- Email: [email protected]
Cell to cell signalling: From experiments to theoretical models
634
Book Reviews
Neuronal Choh, cystokin& (1985) Edited by J. J. Vanderhaeghen and N. Crawley. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, Vol. 448. MARCUS RATTRAY Dr Rattray is a Lecturer in Biochemist O' at the {/.M.D.S., Block 9, St Thomasiv Campus, London SEI 7EH, U.K.
Cell to Cell Signalling: From Experiments to Theoretical Models. Edited by A. GOLDBVTEm ISBN 0-12-28796. Price: $65.00. Over the last ten years, our knowledge of the mechanisms underlying cell communication has undergone a genuine revolution; and with that revolution has come a new jargon which talks about "signal transduction". Old boundaries between different types of formal problems in signalling, such as immune cell reactions or developmental patterning, have been eroded. This erosion has also broken down the historical isolation of neuronal communication, and has revealed a gratifying unity in the general principles by which signals are perceived by target cells. Trying, however, to capture this revolution in thought is remarkably difficult. In addition, experimental results on the phenomenology of cell signalling have now advanced to the point where the theorists can make meaningful contribution. Thus, Cell to Cell Signallin 9, which is a volume of edited proceedings from a 1988 NATO conference, marks one of the first attempts to bring together in a coherent fashion the widely disparate biological communities that are now talking the same language of signal transduction and cell communication. I am pleased to say that the attempt has been conspicuously successful, and that Albert Goldbeter has brought into focus the fundamental redefinition that is evolving in how we view signalling processes. The book is divided into seven sections on neurobiology and neural networks, morphogenesis, immunology, reproductive tissue signalling, calcium oscillations, slime mold development and cardiac dynamics. From the point of view of a doctrinaire neurochemist, this may seem a packaging of only marginal neurobiological interest. However, that view is completely wrong. The contributors have done an excellent .job with the individual chapters in bringing out how their specific systems illuminate general issues and themes. Thus, we are confronted with the important realities of understanding temporal and spatial periodicity, and that models R)r heart pacemaking seem remarkably like those for hormonal rhythms or intracellular calcium oscillations. Each section mixes experimental with theoretical contributions, and for the modelling enthusiast, some of the individual theoretical items may seem a bit lightweight. However, I am uniformly impressed, because the breadth of the coverage has in no way abridged the quality of the specific discussions within each topic. The volume as a whole is ambitious in confronting the traditional shyness that experimental biologists have with theorizing, and some bold ideas are put forward and defended. I recommend this book to any library as an absolutely essential integration of ideas in biology, for which there are few precedents. For the individual scientist, particularly a neuroscientist, it very much depends on how deeply one is embedded in the issues of cell signalling as to how useful the
book will be. It is not cheap, but I must point out that it shows little sign of becoming out of date. I would recommend serious consideration of this volume as an addition to any lab working in these areas. MICHAEL R. t|ANL1;'¢, Dr Hanlev is at the MR(" Molecular Neurobiology Unil, M R C Centre. HilLy Road, Cambridge CB2 2QH, U.K.
Neuromethods, Volume 9. The Neuronal Microenvironment. Edited by A. BOULTON, G. BAKER and W. WALZ. ISBN 089603- [ 15-2. Price : $94.50 (U.S.), $99.50 (export). Humana Press. Clifton, N.J., 1988. Extracellular accumulation of K ~ around axons was shown theoretically to be capable of significantly affecting nerve excitability as early as 1956 by Frankenhauser and Hodgkin. It was C. Nicholson, however, who first formalized the concept of the neuronal "microenvironment'" in the late 1970s. It is now generally accepted that a surprisingly largc fraction ( ~ 20%) of brain volumc is, in t:act, made up of extracellular space. The neuronal microenvironment may be no more than some 100 nm in width, so even a small amount of ionic transport across nerve membranes can result in a substantial alteration in the ionic balance of the microenvironment and lead to a change in metabolic state. Thus, the microenvironment is an important component of neuronal organization, and physiological events within it have a major bearing on neuronal disorders such as stroke, epilepsy and ischemia. This book is concerned with methods thai have been developed for studying the various characteristics of the neuronal microenvironment. There are 14 chapters, mostly by authors who are well known experts. Most of the chapters are quite substantial in their coverage of a particular aspect of the field. (The shortest chapter is 16 pages, whilst the longest one, dealing with ion-sensitive microelectrodes and voltammetric sensors, is 94 pages.) The book has an extensive index which includes almost every key term that we can think of about neuronal microenvironment. On the whole, the contents form a reasonably coherent account. However, there are some signs that cross-referencing amongst related chapters has been kept to a minimum. For example, two different chapters emphasize different sensors for Ca 2'sensitive microelectrodes. Nevertheless, each chapter has a useful combination of previously unpublished illustrations and new ones. Some of the latter take the form of simple diagrams intended to enable interested researchers to perform some of the procedures in their own laboratories with minimum diffÉculty. This information is sometimes supplemented by photographs of the finished products, as well as names and addresses of suppliers of materials etc. The practical approach is complemented by quantitative accounts and analyses of transport mechanisms. There are a few apparent omissions. Separate chapters deal with Ca 2 ~. pH and Mg 2+, but not with K+--undoubtedly the ion of profound significance in the neuronal microenvironmentand "'spatial buffering" is not covered in any detail. On the other hand, when dealing with Ca 2~ , some of the latest fluorochrome techniques are mentioned, although applications of confocal microscopy are ignored. This book is very strong on electrophysiological tech-
Book Reviews
Neuronal Choh, cystokin& (1985) Edited by J. J. Vanderhaeghen and N. Crawley. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, Vol. 448. MARCUS RATTRAY Dr Rattray is a Lecturer in Biochemist O' at the {/.M.D.S., Block 9, St Thomasiv Campus, London SEI 7EH, U.K.
