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Structure and Methods. Volume 1: Human Genome Initiative and DNA Recombination.
246
In agreement with others, it seems that this 34th Banbury Report offers a good base for further discussions and experiments. Finally, it is a good source for the evaluation of perspectives in the expanding field of mammalian germ-cell mutagenesis. A. STELZNER Jean
Dictionary of Analytical Chemistry: English, German, French, Polish, Russian. Gradzyna Maludzinska, (Ed.). Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1990, ISBN O-444-98729-0, 391 pp., US$130.00. The aim of the Dictionary of Analytical Chemistry is to provide the current state of terminology in analytical chemistry. This aim has been largely reached. Improvements and corrections are, however, recommended; for example, IUPAC terminology is used together with older terms still in use and marked as such. This is a very good approach but not followed through. Modern techniques such as surface analytical methods are included, but the list should nevertheless be completed. The dictionary contains 2400 English terms, each with a very thorough definition including graphs and formulae, followed by the respective term in German, French, Polish and Russian. Four bilingual indexes are also provided to facilitate finding the foreign language equivalent of the English term. In view of the high specialization in analytical chemistry the book is useful not only for interpreters and scientists not familiar with analytical terminology but also for specialists in the search for information in related fields. R. NAUMANN Darmstadt
Structure and Methods. Volume 1: Human Genome Initiative and DNA Recombination. R.H. Sarma and M.H. Sarma (Eds.). Adenine Press, Schenectady, NY, 1990, ISBN o-940030-32-2, viii + 251 pp., US$90.00. Volume 1 of the Proceedings of the 6th Conversation in Biomolecular Stereodynamics, held at the State University of New York, Albany, 1989 deals with a diverse range of topics mainly related to DNA recombination and to some analytical and enzymic aspects in the field of genomic DNA research. The book starts with short conceptual statements on the human genome project, followed by useful articles on effects in DNA gel electrophoresis, including DNA sequencing. The reports on new methods for site-specific cleavage of DNA contain important information for applications for the analysis of sequence-specific DNA binding regions. The aspects on DNA recombination and the occurrence and structure of
241
Holliday junctions in the process of recombination are treated in several valuable articles The book contains references up to 1989. Many scientists working in the field of molecular biology will find individual articles of interest. CH. ZIMMER
Jena
Sulfur-Centered Reactive Intermediates in Chemistry and Biology. Chryssostomos Chatgilialoglu and Klaus-Dieter Asmus. Plenum Press, New York. Published in cooperation with NATO Scientific Affairs Division, 1990, ISBN o-306-43723-6, xi + 451 pp., US$llO. A successful Nato Advanced Study Institute on Sulfur-Centered Reactive Intermediates in Chemistry and Biology was held in June 1989 in Maratea, Italy, from which main lectures are presented in this volume. The functions and general thermodynamic properties are described in the first part. The generation of radicals, and non-radical reactions, are discussed in many papers in the second part. There is equal interest in the application of sulfur-organic substances and their synthesis. The reaction of sulfur compounds with their radical species and their reactions in biology and bioelectrochemistry are interesting subjects of several chapters. Sulfur-centered intermediates are involved in coal and oil chemistry and play an important role in atmospheric and biological processes. In this direction the electrochemical behaviour shows new aspects. For example, during electrochemical reduction at Pt electrodes, one or more electrons are transferred and at the end of the reduction process dimers may be formed. Several types of sulfur components are studied by cyclic voltammetry. The influence of radicals and also the formation of metal complexes can be measured. Some aspects of the electrochemistry are discussed and show the diversity of this method for organic sulfur compounds. The redox potentials of the radicals give a better understanding of chemical properties and the differences between reactions of these substances. The radical reactions play a most important role in free radical and particularly redox chemistry of organic sulfides and related compounds. Radical reactions are studied by ESR, spectroscopy and thermodynamic determinations. A speculative hypothesis concerning these aspects is based on the wellknown acid-base catalysis in the reaction of disulfides and the possibility that the catalysis itself causes the neutral redox process of the disulfide. There are many ways in which a substituent can influence the reactivity of the functional group, for example electronic, steric and conformational effects and neighbouring group participation. Also of interest for active transport into the cells, the compounds can participate in biochemical transformations. There are also some saturated or unsaturated sulfides, sulfoxides and sulfones which form organometallic complexes, also by the influence of the enzyme nitrogenase, which
