- Email: [email protected]
Laboratory techniques in biochemistry and molecular biology. Volume 2
BOOK
497
REVIEWS
Misunderstandings, which do exist, when pH and hydrogen ion concentrations are compared should be cleared when chapter 5, pH Scale is studied. Non-Calculations, the topic of the concluding chapter is indeed apropos. This discussion draws attention to situations where a numerical solution to a problem is impossible because essential data are not included or the quantitative data are misleading. The book is quite free of errors, only one being detected where a year is reported in two locations, as 21.6Ms rather than 31.6Ms. K. D.
FLEISCHER,
Sterling
Winthrop Research Institute, Rensselaer, New York 12144
Biochemical Experiments. By G. BRUENING, R. GRIDDLE, J. PREISS, AND F. RUDERT. Wiley (Interscience), New York, 1970. iii + 314 pp. Paper bound. $7.95. The book under review constitutes a laboratory manual designed for instruction of undergraduate and graduate students. It sets out to guide the student in leaming the fundamental principles of biochemistry and the basic techniques involved through experiments covering the breath of biochemistry. The topics covered are photometric methods for protein determination, buffers and titrations, enzyme preparations, electrophoresis of proteins in polyacrylamide gels, terminal amino acids in proteins, synthesis of lipids in plants, radioisotopes in biochemistry, base ratios of yeast RNA, preparation and properties of thymus DNA, and electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation. The experiments which involve chemical and enzymatic analyses are performed by calorimetric, electrometric, electrophoretic, chromatographic, radioisotopic, viscometric, and respirometric techniques. Each chapter corresponds to one laboratory experiment; it is subdivided into an introduction, problems, references, an experimental section, questions with answers in the appendix and procedures with materials. The pages are perforated so that the student may hand in the notebook with answers to the questions on the experimental work. Throughout the book the wealth of recent information is fairly critically presented, and a guide to much of the older work is provided by the references. The book is planned to do a job and will prove of inestimable value to the user and should go a long way in introducing the student to the fascinating field of biochemistry. GEORGE WIENER,
Pfizer, Inc., Brooklyn,
New York
11206
Laboratory Techniques in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Volume 2. Edited by T. S. WORK AND E. WORK. Amer. Elsevier, New York, 1970. v + 400 pp. $24.00. This book is the second of a projected series of publications on laboratory techniques. The first volume contains articles on “Electrophoresis of Proteins in Polyacrylamide and Starch Gels,” “An Introduction to Gel Chromatography,” and “Immunochemical Techniques for the Identification and Estimation of Macromolecules.” The second volume contains sections on “Automated Enzyme Assays” and “Cellulosic Ion-Exchangers.”
498
BOOK REVIEWS
According to the editors, each book is “. . . designed as a laboratory handbook to be used at the bench,” They have been partially successful in achieving this goal. After reading these chapters, one should be able to apply the respective techniques to specific problems. However, volume 2 is not a laboratory manual in the usual sense, since no specific experiments are provided which the user can perform. The first section deals with the subject of “Automated Enzyme Assays.” It represents one of the first comprehensive attempts to discuss the state of the art in this area of laboratory automation. The article will introduce everyone to the principles of automatically assaying any enzyme, rather than just to those of human serum. In this respect, it is written for the nonspecialist, and is designed to show how to measure enzymes, rather than how to characterize enzymes. Much of the information is based on the author’s experience with the use of a specific automatic instrument. However, the article contains generally useful information which is applicable to any available automatic system. Nine chapters are contained in this section. The first one clearly describes the principles and terminology of enzyme automation, while the last one describes a general approach for assay of any enzyme. A series of appendices also is included. Each appendix provides extremely useful information. For example, one contains a list of published references to specific papers on automated enzyme assays, including those of interest to clinical chemists. The author stresses the importance of computerization of data, and he has included a computer program which can be adapted for any enzyme assay. A list of manufacturers of automatic enzyme assay equipment and a comprehensive list of references is provided at the end of the article. Any laboratory scientist should be able to set up an automated assay procedure after reading this excellent treatise: The author has been successful in achieving his goal. The second section of this book covers the subject of cellulose derivatives for ion-exchange column chromatography. As is obvious from the title, this article covers a fairly narrow sampling of the available techniques for separation of macromolecules. Both cationic and anionic adsorbents are discussed. Quality control in adsorbents is stressed. Preparation of adsorbents, column packing, selection of buffers and elution systems, sample preparation and application, and, finally, assay of the column fractions all are treated in depth. One chapter contains general guidelines for setting up a column system for the separation of crude mixtures of macromolecules for specific separation problems. The last chapter describes fractionation procedures for analysis of a few specific proteins and polynucleotides. A discussion of the analysis of radiolabeled macromolecules was very brief. This is unfortunate, since isotopes are widely used in conjunction with studies on macromolecules. A list of suppliers of cellulose ion-exchangers is provided. Finally, a limited number of references are supplied at the end of this section. The list is not comprehensive. To appreciate fully the information contained in these two articles, a good understanding of the principles of enzymes and chromatography is required; those
BOOK
499
REVIEWS
without it will have to consult basic texts on these subjects before useful information can be gleaned from the subject matter. The book is highly recommended for all libraries who service a researchoriented scientific staff. The high cost of the book will limit its accessibility to the individual. However, each of the articles contained in Volume 2 will be published under separate cover at considerably less cost. IRWIN L. SHAPIRO, Biochemistry Section, .I. T. Baker Chemical Co.,
Phillimburg,
New Jersey 08865
497
REVIEWS
Misunderstandings, which do exist, when pH and hydrogen ion concentrations are compared should be cleared when chapter 5, pH Scale is studied. Non-Calculations, the topic of the concluding chapter is indeed apropos. This discussion draws attention to situations where a numerical solution to a problem is impossible because essential data are not included or the quantitative data are misleading. The book is quite free of errors, only one being detected where a year is reported in two locations, as 21.6Ms rather than 31.6Ms. K. D.
