Neuroscience Vol. 71, No. 3, p. 901, 1996
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Elsevier Science Ltd IBRO Printed in Great Britain
Pergamon
BOOK REVIEW
Methods in Enzymoiogy: Vol. 255: Small GTPases and their regulators. Part A: Ras family, 1995, 548pp., Price $99; Vol. 256: Small GTPases and their regulators. Part B: Rho family, 1995, 401 pp., Price $80. Edited by W. E. Balch, C. J. Der and A. Hall. It is a pleasure to write a review on a quality product that i s sold for a reasonable price. Methods in Enzymology is established as one of the major series dealing with m e t h o d o logical aspects of current research. This recognition helps in the attraction of entries from leading laboratories a r o u n d the world. The latest volumes on the ras and rho family of low molecular weight G proteins maintains the very high standard of this series. There has been a rapid expansion of interest in low molecular weight G proteins over the last few years. Small GTPases control diverse cellular processes including growth (ras family), cytoskeletal organization (rho family) and membrane trafficking (rab and A R F families). The editors have devoted a single volume to each of these three areas, although Part C, Proteins involved in transport, has yet to appear on the shelf. Volumes 255 and 256 contain 50 and 39 chapters, respectively, and are divided into four sections:
cation; H. Guanine nucleotide exchange and hydrolysis; IlL Cell expression and analysis in vitro; and IV. Biological activity. The three volumes provide a comprehensive description of techniques used to study low molecular weight G proteins and will constitute the 'gold standard' in this area for m a n y years to come. Moreover, as a large number of the methods used to study one family of small GTPases are frequently applicable to others, m a n y laboratories will wish to purchase all three volumes. Volume 255 on ras proteins will also appeal to an audience with an interest in growth in that it contains methodology used to assay individual enzymes in the M A P k i n a s e cascade including those for raf, mek and c-Jun kinase, together with details of the use of tyrosinephosphorylated proteins in screening bacterial expression libraries for SH2 domains, etc. It is beyond the scope of this review to assess, or even list, the 89 Chapters in the two books. The editors are to be congratulated on having compiled such an authorative series of entries that will ensure that the books give excellent value for money for m a n y years to come.
1. Expression, purification and post-translational modifi-
S. W a t s o n
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