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Crystallography made crystal clear
62
Crystallography Made Crystal Clear by G a l e 1993
Rhodes.
p p 202.
A c a d e m i c Press, L o n d o n . ISBN 0-12-587075-2
In recent years biochemists have grown accustomed to seeing pictures of three dimensional macromolecular structures illustrating the majority of standard textbooks. Questions which often arise however include what do these pictures actually show us, how are they obtained, and how accurate are they? In his new book, Gale Rhodes attempts to answer these questions by providing a relatively simple guide to macromolecular crystallography which is the source of many of these structures (others are provided by NMR, electron crystallography and fibre diffraction). Rhodes is himself a biochemist who has spent some considerable time learning the ins and outs of crystallography. In the first chapter the relationship between a molecule, a crystallographic model and the pictures we see is clearly explained. The second chapter provides an overview of protein crystallography at a level that any first-year undergraduate should understand. Chapter three deals with growing protein crystals which is an area many biochemists dabble in, and again the material is clearly presented and well within the grasp of most undergraduates. Chapters four to seven contain the real meat of crystallography - - diffraction, phasing, solving structures and refinement. It is inevitable that some fearsome-looking mathematics should appear in these chapters. Despite the daunting appearance however, everything is clearly explained in the text and it is well worth persevering. Chapter eight discusses how to determine whether a particular structure is well determined and by reference to a recent example illustrates what information is contained in a typical structure determination paper. Chapter nine introduces molecular graphics and explains in general terms how anyone with access to a suitable computer system can examine the protein structures whose coordinates are found in the Protein Data Bank. In summary, I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in macromolecules and how their structures are solved. The material is well presented and easy to read and would provide a good starting point for an undergraduate considering going into the field. It also provides sufficient information to be used as a text in a course on biophysical techniques. D A Waller
Genetic Engineering By J W i l l i a m s , A C e c c a r e l l a n d N Spur. p p 132. Bios Scientific. 1993. £14/$28 ISBN 1-872748-75-7 This book provides the fifth entry in the Medical Perspectives Series of Bios Scientific Publishers. It claims to provide a concise, introduction to all the key technology of genetic engineering including gene mapping, cloning and targeting, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the application of these techniques in the analysis and manipulation of mammalian genes. Its target audience is projected to be students, clinicians and researchers new to the subject area. The book is divided into 7 concise chapters including Gene organisation and expression; Gene Analysis Techniques I and II; Cloning in E coli: Vectors and Genomic libraries; Cloning in E coli; isolating genes; Cloning in Higher Organisms; and a final chapter dealing with Future Prospects. The first introductory chapter dealing with how genes are constructed and expressed explores the differences between eukaryotic and prokaryotic systems. Although a useful chapter
BIOCHEMICAL EDUCATION 22(1) 1994
its content is covered in most standard ~Biochemistry" or 'Molecular Cell Biology" texts where illustrations concerning DNA structure and replication are likely to be more detailed and better presented. An embarrassing mistake in this chapter is the substitution of V for U in the Genetic Code table which is corrected for by an erratum at the end of the text. In Chapters 2 and 3 the authors launch into Gene Analysis Techniques ranging from nucleic acid hybridisation to PCR. In general the techniques are comprehensive and well described. They do however, assume some basic knowledge of recombinant D N A techniques and for students, clinicians or researchers not familiar with the terminology or the basic 'tools of the trade' it may not be very comprehensible. For example restriction endonucleases are only briefly dealt with half way through Chapter 2 after nucleic acid hybridisation, Southern and Norther blotting and gene mapping. Similarly in the same chapter DNA sequencing is dealt with prior to any introduction to cloning vectors. A further disappointment in this section is the small coverage devoted to PCR and its applications (4 pages in total) considering the expanding importance of this technique in genetic engineering. Chapters 