- Email: [email protected]
Contemporary topics in molecular immunology
90
Journal of Immunological Methods, 34 (1980) 90--92
© Elsevier/North-Holland Biomedical Press
Book reviews
Contemporary Topics in Molecular Immunology, Vol. 7, edited by R.A. Reisfeld and F.P. Inman. Plenum Press, New York, 1978 (425 pp., illus.) U.S. $ 39.50. This volume contains 11 review articles written by 26 contributing authors. They cover topics ranging from the structure and function of certain immunoglobulin classes to the molecular events in immune cytolysis and in l y m p h o c y t e activation. Recent progress in the determination of the structure and function of IgD is summed up by G.A. Leslie and L.N. Martin. New information regarding the concentration of IgD in body fluids in health and disease is presented. The role of IgD on B-lymphocyte surfaces is analyzed in terms of its antibody-like specificity in the interaction with antigen leading to cell proliferation and differentiation. The syndrome known as biclonal gammapathy where the serum of an individual contains abnormally large amounts of two distinct, homogeneous populations of immunoglobulins, is the subject of a review by D.S. Fair and R.G. Krueger. Cases of triclonal gammopathy are also described including the analysis of the patients' sera by immunoelectrophoresis and isoelectric focusing, and the purification of monoclonal immunoglobulins by starch block electrophoresis. The use of double-label immunofluorescence in ascertaining the cellular origin of biclonal Ig is evaluated. The authors conclude that this experiment of nature can serve as a model for studying the pathways of B-cell differentiation and for explaining how the structural genes coding for the variable and constant regions of immunoglobulin peptide chains are joined and expressed. The subject of conformational flexibility of immunoglobulins is discussed by A.B. Edmundson et al. on the basis of X-ray crystallographic data. According to the authors immunoglobulins in solid state are capable of assuming widely different conformations ranging from Y to T shapes, with the Fc region occupying various positions relative to Fab. Studies on the effect of antigen on the properties of antibodies are described by H. Metzger; these include various physical measurements as well as immunological
91 observations. Some evidence is presented for antigen-induced structural changes outside the Fab region in IgG-type molecules, b u t their mechanism is still uncertain. The molecular events accompanying a complement-mediated antibody attack on the target cell membrane are discussed by S.H. Ohanian et al. Results of biochemical studies indicate that the cell metabolic pathways governing the biosynthesis of lipids and lipid-bearing macromolecules are responsible for the maintenance of the cell-membrane integrity with respect to the immune attack. Other topics discussed in the volume include the chemical nature of the serum anaphylatoxins C3a and C5a (T.E. Hugli), the structure of murine T-cell surface antigens iF. Hunter et al.), the recognition of virus-infected cells by c y t o t o x i c T-lymphocytes (T.J. Braciale et al.), the structure, serological detection and genetic organization of human DR antigens (S. Ferrone et al.), the role of non-histone chromosomal proteins as gene regulators in l y m p h o c y t e activation (J.M. Decker and J. Marchalonis), and the haptensandwich technique of labelling cell-surface antigens (L. Wofsy et al.). Each contribution is provided with an introduction, conclusion or summary, and bibliographic references. A concise review of the contents can be found in the editors' preface. The reader is also aided by a comprehensive subject index and illustrations such as electron micrographs of cell surfaces, electron density maps of Ig molecules, and schematic diagrams of conformational Ig isomers. This b o o k offers information on subjects of interest to immunochemists, biochemists, and cytologists. F. Borek
Immunochemistry of Proteins, Vol. 3, edited by M.Z. Atassi. Plenum Press, New York, 1979 (321 pp., illus.) U.S. $ 35.00. This volume is focused on the chemical and immunological properties of major serum components -- immunoglobulins, complement and albumin. This is a subject of continuing wide interest, n o t least due to its clinical significance. The contributing authors present in 5 chapters the relevant facts and concepts based on the data accumulated thus far in studies on the structure and function of serum proteins. Chapter I d e a l s promarily with the structure-function relationship in the Fc fragment of immunogiobulins. This molecular portion is known to be responsible for the binding of Ig to other biologically important proteins (complement, rheumatoid factor, staphylococcal protein A) and to surface receptors of certain cells (lymphocytes, phagocytes, mast cells), and thereby it is associated with the corresponding antibody functions such as complement fixation and activation, opsonization, cytotoxicity, and anaphylactic
