Synopses & Reviews
The volumes of this classic series, now referred to simply as "Zechmeister" after its founder, L. Zechmeister, have appeared under the Springer Imprint ever since the series' inauguration in 1938. The volumes contain contributions on various topics related to the origin, distribution, chemistry, synthesis, biochemistry, function or use of various classes of naturally occurring substances ranging from small molecules to biopolymers. Each contribution is written by a recognized authority in his field and provides a comprehensive and up-to-date review of the topic in question. Addressed to biologists, technologists, and chemists alike, the series can be used by the expert as a source of information and literature citations and by the non-expert as a means of orientation in a rapidly developing discipline.
Synopsis
The Explosion of Structural Information on Insect Neuropeptides.- 1. Introduction.- 2. General Methods Used for Isolation, Identification and Characterization of Insect Neuropeptides.- 2.1. Biological Assays.- 2.1.1. Adipokinetic Bioassay.- 2.1.2. Myotropic Bioassay.- 2.2. Liquid Chromatography.- 2.3. Edman Degradation Sequencing, Mass Spectrometry and Peptide Synthesis.- 2.4. Immunological Techniques (RIA, ELISA, Immunocytochemistry).- 2.5. Molecular Biological Techniques.- 3. The Insect Neuropeptides.- 3.1. Peptides Involved in Homeostasis and Metabolism.- 3.1.1. Adipokinetic and Hypertrehalosaemic Peptides.- 3.1.2. Diuretic and Antidiuretic Peptides.- 3.2. Peptides Regulating Reproduction, Growth and Development.- 3.2.1. Pheromone Biosynthesis Activating Neuropeptides.- 3.2.2. Allatotropins and Allatostatins.- 3.2.2.1. Allatotropins.- 3.2.2.2. Allatostatins.- 3.2.3. Prothoracicotropic Hormone, Bombyxin and Other Insulin-Related Neuropeptides.- 3.2.3.1. Prothoracicotropic Hormone.- 3.2.3.2. Bombyxin.- 3.2.3.3. Locusta Insulin-Related Peptide.- 3.2.4. Eclosion Hormones.- 3.2.5. Peptides Affecting Gonad Activity.- 3.2.5.1. Ovary Maturating Peptide and Neuroparsin of Locusta migratoria.- 3.2.5.2. Oostatic Hormones of Diptera.- 3.2.6. Diapause Hormones.- 3.3. Peptides Modifying Spontaneous Muscle Contractions: Mytropic Peptides.- 3.3.1. Proctolin and Cardiostimulatory Peptides.- 3.3.2. Myokinins.- 3.3.3. Sulfakinins.- 3.3.4. Pyrokinins/Myotropins.- 3.3.5. Tachykinins.- 3.3.6. Periviscerokinin.- 3.3.7. Accessory Glands- and Midgut Myotropins and Others.- 3.3.8. Myoinhibitory Peptides and Other FMRF amide Related Peptides (FaRPs).- 3.4. Chromatotropic Factors in Insects.- 4. Conclusions.- Acknowledgments.- References.- Sesquiterpenoids from Thapsia Species and Medicinal Chemistry of the Thapsigargins.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Taxonomy of Thapsia.- 2.1. Thapsia garganica and Thapsia transtagana.- 2.2. Thapsia maxima.- 2.3. Thapsia villosa.- 2.4. Thapsia gymnesica.- 3. Elucidation of the Structure of Thapsigargin.- 4. Proazulenic Slovanolides.- 5. Non-lactonic Sesquiterpenoids from Thapsia.- 6. Pharmacological Activity of the Thapsigargins.- 7. Molecular Pharmacology.- 8. Chemistry of Thapsigargin.- 8.1. Changes at C(8).- 8.2. Changes at C(3).- 8.3. Changes of the Vicinal Diol.- 8.4. Changes of Lactone Carbonyl Group.- 8.5. Changes at O(10).- 9. Structure Activity Relationships.- 10. Metabolic Catabolism of Thapsigargin.- References.- Pregnane Glycosides.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Isolation and Identification.- 2.1. Thin Layer and Column Chromatography.- 2.2. Sephadex LH-20 Chromatography.- 2.3. Flash Chromatography.- 2.4. Low Pressure Liquid Chromatography (LPLC).- 2.5. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).- 3. Structure Elucidation.- 3.1. One-Dimensional NMR Spectroscopy.- 3.2. Two-Dimensional NMR Spectroscopy.- 3.3. Mass Spectrometry.- 3.4. I.R. Spectroscopy.- 3.5. U.V. Spectroscopy.- 3.6. Optical Rotatory Dispersion.- 3.7. Hydrolysis of Pregnane Glycosides.- 4. Pregnane Aglycons.- 5. Sugars of Pregnane Glycosides.- 5.1. General and Monosaccharides.- 5.2. Disaccharides from Pregnane Glycosides.- 5.3. Trisaccharides from Pregnane Glycosides.- 6. Biosynthesis of Pregnane Glycosides.- 7. Biological Activity.- Acknowledgement.- References.- Author Index
Table of Contents
The Explosion of Structural Information on Insect Neuropeptide (G. Gäde).- Sesquiterpenoids from Thapsia Species and Medicinal Chemistry of the Thapsigargins (S. B. Christensen, A. Andersen, and U. W. Smitt).- Pregnane Glycosides (D. Deepak, S. Srivastav, and A. Khare)