4, 5 and 6 deal with the cloning of genes. Chapters 4 and 5 are fairly standard treatments which consider cloning vectors in E coli the construction of genomic libraries, the construction of cDNA libraries and their screening. Chapter 6 entitled 'Cloning in Higher Organisms' covers cloning in yeast and mammalian cells, the creation of transgenics and gene targeting by homologous recombination all in a concise number of 14 pages. This chapter which deals with some of the techniques in the forefront of todays genetic engineering is far too brief serving to 'whet the appetite' without quenching the thirst. Similarly the last chapter entitled 'Future Prospects' is again too brief and deserves greater coverage. Some of the information dealt with eg gene therapy, the use of molecular biology to understand diseases and the genetic engineering of plants is no longer a future prospect. A suitable well proportioned chapter covering Applications of Genetic Engineering would add considerable benefit ~o the book and make it more attractive to undergraduate students. The book claims to be a concise treatment of Genetic Engineering and indeed that is exactly what it is. A Glossary is provided in Appendix A and each chapter is followed by References and suggested Further Reading of which many of the texts are up to date and published between 1989-1992. The book is reasonably priced at £14 and should be attractive to undergraduate students. However, its limited coverage would restrict it to students undertaking courses or modules in genetic engineering and to research students and clinicians who need to familiarise themselves with the area. M Griffin
Recovery From Brain Damage Reflections and Directions E d i t e d by F D R o s e a n d D A J o h n s o n . P l e n u m Press, N e w Y o r k a n d L o n d o n . pp. 216. 1992. $69.50 ISBN 0-306-44344-9 The proceedings of the European Brain and Behaviour Society Workshop on Recovery of Function following Brain Damage held in London in 1991 form the contents of the 325th Volume of Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology series. It will be of interest to research workers in the fields of Animal Behaviour, Psychology, Neurophysiology, Neurosurgery and others who are involved in treating and rehabilitating patients with neurotrauma. Topics like neural transplantation and neural implantation are quite interesting. Surprisingly, the chapters in this book do not bear numbers. C V Anand
Crystallography Made Crystal Clear by G a l e 1993
Rhodes.
p p 202.
A c a d e m i c Press, L o n d o n . ISBN 0-12-587075-2
In recent years biochemists have grown accustomed to seeing pictures of three dimensional macromolecular structures illustrating the majority of standard textbooks. Questions which often arise however include what do these pictures actually show us, how are they obtained, and how accurate are they? In his new book, Gale Rhodes attempts to answer these questions by providing a relatively simple guide to macromolecular crystallography which is the source of many of these structures (others are provided by NMR, electron crystallography and fibre diffraction). Rhodes is himself a biochemist who has spent some considerable time learning the ins and outs of crystallography. In the first chapter the relationship between a molecule, a crystallographic model and the pictures we see is clearly explained. The second chapter provides an overview of protein crystallography at a level that any first-year undergraduate should understand. Chapter three deals with growing protein crystals which is an area many biochemists dabble in, and again the material is clearly presented and well within the grasp of most undergraduates. Chapters four to seven contain the real meat of crystallography - - diffraction, phasing, solving structures and refinement. It is inevitable that some fearsome-looking mathematics should appear in these chapters. Despite the daunting appearance however, everything is clearly explained in the text and it is well worth persevering. Chapter eight discusses how to determine whether a particular structure is well determined and by reference to a recent example illustrates what information is contained in a typical structure determination paper. Chapter nine introduces molecular graphics and explains in general terms how anyone with access to a suitable computer system can examine the protein structures whose coordinates are found in the Protein Data Bank. In summary, I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in macromolecules and how their structures are solved. The material is well presented and easy to read and would provide a good starting point for an undergraduate considering going into the field. It also provides sufficient information to be used as a text in a course on biophysical techniques. D A Waller