Journal of Immunological Methods, 34 (1980) 90--92
© Elsevier/North-Holland Biomedical Press
Book reviews
Contemporary Topics in Molecular Immunology, Vol. 7, edited by R.A. Reisfeld and F.P. Inman. Plenum Press, New York, 1978 (425 pp., illus.) U.S. $ 39.50. This volume contains 11 review articles written by 26 contributing authors. They cover topics ranging from the structure and function of certain immunoglobulin classes to the molecular events in immune cytolysis and in l y m p h o c y t e activation. Recent progress in the determination of the structure and function of IgD is summed up by G.A. Leslie and L.N. Martin. New information regarding the concentration of IgD in body fluids in health and disease is presented. The role of IgD on B-lymphocyte surfaces is analyzed in terms of its antibody-like specificity in the interaction with antigen leading to cell proliferation and differentiation. The syndrome known as biclonal gammapathy where the serum of an individual contains abnormally large amounts of two distinct, homogeneous populations of immunoglobulins, is the subject of a review by D.S. Fair and R.G. Krueger. Cases of triclonal gammopathy are also described including the analysis of the patients' sera by immunoelectrophoresis and isoelectric focusing, and the purification of monoclonal immunoglobulins by starch block electrophoresis. The use of double-label immunofluorescence in ascertaining the cellular origin of biclonal Ig is evaluated. The authors conclude that this experiment of nature can serve as a model for studying the pathways of B-cell differentiation and for explaining how the structural genes coding for the variable and constant regions of immunoglobulin peptide chains are joined and expressed. The subject of conformational flexibility of immunoglobulins is discussed by A.B. Edmundson et al. on the basis of X-ray crystallographic data. According to the authors immunoglobulins in solid state are capable of assuming widely different conformations ranging from Y to T shapes, with the Fc region occupying various positions relative to Fab. Studies on the effect of antigen on the properties of antibodies are described by H. Metzger; these include various physical measurements as well as immunological
91 observations. Some evidence is presented for antigen-induced structural changes outside the Fab region in IgG-type molecules, b u t their mechanism is still uncertain. The molecular events accompanying a complement-mediated antibody attack on the target cell membrane are discussed by S.H. Ohanian et al. Results of biochemical studies indicate that the cell metabolic pathways governing the biosynthesis of lipids and lipid-bearing macromolecules are responsible for the maintenance of the cell-membrane integrity with respect to the immune attack. Other topics discussed in the volume include the chemical nature of the serum anaphylatoxins C3a and C5a (T.E. Hugli), the structure of murine T-cell surface antigens iF. Hunter et al.), the recognition of virus-infected cells by c y t o t o x i c T-lymphocytes (T.J. Braciale et al.), the structure, serological detection and genetic organization of human DR antigens (S. Ferrone et al.), the role of non-histone chromosomal proteins as gene regulators in l y m p h o c y t e activation (J.M. Decker and J. Marchalonis), and the haptensandwich technique of labelling cell-surface antigens (L. Wofsy et al.). Each contribution is provided with an introduction, conclusion or summary, and bibliographic references. A concise review of the contents can be found in the editors' preface. The reader is also aided by a comprehensive subject index and illustrations such as electron micrographs of cell surfaces, electron density maps of Ig molecules, and schematic diagrams of conformational Ig isomers. This b o o k offers information on subjects of interest to immunochemists, biochemists, and cytologists. F. Borek
Immunochemistry of Proteins, Vol. 3, edited by M.Z. Atassi. Plenum Press, New York, 1979 (321 pp., illus.) U.S. $ 35.00. This volume is focused on the chemical and immunological properties of major serum components -- immunoglobulins, complement and albumin. This is a subject of continuing wide interest, n o t least due to its clinical significance. The contributing authors present in 5 chapters the relevant facts and concepts based on the data accumulated thus far in studies on the structure and function of serum proteins. Chapter I d e a l s promarily with the structure-function relationship in the Fc fragment of immunogiobulins. This molecular portion is known to be responsible for the binding of Ig to other biologically important proteins (complement, rheumatoid factor, staphylococcal protein A) and to surface receptors of certain cells (lymphocytes, phagocytes, mast cells), and thereby it is associated with the corresponding antibody functions such as complement fixation and activation, opsonization, cytotoxicity, and anaphylactic