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Chemiosmotic proton circuits in biological membranes
TIBS -June 1982
227
Book Reviews Cooled passions in bioenergetics Chemiosmotic Proton Circuits in Biological M e m b r a n e s
edited by V.P. Skulachev and P. C. Hinkle, Addison-Wesley Publishing Co. 1981. $29.50 (xviii + 633 pages) ISBN 0 201 07398 6 Few recent ideas in bieenergetics can have been so much involved in raising the passions as Mitchell's chemiosmotic theory. I well remember, as an inexperienced postdoctoral worker in the late '60s, attending a Gordon Conference where one eminent researcher, who shall remain nameless, stood up during a presentation on mitochondrial bioenergetics and stated that he wasn't going to sit through any more rubbish and stalked out of the conference hall. Fifteen years later, passions have cooled somewhat and a more phlegmatic approach is apparent. Nevertheless, the editors have seen fit to write in the introduction to this volume that they wished to de-emphasize general controversies and arguments. The chemiosmotic theory can now be presented as providing a useful framework for explaining a broad range of phenomena in bioenergetics and vectorial chemistry, and this volume was organized to honour Peter Mitchell in his achievement. The opening chapter by Skulachev, one of the editors, sticks to the noncontroversial approach and presents a straightforward outline of the experimental development of the chemiosmotic concept from the early measurements of protonophore activity, through the classical experiment of Racker and Stoeckenius in 1974 where bacteriorhodopsin, beef heart H---ATP-synthetase and soy-bean phospholipids, constituents from all the kingdoms of living organisms, were combined to form vesicles competent in ADP photophosphorylation, to present day investigations into the multiple functions of Ap,H~. Even with the passion removed, sufficient feel for the excitement of a 'paradigm shift' in the biological sciences comes through. The rest of the volume is separated into two sections, A/XH" generators and A~H ~ consumers, and comprises 38 separate contributions. This type of presentation can only end up by providing a mixed bag of interest that may bewilder the newcomer but certainly will be enjoyed by the bioenergetic cognizants. Descriptions of A~H ~ generators include various segments of the mitochondrial electron transport
chain. I especially enjoyed the clear presentation by Slater on the cytochrome b paradox and its resolution by the development of the Q cycle by Mitchell. Five other contributions also deal with the involvement of quinones in coupling electron transport to proton translocation in mitochondria and chloroplasts, emphasizing the importance placed on these molecules in current research. Bacterial systems, including bacteriorhodopsin, are covered in a series of mini-reviews and there are two interesting articles on the gastric and chromaffin granule ATPases. The majority of contributors on A~H ' consumers concentrate on the H÷-ATP synthetase, but some variation is provided by a survey on bacterial transport processes (a very
readable article by West), a discussion on heat generation by mitochondria, and a detailed presentation on the proton circuits of bacterial fagella. The fmal word is left to Mitchell where he attempts, in a rather involved manner, to focus attention back to the more generalized concepts of enzyme catalysed group translocation and vectorial ligand conduction. It may be that this volume is too specialized in detail for the wider audience who would be better served by the excellent recent text on bioenergetics by David Nicholls, but ifa flavour of the present state of chemiosmotic research is wanted then this is the book. J. M. WRIGGLESWORTH J. M. Wrigglesworth is at the Department of Biochemistry, Chelsea College, Universityof London, U.K.
Teaching aid for cell biologists strongly recommended Readings in M a m m a l i a n Cell Culture (2rid edn)
edited by R. Pollack, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1981, $26.00 (U.S.A.) R O W S 3 1 . 2 0 (xiv + 710pages) 1SBN 0 87969 137 9 This book has arisen from a collection of reprints used by the editor when teaching an intensive Cold Spring Harbor Summer Course in mammalian cell culture, and represents a complete revision of the original edition, first published in 1973. It is divided into 11 chapters, each containing reprinted papers on a different aspect of cell culture. The first contains several classical papers describing the development of cell culture. For example, Rous and Jones' paper on the use of trypsin to serially passage cell cultures and an abstract from 1952 in which Gey and his colleagues describe the isolation of the (in)famous HeLa cell line. Chapter 2 reproduces papers on the retention of differentiated properties in cultured cells, spanning from Harrison's observations in 1907 on the growth of nerve fibres in vitro to the more recent observation by Friend and her colleagues that mouse erythroleukaemia cells can be induced to produce haemoglobin using DMSO. Several papers show that cells are capable of complex morphogenic differentiation in vitro. A paper by Jones describes how endothelial cells obtained from bovine aorta and smooth muscle cells from rabbit heart can
form cell layers of a blood vessel and a paper by Bennett describes how the branching structures typical of a developing gland seen in cultures descended from single cells. Interestingly, this chapter also includes Kohler and Milstein's paper on the production of monoclonal antibody producing hybridomas - surely one of the most important techniques to appear in recent years. Chapters 3 and 4 deal with aspects of cell transformation by virus or electromagnetic irradiation and the mechanism of growth controlin vitro, while Chapter 5 is dedicated to tumourgenicity and metastasis and includes interesting papers on the properties of cells determining the formation of animal tumours - e.g. Freedman and Shin suggest that cells which retain anchorage dependence do not form tumours in animals, even though these cells lose serum dependence or contact inhibition. Further chapters concern themselves with the cell cycle, DNA replication, gene expression and some aspects of somatic cell genetics. One also deals with the transfer of chromosomes and genes between mammalian cells. Two final chapters (10 and 11) deal with the cell membrane and the organization of eukaryotic cell cytoplasm. Only now is the importance of the cytoskeleton being realized and with it its relationship with the process ofceU transformation. Each chapter is prefaced with a succinct essay by the editor describing the impor-