In agreement with others, it seems that this 34th Banbury Report offers a good base for further discussions and experiments. Finally, it is a good source for the evaluation of perspectives in the expanding field of mammalian germ-cell mutagenesis. A. STELZNER Jean
Dictionary of Analytical Chemistry: English, German, French, Polish, Russian. Gradzyna Maludzinska, (Ed.). Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1990, ISBN O-444-98729-0, 391 pp., US$130.00. The aim of the Dictionary of Analytical Chemistry is to provide the current state of terminology in analytical chemistry. This aim has been largely reached. Improvements and corrections are, however, recommended; for example, IUPAC terminology is used together with older terms still in use and marked as such. This is a very good approach but not followed through. Modern techniques such as surface analytical methods are included, but the list should nevertheless be completed. The dictionary contains 2400 English terms, each with a very thorough definition including graphs and formulae, followed by the respective term in German, French, Polish and Russian. Four bilingual indexes are also provided to facilitate finding the foreign language equivalent of the English term. In view of the high specialization in analytical chemistry the book is useful not only for interpreters and scientists not familiar with analytical terminology but also for specialists in the search for information in related fields. R. NAUMANN Darmstadt
Structure and Methods. Volume 1: Human Genome Initiative and DNA Recombination. R.H. Sarma and M.H. Sarma (Eds.). Adenine Press, Schenectady, NY, 1990, ISBN o-940030-32-2, viii + 251 pp., US$90.00. Volume 1 of the Proceedings of the 6th Conversation in Biomolecular Stereodynamics, held at the State University of New York, Albany, 1989 deals with a diverse range of topics mainly related to DNA recombination and to some analytical and enzymic aspects in the field of genomic DNA research. The book starts with short conceptual statements on the human genome project, followed by useful articles on effects in DNA gel electrophoresis, including DNA sequencing. The reports on new methods for site-specific cleavage of DNA contain important information for applications for the analysis of sequence-specific DNA binding regions. The aspects on DNA recombination and the occurrence and structure of
241
Holliday junctions in the process of recombination are treated in several valuable articles The book contains references up to 1989. Many scientists working in the field of molecular biology will find individual articles of interest. CH. ZIMMER
Jena
Sulfur-Centered Reactive Intermediates in Chemistry and Biology. Chryssostomos Chatgilialoglu and Klaus-Dieter Asmus. Plenum Press, New York. Published in cooperation with NATO Scientific Affairs Division, 1990, ISBN o-306-43723-6, xi + 451 pp., US$llO. A successful Nato Advanced Study Institute on Sulfur-Centered Reactive Intermediates in Chemistry and Biology was held in June 1989 in Maratea, Italy, from which main lectures are presented in this volume. The functions and general thermodynamic properties are described in the first part. The generation of radicals, and non-radical reactions, are discussed in many papers in the second part. There is equal interest in the application of sulfur-organic substances and their synthesis. The reaction of sulfur compounds with their radical species and their reactions in biology and bioelectrochemistry are interesting subjects of several chapters. Sulfur-centered intermediates are involved in coal and oil chemistry and play an important role in atmospheric and biological processes. In this direction the electrochemical behaviour shows new aspects. For example, during electrochemical reduction at Pt electrodes, one or more electrons are transferred and at the end of the reduction process dimers may be formed. Several types of sulfur components are studied by cyclic voltammetry. The influence of radicals and also the formation of metal complexes can be measured. Some aspects of the electrochemistry are discussed and show the diversity of this method for organic sulfur compounds. The redox potentials of the radicals give a better understanding of chemical properties and the differences between reactions of these substances. The radical reactions play a most important role in free radical and particularly redox chemistry of organic sulfides and related compounds. Radical reactions are studied by ESR, spectroscopy and thermodynamic determinations. A speculative hypothesis concerning these aspects is based on the wellknown acid-base catalysis in the reaction of disulfides and the possibility that the catalysis itself causes the neutral redox process of the disulfide. There are many ways in which a substituent can influence the reactivity of the functional group, for example electronic, steric and conformational effects and neighbouring group participation. Also of interest for active transport into the cells, the compounds can participate in biochemical transformations. There are also some saturated or unsaturated sulfides, sulfoxides and sulfones which form organometallic complexes, also by the influence of the enzyme nitrogenase, which