Genetic Engineering By J W i l l i a m s , A C e c c a r e l l a n d N Spur. p p 132. Bios Scientific. 1993. £14/$28 ISBN 1-872748-75-7 This book provides the fifth entry in the Medical Perspectives Series of Bios Scientific Publishers. It claims to provide a concise, introduction to all the key technology of genetic engineering including gene mapping, cloning and targeting, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the application of these techniques in the analysis and manipulation of mammalian genes. Its target audience is projected to be students, clinicians and researchers new to the subject area. The book is divided into 7 concise chapters including Gene organisation and expression; Gene Analysis Techniques I and II; Cloning in E coli: Vectors and Genomic libraries; Cloning in E coli; isolating genes; Cloning in Higher Organisms; and a final chapter dealing with Future Prospects. The first introductory chapter dealing with how genes are constructed and expressed explores the differences between eukaryotic and prokaryotic systems. Although a useful chapter
BIOCHEMICAL EDUCATION 22(1) 1994
its content is covered in most standard ~Biochemistry" or 'Molecular Cell Biology" texts where illustrations concerning DNA structure and replication are likely to be more detailed and better presented. An embarrassing mistake in this chapter is the substitution of V for U in the Genetic Code table which is corrected for by an erratum at the end of the text. In Chapters 2 and 3 the authors launch into Gene Analysis Techniques ranging from nucleic acid hybridisation to PCR. In general the techniques are comprehensive and well described. They do however, assume some basic knowledge of recombinant D N A techniques and for students, clinicians or researchers not familiar with the terminology or the basic 'tools of the trade' it may not be very comprehensible. For example restriction endonucleases are only briefly dealt with half way through Chapter 2 after nucleic acid hybridisation, Southern and Norther blotting and gene mapping. Similarly in the same chapter DNA sequencing is dealt with prior to any introduction to cloning vectors. A further disappointment in this section is the small coverage devoted to PCR and its applications (4 pages in total) considering the expanding importance of this technique in genetic engineering. Chapters 4, 5 and 6 deal with the cloning of genes. Chapters 4 and 5 are fairly standard treatments which consider cloning vectors in E coli the construction of genomic libraries, the construction of cDNA libraries and their screening. Chapter 6 entitled 'Cloning in Higher Organisms' covers cloning in yeast and mammalian cells, the creation of transgenics and gene targeting by homologous recombination all in a concise number of 14 pages. This chapter which deals with some of the techniques in the forefront of todays genetic engineering is far too brief serving to 'whet the appetite' without quenching the thirst. Similarly the last chapter entitled 'Future Prospects' is again too brief and deserves greater coverage. Some of the information dealt with eg gene therapy, the use of molecular biology to understand diseases and the genetic engineering of plants is no longer a future prospect. A suitable well proportioned chapter covering Applications of Genetic Engineering would add considerable benefit ~o the book and make it more attractive to undergraduate students. The book claims to be a concise treatment of Genetic Engineering and indeed that is exactly what it is. A Glossary is provided in Appendix A and each chapter is followed by References and suggested Further Reading of which many of the texts are up to date and published between 1989-1992. The book is reasonably priced at £14 and should be attractive to undergraduate students. However, its limited coverage would restrict it to students undertaking courses or modules in genetic engineering and to research students and clinicians who need to familiarise themselves with the area. M Griffin
Recovery From Brain Damage Reflections and Directions E d i t e d by F D R o s e a n d D A J o h n s o n . P l e n u m Press, N e w Y o r k a n d L o n d o n . pp. 216. 1992. $69.50 ISBN 0-306-44344-9 The proceedings of the European Brain and Behaviour Society Workshop on Recovery of Function following Brain Damage held in London in 1991 form the contents of the 325th Volume of Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology series. It will be of interest to research workers in the fields of Animal Behaviour, Psychology, Neurophysiology, Neurosurgery and others who are involved in treating and rehabilitating patients with neurotrauma. Topics like neural transplantation and neural implantation are quite interesting. Surprisingly, the chapters in this book do not bear numbers. C V Anand