- Email: [email protected]
Beautiful dissections
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update as to whether avirulence factors directly interact with R proteins, which signal transduction cascades are activated, where avirulence proteins are active and how these are delivered to the plant cell6-9. This suggests that the mechanism underlying the gene-for-gene hypothesis could be revealed in the very near future. Plant-Microbe Interactions is the second volume in a continuing series with no planned end, aiming to chronicle the latest developments in the field of plant-microbe interactions as they occur. The volumes in the series are not focused on a specific subarea, but rather contain chapters on very diverse systems. For example, this volume includes chapters on the biosynthesis of Rhizobium LCOs, legume nodule functioning, gemini viruses, avirulence genes and the role of saponin in resistance. In general, the chapters are well written and provide a solid introduction into selected topics, and thus it can be expected that, ultimately, the series as a whole will serve as a valuable reference work covering the different areas of plant-microbe interactions. However, the examples given here of interesting recent developments in the area are all taken from other sources, and not from the book itself. There is good reason for this, because the time needed to publish the book is relatively long. For this reason, the book cannot fully transfer the excitement of this rapidly developing research field, and is not really successful in informing the reader about the trends in plant-microbe interactions. Trends journals, which follow a rapid publication schedule, or special issues of other journals (e.g. Plant Cell) seem better tailored to fulfil this role. References
1 Dangl, J.F., Dietrich, R.A. suldRichberg,M.H. (1996) Death don't have no mercy: cell death programs in plant-microbe interactions, Plant Cell 8, 1793-1807 2 Long, S.R. (1996)Rhizobium symbiosis:Nod factors in perspective,Plant Cell 8, 1885-1898 3 Rhlu'ig,H. et al. (1995) Growth of tobacco proteplasts stimulated by synthetic lipooligosaccharides,Science 269, 841-843 4 Pawtowski,IL and Bisseling,T. (1996) Rhizobialand actinorhizal symbioses:what are the shared features? Plant Cell 8, 1899-1913 5 Ryan, C. (1996) A polypeptidegets the Nod, Trends Plant Sci. 1, 365-366 6 Miklashevichs,E. et al. (1996) Do peptides controlplant growth and development?Trends PlantSci. 1, 411 7 Bent, A.F. (1996) Plant disease resistance genes: function meets structure, Plant Cell 8, 1757-1771 8 Hammond-Kosack,K.E. and Jones, J.D.G. (1996) Resistance gene dependent plant defense responses, Plant Cell 8, 1773-1791 20181
May1997,Vol.2, No.5
9 Alfano,J.R. and Collmer,A. (1996) Bacterial pathogens in plants: life up against the wall, Plant Cell 8, 1683-1698 Ton Bisseling Dept of Molecular Biology, Agricultural University, Dreijenlaan3, 6703 HA Wageningen,The Netherlands (tel +31 317 482036; fax +31 317 483584; e-mail [email protected])
Beautiful dissections A Colour Atlas of Plant Structure
by B.G. Bowes Manson, 1996. £48.00 hbk, £24.95 pbk (i + 192 pages) ISBN 1 874545 20 0, 1 874545 16 2
With this book, the author has succeeded in the difficult task of preparing material not only for students and professional biologists, but also for artists and interested lay people. Such a wide audience will have very diverse expectations for a text on plant structure, but all three types of readers should be pleased with the result. Certainly the largest audience will be students who need a supplement to their main plant anatomy books. In the past, cost has prevented these books from using color, which is unfortunate for a visually oriented, color-cued field like anatomy. Students will find the hundreds of fullcolor illustrations in A Colour Atlas of Plant Structure a welcome study resource, reminding them of structures they have seen in the lab or providing the appropriate color differences necessary to understand the black-and-white figures of their main texts more fully. As a study aid for students, the selection of illustrations is also excellent - most of the basic species and tissues used in plant anatomy classes are illustrated. Beyond that, several unusual
samples show the variations that occur in particular tissues or organs. All figures are fully labeled using numbers and figure legends, such that the illustrations are not obscured by large labels. As a reference resource for professional researchers and instructors, the diversity of structures illustrated is very good. For those not directly involved in plant anatomy research, the atlas serves as a reminder of the anatomy they learned earlier, or if plant anatomy is completely new to them, it is detailed enough to be a good introductory text for a professional biologist. The short texts of the chapters are concise and to the point. In this regard, this book probably could not be used as the sole text in a rigorous plant anatomy course as is to be expected from an atlas, most theory and subtleties of detail have been kept to a minimum. Artists and interested lay people will like this book for the same reason that most plant anatomists will - because it is so beautiful. The photographs are strikingly attractive - of a quality usually only encountered in coffee-table books - but here there are accurate, informative descriptions and unobtrusive labels. The sections have been cut perfectly, are flat, all parts are in focus, and the staining is good and differentiates the various tissues well. There is also an appropriate number of diagrams and photographs of whole plants or organs to enhance the understanding of the micrographs. A very minor problem is that some of the micrographs of wood are not oriented as convention dictates. Typically, in high magnification views of transverse sections of roots and stems, micrographs are oriented such that the vascular cambium is located at or beyond the top of the illustration. Many are oriented that way here, but others are not, which might be disorienting for students trying to follow, for example, the progression from early wood to late wood. This is the type of situation that will never be noticed by a lot of students and will be figured out quickly by the brightest, but will temporarily confuse many good students. For people who already know some plant anatomy, A Colour Atlas of Plant Structure will be a welcome tool for enhancing their understanding. For those who already know quite a bit about the subject, the book is a visually delightful treatment of a favorite topic.
