Actions of Hormones V10

Book excerpt: Biochemical Actions of Hormones, Volume X explores the important fields of recombinant DNA technology and nuclear matrix and their impact on biochemical endocrinology. This volume is organized into 12 chapters and begins with a presentation of an excellent model for determining the role of various receptors operating at the genetic level using cells in culture derived from the anterior pituitary. These topics are followed by a summary of conceptual advances in understanding nerve growth factor and related hormones, as well as the polypeptide hormones, which are recognized as growth factors for cells in culture. A chapter provides some insights into the pineal hormone, melatonin. The remaining chapters discuss the Ah carcinogen receptor, which seems to be analogous in many respects to a steroid receptor. These chapters also survey the various aspects of steroid receptors, including the specific acceptor sites in genes and their flanking sequences, the synthetic oligonucloetide acceptors for steroid receptor complexes, and the mechanisms of glucocorticoid resistance in leukemia. Biochemists, biologists, and research workers who are interested in biochemical aspects of endocrinology will find this book invaluable.