227
Book Reviews Cooled passions in bioenergetics Chemiosmotic Proton Circuits in Biological M e m b r a n e s
edited by V.P. Skulachev and P. C. Hinkle, Addison-Wesley Publishing Co. 1981. $29.50 (xviii + 633 pages) ISBN 0 201 07398 6 Few recent ideas in bieenergetics can have been so much involved in raising the passions as Mitchell's chemiosmotic theory. I well remember, as an inexperienced postdoctoral worker in the late '60s, attending a Gordon Conference where one eminent researcher, who shall remain nameless, stood up during a presentation on mitochondrial bioenergetics and stated that he wasn't going to sit through any more rubbish and stalked out of the conference hall. Fifteen years later, passions have cooled somewhat and a more phlegmatic approach is apparent. Nevertheless, the editors have seen fit to write in the introduction to this volume that they wished to de-emphasize general controversies and arguments. The chemiosmotic theory can now be presented as providing a useful framework for explaining a broad range of phenomena in bioenergetics and vectorial chemistry, and this volume was organized to honour Peter Mitchell in his achievement. The opening chapter by Skulachev, one of the editors, sticks to the noncontroversial approach and presents a straightforward outline of the experimental development of the chemiosmotic concept from the early measurements of protonophore activity, through the classical experiment of Racker and Stoeckenius in 1974 where bacteriorhodopsin, beef heart H---ATP-synthetase and soy-bean phospholipids, constituents from all the kingdoms of living organisms, were combined to form vesicles competent in ADP photophosphorylation, to present day investigations into the multiple functions of Ap,H~. Even with the passion removed, sufficient feel for the excitement of a 'paradigm shift' in the biological sciences comes through. The rest of the volume is separated into two sections, A/XH" generators and A~H ~ consumers, and comprises 38 separate contributions. This type of presentation can only end up by providing a mixed bag of interest that may bewilder the newcomer but certainly will be enjoyed by the bioenergetic cognizants. Descriptions of A~H ~ generators include various segments of the mitochondrial electron transport
chain. I especially enjoyed the clear presentation by Slater on the cytochrome b paradox and its resolution by the development of the Q cycle by Mitchell. Five other contributions also deal with the involvement of quinones in coupling electron transport to proton translocation in mitochondria and chloroplasts, emphasizing the importance placed on these molecules in current research. Bacterial systems, including bacteriorhodopsin, are covered in a series of mini-reviews and there are two interesting articles on the gastric and chromaffin granule ATPases. The majority of contributors on A~H ' consumers concentrate on the H÷-ATP synthetase, but some variation is provided by a survey on bacterial transport processes (a very
readable article by West), a discussion on heat generation by mitochondria, and a detailed presentation on the proton circuits of bacterial fagella. The fmal word is left to Mitchell where he attempts, in a rather involved manner, to focus attention back to the more generalized concepts of enzyme catalysed group translocation and vectorial ligand conduction. It may be that this volume is too specialized in detail for the wider audience who would be better served by the excellent recent text on bioenergetics by David Nicholls, but ifa flavour of the present state of chemiosmotic research is wanted then this is the book. J. M. WRIGGLESWORTH J. M. Wrigglesworth is at the Department of Biochemistry, Chelsea College, Universityof London, U.K.
Teaching aid for cell biologists strongly recommended Readings in M a m m a l i a n Cell Culture (2rid edn)
edited by R. Pollack, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1981, $26.00 (U.S.A.) R O W S 3 1 . 2 0 (xiv + 710pages) 1SBN 0 87969 137 9 This book has arisen from a collection of reprints used by the editor when teaching an intensive Cold Spring Harbor Summer Course in mammalian cell culture, and represents a complete revision of the original edition, first published in 1973. It is divided into 11 chapters, each containing reprinted papers on a different aspect of cell culture. The first contains several classical papers describing the development of cell culture. For example, Rous and Jones' paper on the use of trypsin to serially passage cell cultures and an abstract from 1952 in which Gey and his colleagues describe the isolation of the (in)famous HeLa cell line. Chapter 2 reproduces papers on the retention of differentiated properties in cultured cells, spanning from Harrison's observations in 1907 on the growth of nerve fibres in vitro to the more recent observation by Friend and her colleagues that mouse erythroleukaemia cells can be induced to produce haemoglobin using DMSO. Several papers show that cells are capable of complex morphogenic differentiation in vitro. A paper by Jones describes how endothelial cells obtained from bovine aorta and smooth muscle cells from rabbit heart can
form cell layers of a blood vessel and a paper by Bennett describes how the branching structures typical of a developing gland seen in cultures descended from single cells. Interestingly, this chapter also includes Kohler and Milstein's paper on the production of monoclonal antibody producing hybridomas - surely one of the most important techniques to appear in recent years. Chapters 3 and 4 deal with aspects of cell transformation by virus or electromagnetic irradiation and the mechanism of growth controlin vitro, while Chapter 5 is dedicated to tumourgenicity and metastasis and includes interesting papers on the properties of cells determining the formation of animal tumours - e.g. Freedman and Shin suggest that cells which retain anchorage dependence do not form tumours in animals, even though these cells lose serum dependence or contact inhibition. Further chapters concern themselves with the cell cycle, DNA replication, gene expression and some aspects of somatic cell genetics. One also deals with the transfer of chromosomes and genes between mammalian cells. Two final chapters (10 and 11) deal with the cell membrane and the organization of eukaryotic cell cytoplasm. Only now is the importance of the cytoskeleton being realized and with it its relationship with the process ofceU transformation. Each chapter is prefaced with a succinct essay by the editor describing the impor-