FLEISCHER,
Sterling
Winthrop Research Institute, Rensselaer, New York 12144
Biochemical Experiments. By G. BRUENING, R. GRIDDLE, J. PREISS, AND F. RUDERT. Wiley (Interscience), New York, 1970. iii + 314 pp. Paper bound. $7.95. The book under review constitutes a laboratory manual designed for instruction of undergraduate and graduate students. It sets out to guide the student in leaming the fundamental principles of biochemistry and the basic techniques involved through experiments covering the breath of biochemistry. The topics covered are photometric methods for protein determination, buffers and titrations, enzyme preparations, electrophoresis of proteins in polyacrylamide gels, terminal amino acids in proteins, synthesis of lipids in plants, radioisotopes in biochemistry, base ratios of yeast RNA, preparation and properties of thymus DNA, and electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation. The experiments which involve chemical and enzymatic analyses are performed by calorimetric, electrometric, electrophoretic, chromatographic, radioisotopic, viscometric, and respirometric techniques. Each chapter corresponds to one laboratory experiment; it is subdivided into an introduction, problems, references, an experimental section, questions with answers in the appendix and procedures with materials. The pages are perforated so that the student may hand in the notebook with answers to the questions on the experimental work. Throughout the book the wealth of recent information is fairly critically presented, and a guide to much of the older work is provided by the references. The book is planned to do a job and will prove of inestimable value to the user and should go a long way in introducing the student to the fascinating field of biochemistry. GEORGE WIENER,
Pfizer, Inc., Brooklyn,
New York
11206
Laboratory Techniques in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Volume 2. Edited by T. S. WORK AND E. WORK. Amer. Elsevier, New York, 1970. v + 400 pp. $24.00. This book is the second of a projected series of publications on laboratory techniques. The first volume contains articles on “Electrophoresis of Proteins in Polyacrylamide and Starch Gels,” “An Introduction to Gel Chromatography,” and “Immunochemical Techniques for the Identification and Estimation of Macromolecules.” The second volume contains sections on “Automated Enzyme Assays” and “Cellulosic Ion-Exchangers.”
498
BOOK REVIEWS
According to the editors, each book is “. . . designed as a laboratory handbook to be used at the bench,” They have been partially successful in achieving this goal. After reading these chapters, one should be able to apply the respective techniques to specific problems. However, volume 2 is not a laboratory manual in the usual sense, since no specific experiments are provided which the user can perform. The first section deals with the subject of “Automated Enzyme Assays.” It represents one of the first comprehensive attempts to discuss the state of the art in this area of laboratory automation. The article will introduce everyone to the principles of automatically assaying any enzyme, rather than just to those of human serum. In this respect, it is written for the nonspecialist, and is designed to show how to measure enzymes, rather than how to characterize enzymes. Much of the information is based on the author’s experience with the use of a specific automatic instrument. However, the article contains generally useful information which is applicable to any available automatic system. Nine chapters are contained in this section. The first one clearly describes the principles and terminology of enzyme automation, while the last one describes a general approach for assay of any enzyme. A series of appendices also is included. Each appendix provides extremely useful information. For example, one contains a list of published references to specific papers on automated enzyme assays, including those of interest to clinical chemists. The author stresses the importance of computerization of data, and he has included a computer program which can be adapted for any enzyme assay. A list of manufacturers of automatic enzyme assay equipment and a comprehensive list of references is provided at the end of the article. Any laboratory scientist should be able to set up an automated assay procedure after reading this excellent treatise: The author has been successful in achieving his goal. The second section of this book covers the subject of cellulose derivatives for ion-exchange column chromatography. As is obvious from the title, this article covers a fairly narrow sampling of the available techniques for separation of macromolecules. Both cationic and anionic adsorbents are discussed. Quality control in adsorbents is stressed. Preparation of adsorbents, column packing, selection of buffers and elution systems, sample preparation and application, and, finally, assay of the column fractions all are treated in depth. One chapter contains general guidelines for setting up a column system for the separation of crude mixtures of macromolecules for specific separation problems. The last chapter describes fractionation procedures for analysis of a few specific proteins and polynucleotides. A discussion of the analysis of radiolabeled macromolecules was very brief. This is unfortunate, since isotopes are widely used in conjunction with studies on macromolecules. A list of suppliers of cellulose ion-exchangers is provided. Finally, a limited number of references are supplied at the end of this section. The list is not comprehensive. To appreciate fully the information contained in these two articles, a good understanding of the principles of enzymes and chromatography is required; those
BOOK
499
REVIEWS
without it will have to consult basic texts on these subjects before useful information can be gleaned from the subject matter. The book is highly recommended for all libraries who service a researchoriented scientific staff. The high cost of the book will limit its accessibility to the individual. However, each of the articles contained in Volume 2 will be published under separate cover at considerably less cost. IRWIN L. SHAPIRO, Biochemistry Section, .I. T. Baker Chemical Co.,
Phillimburg,
New Jersey 08865