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Methods in Molecular Biology,Volume 50,Species Diagnostic Protocols: PCR and Other Nucleic Acid Methods.Edited by Justin P. Clapp . Humana Press, Totowa, New Jersey, 1996. 416 pp., $69.50
ANALYTICAL BIOCHEMISTRY ARTICLE NOS.
242, 283–286 (1996)
0469–0473
BOOK REVIEWS Methods in Molecular Biology, Volume 50, Species Diagnostic Protocols: PCR and Other Nucleic Acid Methods. Edited by JUSTIN P. CLAPP. Humana Press, Totowa, New Jersey, 1996. 416 pp., $69.50. This volume is part of an extensive, protocol-based series of technique books in molecular biology. The book is a compilation of chapters, each written by a different set of authors on very specific species identification protocols. Because it represents the 50th volume in this series in the past 6 years, readers must have found the general approach useful. Each chapter has a brief introduction, followed by a cookbook-style protocol section describing the specific analysis and ending with a notes section. I found the individual chapters to be well written with the protocols relatively easy to follow. The chapters are generally focused on the use of a very specific procedure and a very limited range of species. In many cases these procedures can be extended to a broader range of species. The notes section will prove invaluable in providing the technical details that may help with alterations in experimental design. The volume begins with three chapters describing isolation of DNA from plants, insects, and vertebrates. The fourth chapter is also a fairly general one which deals with a statistical approach for analyzing the data from arbitrary primed DNA fragments or randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). Later in the volume there are three separate chapters that deal with specific approaches for using RAPD to look at specific questions of species identification. Chapters 5 through 9 deal with identification of various viruses, including phytopathogenic viruses, HIV, HPV, and Dengue virus. The other 17 chapters are all concerned with identification of species ranging from prokaryotes through a number of eukaryotes. Each chapter focuses on a very specific technical approach to species identification. While some apply these
Enzymology Primer for Recombinant DNA Technology. HYONE-MYONG EUN. Academic Press, San Diego, 1996. 685 pp., $125.00. Although there are many excellent books containing detailed recombinant DNA protocols, the attention given to the central players in these protocols, the enzymes, particularly those involved in nucleic acid metabolism, is usually rather brief. This book specifically addresses this deficiency and is intentionally designed to complement the technical manuals. Its stated aim is to provide ‘‘a quick reference source to the biochemical, biophysical, and catalytic properties of selected enzymes.’’ The well-organized and detailed information provided here achieves that goal. Moreover, the advantages and disadvantages of similar enzymes are discussed in sufficient detail so that the researcher can properly choose the best enzyme for a particular application. The book contains an introductory chapter that gives a general and reasonably concise introduction to enzymes and nucleic acids. The remaining seven chapters provide detailed accounts of most of the enzymes commonly used in recombinant DNA work. These
techniques to fairly general groups of species, such as microorganisms or fungi, others focus on one, very specific species. There are two different approaches for identifying mosquito species, for instance, and a chapter on distinguishing African from European honeybees. A number of the chapters deal with species identification organisms that impact directly on important health and economic issues and which may be of relatively broad use directly as written. Many more researchers may be more interested in learning some of the specifics of the techniques and adapting those protocols to other species of interest to their own research programs. Other than RAPDs, there are technical descriptions for a number of PCR and hybridization protocols to detect known polymorphisms with specific probes, methods for using RAPD or differential hybridization strategies for isolating new species-specific probes, and analysis by PCR, RFLP, SSCP, or sequence analysis. There are certainly a number of alternative technical approaches to many of these procedures that are not covered in the volume, but the book provides a broad range of approaches to different problems. I would have liked to see a more general introduction to the volume that might have discussed some of the general procedures used in the field and which would have presented the benefits and drawbacks of the methods presented. Although much of this information may be in the text, it would be laborious for a reader trying to gain an introduction to this subject to sort out how and why one procedure might be more useful than another for their own system. However, despite the lack of an overview, I found the work to be concise and informative, and the protocols to be easy to follow for those who can use them directly. PRESCOTT DEININGER Louisiana State University Medical Center
include DNA and RNA ligases, various nucleases and restriction endonucleases, DNA methylases, DNA and RNA polymerases, alkaline phosphatases, polynucleotide kinase, and also common reporter enzymes including b-galactosidase, b-lactamase, chloramphenicol acetyltransferase, and both bacterial and firefly luciferases. Appendices briefly describe current molecular biological methods, commonly used Escherichia coli strains and genetic nomenclature, and tips on handling enzymes. The book is not designed to provide a comprehensive description of all enzymes involved in nucleic acid metabolism, but rather highlights those enzymes that are currently the workhorses of recombinant DNA technology. Sections describing each enzyme are designed to be accessed rapidly and consulted independently. Each section presents information on both functional aspects (optimal reaction conditions and requirements, unit definition, substrate specificity, and mechanism) of the enzyme and applications with typical examples. These discussions are quite helpful in determining the proper choice of enzyme for a particular application. Also, information on the structure of both the enzyme and the gene coding for it, 283
0003-2697/96 $18.00 Copyright q 1996 by Academic Press, Inc. All rights of reproduction in any form reserved.