Cell to Cell Signalling: From Experiments to Theoretical Models. Edited by A. GOLDBVTEm ISBN 0-12-28796. Price: $65.00. Over the last ten years, our knowledge of the mechanisms underlying cell communication has undergone a genuine revolution; and with that revolution has come a new jargon which talks about "signal transduction". Old boundaries between different types of formal problems in signalling, such as immune cell reactions or developmental patterning, have been eroded. This erosion has also broken down the historical isolation of neuronal communication, and has revealed a gratifying unity in the general principles by which signals are perceived by target cells. Trying, however, to capture this revolution in thought is remarkably difficult. In addition, experimental results on the phenomenology of cell signalling have now advanced to the point where the theorists can make meaningful contribution. Thus, Cell to Cell Signallin 9, which is a volume of edited proceedings from a 1988 NATO conference, marks one of the first attempts to bring together in a coherent fashion the widely disparate biological communities that are now talking the same language of signal transduction and cell communication. I am pleased to say that the attempt has been conspicuously successful, and that Albert Goldbeter has brought into focus the fundamental redefinition that is evolving in how we view signalling processes. The book is divided into seven sections on neurobiology and neural networks, morphogenesis, immunology, reproductive tissue signalling, calcium oscillations, slime mold development and cardiac dynamics. From the point of view of a doctrinaire neurochemist, this may seem a packaging of only marginal neurobiological interest. However, that view is completely wrong. The contributors have done an excellent .job with the individual chapters in bringing out how their specific systems illuminate general issues and themes. Thus, we are confronted with the important realities of understanding temporal and spatial periodicity, and that models R)r heart pacemaking seem remarkably like those for hormonal rhythms or intracellular calcium oscillations. Each section mixes experimental with theoretical contributions, and for the modelling enthusiast, some of the individual theoretical items may seem a bit lightweight. However, I am uniformly impressed, because the breadth of the coverage has in no way abridged the quality of the specific discussions within each topic. The volume as a whole is ambitious in confronting the traditional shyness that experimental biologists have with theorizing, and some bold ideas are put forward and defended. I recommend this book to any library as an absolutely essential integration of ideas in biology, for which there are few precedents. For the individual scientist, particularly a neuroscientist, it very much depends on how deeply one is embedded in the issues of cell signalling as to how useful the
book will be. It is not cheap, but I must point out that it shows little sign of becoming out of date. I would recommend serious consideration of this volume as an addition to any lab working in these areas. MICHAEL R. t|ANL1;'¢, Dr Hanlev is at the MR(" Molecular Neurobiology Unil, M R C Centre. HilLy Road, Cambridge CB2 2QH, U.K.
Neuromethods, Volume 9. The Neuronal Microenvironment. Edited by A. BOULTON, G. BAKER and W. WALZ. ISBN 089603- [ 15-2. Price : $94.50 (U.S.), $99.50 (export). Humana Press. Clifton, N.J., 1988. Extracellular accumulation of K ~ around axons was shown theoretically to be capable of significantly affecting nerve excitability as early as 1956 by Frankenhauser and Hodgkin. It was C. Nicholson, however, who first formalized the concept of the neuronal "microenvironment'" in the late 1970s. It is now generally accepted that a surprisingly largc fraction ( ~ 20%) of brain volumc is, in t:act, made up of extracellular space. The neuronal microenvironment may be no more than some 100 nm in width, so even a small amount of ionic transport across nerve membranes can result in a substantial alteration in the ionic balance of the microenvironment and lead to a change in metabolic state. Thus, the microenvironment is an important component of neuronal organization, and physiological events within it have a major bearing on neuronal disorders such as stroke, epilepsy and ischemia. This book is concerned with methods thai have been developed for studying the various characteristics of the neuronal microenvironment. There are 14 chapters, mostly by authors who are well known experts. Most of the chapters are quite substantial in their coverage of a particular aspect of the field. (The shortest chapter is 16 pages, whilst the longest one, dealing with ion-sensitive microelectrodes and voltammetric sensors, is 94 pages.) The book has an extensive index which includes almost every key term that we can think of about neuronal microenvironment. On the whole, the contents form a reasonably coherent account. However, there are some signs that cross-referencing amongst related chapters has been kept to a minimum. For example, two different chapters emphasize different sensors for Ca 2'sensitive microelectrodes. Nevertheless, each chapter has a useful combination of previously unpublished illustrations and new ones. Some of the latter take the form of simple diagrams intended to enable interested researchers to perform some of the procedures in their own laboratories with minimum diffÉculty. This information is sometimes supplemented by photographs of the finished products, as well as names and addresses of suppliers of materials etc. The practical approach is complemented by quantitative accounts and analyses of transport mechanisms. There are a few apparent omissions. Separate chapters deal with Ca 2 ~. pH and Mg 2+, but not with K+--undoubtedly the ion of profound significance in the neuronal microenvironmentand "'spatial buffering" is not covered in any detail. On the other hand, when dealing with Ca 2~ , some of the latest fluorochrome techniques are mentioned, although applications of confocal microscopy are ignored. This book is very strong on electrophysiological tech-