James D. Mauseth Botany, Universityof Texas, Austin, TX 78713, USA (tel +1 512 471 3189; fax +1 512 471 3878)
© 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd
update as to whether avirulence factors directly interact with R proteins, which signal transduction cascades are activated, where avirulence proteins are active and how these are delivered to the plant cell6-9. This suggests that the mechanism underlying the gene-for-gene hypothesis could be revealed in the very near future. Plant-Microbe Interactions is the second volume in a continuing series with no planned end, aiming to chronicle the latest developments in the field of plant-microbe interactions as they occur. The volumes in the series are not focused on a specific subarea, but rather contain chapters on very diverse systems. For example, this volume includes chapters on the biosynthesis of Rhizobium LCOs, legume nodule functioning, gemini viruses, avirulence genes and the role of saponin in resistance. In general, the chapters are well written and provide a solid introduction into selected topics, and thus it can be expected that, ultimately, the series as a whole will serve as a valuable reference work covering the different areas of plant-microbe interactions. However, the examples given here of interesting recent developments in the area are all taken from other sources, and not from the book itself. There is good reason for this, because the time needed to publish the book is relatively long. For this reason, the book cannot fully transfer the excitement of this rapidly developing research field, and is not really successful in informing the reader about the trends in plant-microbe interactions. Trends journals, which follow a rapid publication schedule, or special issues of other journals (e.g. Plant Cell) seem better tailored to fulfil this role. References
1 Dangl, J.F., Dietrich, R.A. suldRichberg,M.H. (1996) Death don't have no mercy: cell death programs in plant-microbe interactions, Plant Cell 8, 1793-1807 2 Long, S.R. (1996)Rhizobium symbiosis:Nod factors in perspective,Plant Cell 8, 1885-1898 3 Rhlu'ig,H. et al. (1995) Growth of tobacco proteplasts stimulated by synthetic lipooligosaccharides,Science 269, 841-843 4 Pawtowski,IL and Bisseling,T. (1996) Rhizobialand actinorhizal symbioses:what are the shared features? Plant Cell 8, 1899-1913 5 Ryan, C. (1996) A polypeptidegets the Nod, Trends Plant Sci. 1, 365-366 6 Miklashevichs,E. et al. (1996) Do peptides controlplant growth and development?Trends PlantSci. 1, 411 7 Bent, A.F. (1996) Plant disease resistance genes: function meets structure, Plant Cell 8, 1757-1771 8 Hammond-Kosack,K.E. and Jones, J.D.G. (1996) Resistance gene dependent plant defense responses, Plant Cell 8, 1773-1791 20181
May1997,Vol.2, No.5
9 Alfano,J.R. and Collmer,A. (1996) Bacterial pathogens in plants: life up against the wall, Plant Cell 8, 1683-1698 Ton Bisseling Dept of Molecular Biology, Agricultural University, Dreijenlaan3, 6703 HA Wageningen,The Netherlands (tel +31 317 482036; fax +31 317 483584; e-mail [email protected])
Beautiful dissections A Colour Atlas of Plant Structure
by B.G. Bowes Manson, 1996. £48.00 hbk, £24.95 pbk (i + 192 pages) ISBN 1 874545 20 0, 1 874545 16 2
With this book, the author has succeeded in the difficult task of preparing material not only for students and professional biologists, but also for artists and interested lay people. Such a wide audience will have very diverse expectations for a text on plant structure, but all three types of readers should be pleased with the result. Certainly the largest audience will be students who need a supplement to their main plant anatomy books. In the past, cost has prevented these books from using color, which is unfortunate for a visually oriented, color-cued field like anatomy. Students will find the hundreds of fullcolor illustrations in A Colour Atlas of Plant Structure a welcome study resource, reminding them of structures they have seen in the lab or providing the appropriate color differences necessary to understand the black-and-white figures of their main texts more fully. As a study aid for students, the selection of illustrations is also excellent - most of the basic species and tissues used in plant anatomy classes are illustrated. Beyond that, several unusual
samples show the variations that occur in particular tissues or organs. All figures are fully labeled using numbers and figure legends, such that the illustrations are not obscured by large labels. As a reference resource for professional researchers and instructors, the diversity of structures illustrated is very good. For those not directly involved in plant anatomy research, the atlas serves as a reminder of the anatomy they learned earlier, or if plant anatomy is completely new to them, it is detailed enough to be a good introductory text for a professional biologist. The short texts of the chapters are concise and to the point. In this regard, this book probably could not be used as the sole text in a rigorous plant anatomy course as is to be expected from an atlas, most theory and subtleties of detail have been kept to a minimum. Artists and interested lay people will like this book for the same reason that most plant anatomists will - because it is so beautiful. The photographs are strikingly attractive - of a quality usually only encountered in coffee-table books - but here there are accurate, informative descriptions and unobtrusive labels. The sections have been cut perfectly, are flat, all parts are in focus, and the staining is good and differentiates the various tissues well. There is also an appropriate number of diagrams and photographs of whole plants or organs to enhance the understanding of the micrographs. A very minor problem is that some of the micrographs of wood are not oriented as convention dictates. Typically, in high magnification views of transverse sections of roots and stems, micrographs are oriented such that the vascular cambium is located at or beyond the top of the illustration. Many are oriented that way here, but others are not, which might be disorienting for students trying to follow, for example, the progression from early wood to late wood. This is the type of situation that will never be noticed by a lot of students and will be figured out quickly by the brightest, but will temporarily confuse many good students. For people who already know some plant anatomy, A Colour Atlas of Plant Structure will be a welcome tool for enhancing their understanding. For those who already know quite a bit about the subject, the book is a visually delightful treatment of a favorite topic.
James D. Mauseth Botany, Universityof Texas, Austin, TX 78713, USA (tel +1 512 471 3189; fax +1 512 471 3878)
© 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd