Frontiers in Physiochemical Biology

Rook

4B_

Puuax_~~s (Editor). Fmnfiers Xew- York. San Francisco. This volume aspects of

recent

contains mokcular

Reviews

in P~~sicoc~ernicui London (1975). 5zS

BioZogy. Academic pp_, S +s_oo / s.

the proceedings of an international biology and biophysics_ The first

Press,

zg.zs

symposium part deals

on with

the physicochemical aspects of nucleic acids. tRXA and complexones (membraneactive proteins and peptides)_ One chapter is dedicated to the methods employed in the conformations analysis of polypeptides (rigid geometry and computer procedures) ; the hut part of this chapter concerns the efiects of hydration and cation

binding

upon

the

biomoleculcs.

The second part deals with the physicochemical aspects of the mechanism of genetic expression_ In this section the chapter dealing with the starting mechanisms of protein synthesis. is particularly interesting_ The third part deals with the biochemical aspects of systems involving oxygen (superoxidodismutases and

D-amino

binding

to

acid

oxidases)

hemoglobin

h

and in the

the

physicochemical

characteristics

of oxygen

T-state.

The last part concerns certain aspects of the bioenergetics of organized systems (structure and organization of the membrane of the Semliki Forest virus ; oscillations ; cation-induced regulatory mechanisms of enzyme reactions ; proton pumps of photosynthesis ; modifications to the membrane potentials related the

to

the

photosynthetic

process)_

This volume provides a fields of mokcular biology,

useful reference book for specialists working in biophysics. organic chemistqand pharmacolog!-_

Each chapter inciudes a well prepared and up-to-date reference list numerous figures and graphs will help the reader in some of the more parts_ L_

G_ E_ SCHULZ st314 The

and

R_ H_ SCHIRXER.

pp_.

D3I

primary

30 1 US

focus

of

S

this

Principles

Springer

of Protein.

up on themselves constitute them__

SIL~ESTROXI

Verlag

(1079).

x6-50_ book

is the

relationship

of

physical structures of proteins to their biological functions. the dependence of these functions on the specific way in chains fold acids that

and the compler

the

chemical

and

The topics include which polypeptide

and ultimately on the particular sequence of amino The first seven chapters covers physico-chemical

aspects

of the protein structure_ Chapter I introduces to the amino acids and to the synthesis and structural chapter z is devoted

their specific implications

properties, of peptide

bonds and chapter 3 covers non covalent forces in the protein structure formation and its stability. Chapter _z completes the simplified comprehensive picture given in the preceding chapter by an overview of the aggregation processes. the cross-links