In 1966, Vittorio Erspamer, the editor of the first monograph within the Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology series that dealt with 5-hydroxy tryptamine (Vol. XIX) wrote in the Preface: "In a decade of intense and dedicated work, an immense amount of experimental data has been collected, the significance of which . . . has spread into all fields of biology and medi cine . . . ". Three decades later, a dramatic further increase in our knowledge of all neuroscientific aspects of the serotoninergic system in the CNS has been achieved, and we are witnessing persisting interest in the biology of serotonin of scientists working in various basic biomedical and clinical disciplines. The scientific advance was made possible by significant improvements in analytical and morphological technologies of high sensitivity and cellular/subcellular resolution (e. g. , patch clamp techniques, in vivo microdialysis, electrophysi ological recording techniques, quantitative ligand autoradiography, immuno histochemistry, cytochemistry, catalytic enzyme histochemistry, and PET / SPECT techniques) and in molecular biology (e. g. , in situ hybridization, PCR cloning, DNA transfection studies, and targeted gene disruption). Particular progress has been made in the anatomy, physiology, and pharmacoogy of ' serotoninergic neurons and their modulatory role in brain functions, in s ~roto nin receptors and their transduction mechanisms, and in the potential role of serotonin in neuropsychiatric diseases, such as eating disorders, antisocial personality disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, seasonal affective disor der, and major depression.

1 Development and Adult Plasticity of Serotoninergic Neurons and Their Target Cells

2 Anatomy of Central Serotoninergic Projection Systems
3 Physiology and Pharmacology of Brain Serotoninergic Neurons
4 Tryptophan Hydroxylase: Molecular Biology and Regulation
5 Molecular Analysis of Serotonin Packaging into Secretory Vesicles
6 Regulation of the Environment of the Interior of Serotonin-Storing Vesicles
7 Molecular Biology and Transductional Characteristics of 5-HT Receptors
8 5-Hydroxytryptamine Receptor Histochemistry: Comparison of Receptor mRNA Distribution and Radioligand Autoradiography in the Brain
9 The Main Features of Central 5-HT1A Receptor
10 Functional Neuropharmacology of Compounds Acting at 5-HT1B/D Receptors
11 5-HT-Moduline, an Endogenous Peptide Modulating Serotoninergic Activity via a Direct Interaction at 5-HT1B/1D Receptors
12 Regulation of 5-HT Release in the CNS by Presynaptic 5-HT Autoreceptors and by 5-HT Heteroreceptors
13 Behavioral Consequences of 5-HT1BReceptor Gene Deletion
14 Pharmacology of 5-HT2Receptors
15 Regulation of 5-HT2AReceptor at the Molecular Level
16 Neuropharmacology of 5-HT3Receptor Ligands
17 5-HT4Receptors: An Update
18 Molecular Biology and Potential Functional Role of 5-HT5, 5-HT6, and 5-HT7 Receptors
19 Electrophysiology of 5-HT Receptors
20 5-HT Receptors Involved in the Regulation of Hormone Secretion
21 Role of Serotoninergic Neurons and 5-HT Receptors in the Action of Hallucinogens
22 The Interaction of the Serotoninergic and Other Neuroregulatory Systems in Alcohol Dependence
23 Neuronal Pathophysiology of Migraine as a Basis for Acute Treatment with 5-HT Receptor Ligands
24 Modulation of Nociception by Descending Serotoninergic Projections
25 Molecular Biology of Monoamine Oxidase A and B: Their Role in the Degradation of Serotonin
26 Molecular Biology, Pharmacology, and Genetics of the Serotonin Transporter: Psychobiological and Clinical Implications
27 Animal Models of Integrated Serotoninergic Functions: Their Predictive Value for the Clinical Applicability of Drugs Interfering with Serotoninergic Transmission
28 Current Psychiatric Uses of Drugs Acting on the Serotonin System.