AID
AB BKRV /
6m22$$$381
10-24-96 00:18:14
aba
AP: Anal Bio
242, 283–286 (1996)
0469–0473
BOOK REVIEWS Methods in Molecular Biology, Volume 50, Species Diagnostic Protocols: PCR and Other Nucleic Acid Methods. Edited by JUSTIN P. CLAPP. Humana Press, Totowa, New Jersey, 1996. 416 pp., $69.50. This volume is part of an extensive, protocol-based series of technique books in molecular biology. The book is a compilation of chapters, each written by a different set of authors on very specific species identification protocols. Because it represents the 50th volume in this series in the past 6 years, readers must have found the general approach useful. Each chapter has a brief introduction, followed by a cookbook-style protocol section describing the specific analysis and ending with a notes section. I found the individual chapters to be well written with the protocols relatively easy to follow. The chapters are generally focused on the use of a very specific procedure and a very limited range of species. In many cases these procedures can be extended to a broader range of species. The notes section will prove invaluable in providing the technical details that may help with alterations in experimental design. The volume begins with three chapters describing isolation of DNA from plants, insects, and vertebrates. The fourth chapter is also a fairly general one which deals with a statistical approach for analyzing the data from arbitrary primed DNA fragments or randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). Later in the volume there are three separate chapters that deal with specific approaches for using RAPD to look at specific questions of species identification. Chapters 5 through 9 deal with identification of various viruses, including phytopathogenic viruses, HIV, HPV, and Dengue virus. The other 17 chapters are all concerned with identification of species ranging from prokaryotes through a number of eukaryotes. Each chapter focuses on a very specific technical approach to species identification. While some apply these
Enzymology Primer for Recombinant DNA Technology. HYONE-MYONG EUN. Academic Press, San Diego, 1996. 685 pp., $125.00. Although there are many excellent books containing detailed recombinant DNA protocols, the attention given to the central players in these protocols, the enzymes, particularly those involved in nucleic acid metabolism, is usually rather brief. This book specifically addresses this deficiency and is intentionally designed to complement the technical manuals. Its stated aim is to provide ‘‘a quick reference source to the biochemical, biophysical, and catalytic properties of selected enzymes.’’ The well-organized and detailed information provided here achieves that goal. Moreover, the advantages and disadvantages of similar enzymes are discussed in sufficient detail so that the researcher can properly choose the best enzyme for a particular application. The book contains an introductory chapter that gives a general and reasonably concise introduction to enzymes and nucleic acids. The remaining seven chapters provide detailed accounts of most of the enzymes commonly used in recombinant DNA work. These
techniques to fairly general groups of species, such as microorganisms or fungi, others focus on one, very specific species. There are two different approaches for identifying mosquito species, for instance, and a chapter on distinguishing African from European honeybees. A number of the chapters deal with species identification organisms that impact directly on important health and economic issues and which may be of relatively broad use directly as written. Many more researchers may be more interested in learning some of the specifics of the techniques and adapting those protocols to other species of interest to their own research programs. Other than RAPDs, there are technical descriptions for a number of PCR and hybridization protocols to detect known polymorphisms with specific probes, methods for using RAPD or differential hybridization strategies for isolating new species-specific probes, and analysis by PCR, RFLP, SSCP, or sequence analysis. There are certainly a number of alternative technical approaches to many of these procedures that are not covered in the volume, but the book provides a broad range of approaches to different problems. I would have liked to see a more general introduction to the volume that might have discussed some of the general procedures used in the field and which would have presented the benefits and drawbacks of the methods presented. Although much of this information may be in the text, it would be laborious for a reader trying to gain an introduction to this subject to sort out how and why one procedure might be more useful than another for their own system. However, despite the lack of an overview, I found the work to be concise and informative, and the protocols to be easy to follow for those who can use them directly. PRESCOTT DEININGER Louisiana State University Medical Center
include DNA and RNA ligases, various nucleases and restriction endonucleases, DNA methylases, DNA and RNA polymerases, alkaline phosphatases, polynucleotide kinase, and also common reporter enzymes including b-galactosidase, b-lactamase, chloramphenicol acetyltransferase, and both bacterial and firefly luciferases. Appendices briefly describe current molecular biological methods, commonly used Escherichia coli strains and genetic nomenclature, and tips on handling enzymes. The book is not designed to provide a comprehensive description of all enzymes involved in nucleic acid metabolism, but rather highlights those enzymes that are currently the workhorses of recombinant DNA technology. Sections describing each enzyme are designed to be accessed rapidly and consulted independently. Each section presents information on both functional aspects (optimal reaction conditions and requirements, unit definition, substrate specificity, and mechanism) of the enzyme and applications with typical examples. These discussions are quite helpful in determining the proper choice of enzyme for a particular application. Also, information on the structure of both the enzyme and the gene coding for it, 283
0003-2697/96 $18.00 Copyright q 1996 by Academic Press, Inc. All rights of reproduction in any form reserved.
AID
AB BKRV /
6m22$$$381
10-24-96 00:18:14
aba
AP: Anal Bio