Markers for Neural and Endocrine Cells

This is essentially a work on marker substances useful for characterizing neurons and endocrine cells which incorporates the latest data on the molecular biology, biochemistry and cell biology of these marker molecules and explains how these molecules are employed clinically. It is also an attempt to bridge the gap between fundamental research and clinical practice. The clinical aspects on which the book concentrates principally concern abnormalities of the nervous and endocrine systems. Apart from the developmental relationships reviewed in the first chapter, neurons and endocrine cells share many common proteins which may in part constitute elements of the secretory machinery. Chapters 2 and 3 concentrate on clear synaptic vesicles and secretory granules, respectively, and focus attention in particular on either membrane constituents or proteins contained within granules. A class of molecule which profoundly affects both developmental events and pathological processes - the NCAM family - dealt with in Chapter 4, is representative of cell surface membrane constituents common to neural and endocrine cells.
Chapter 5 discusses one of the first marker proteins used for identifying neurons and endocrine cells - the cytosolic enzyme neuron-specific enolase (NSE) - which was also one of the first to attain the status of a clinically useful diagnostic tool. Secretory proteins contained in granules, such as chromogranin A, and the marker substance synaptophysin are addressed in Chapters 6 and 7. The value of general cell markers, including intermediate filament proteins, and specific peptide hormone markers are also examined.