- Email: [email protected]
Microbial and molecular genetics 2nd ed
294
Cell Biology
international
Reports,
Vol. 2, No. 3, 1978
THE MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE MAMMALIAN GENETIC APPARATUS P .O .P. TS’O Editor 2 Vols . North Holland Publishing Amsterdam 1977 pp. XX-444 and XXV-333
Co.
These two volumes contain forty seven research papers delivered at a Symposium held at Caltech in December 1975. A final chapter “My life as a chromosomologist” by J. Bonner, whom the Symposium was honouring on his 65th birthday, makes most entertaining and illuminating reading. The Symposium brought together most of the leading researchers on chromatin structure and function, and a few Leaving out the Chapters by the latter, in other fields. because not of quality but of relevance to the rest, there are nineteen chapters mainly on nucleosomes, their chemistry, structure, distribution along the the chromosome and between possible functions etc; eight on non-histone proteins, tissues, including “capping” of n-RNA; nine on various features of DNA, repetitive sequences, gene cloning, transciptional units etc. and the remainder on topics ranging from oncogenesis to cell senescence, from somatic cell genetics to tissue specific cell surface antigens. It is difficult to imagine a more comprehensive statement of what was established and what were the problems on chromosome structure and function up to two years ago. G. Pontecorvo
MICROBIAL and MOLECULAR GENETICS J. R. Fincham pp. VIII - 150 2nd Ed. Hodder & Stoughton, London 1976 Paperback 22.25, Hardback di3.95 This second edition of Fincham’s excellent introductory booklet appeared 11 years after the first. It preserves the previous good features of being concise, accurate and inquisitive . An additional Chapter treats adequately the remarkable recent developments based on biochemical (restriction enzymes) complementary annealing of fragmentation of nucleic acids, specific segments and introduction of them into plasmid vectors.
Ceil Biology
International
Reports,
295
Vol. 2, No. 3, 1978
This booklet is certainly unequalled as a stimulus an introduction of the keen student towards the branch genetics which has revolutionised biological thought.
to, of
and
This said, minor criticisms are needed. First, it will surprise the older reader to find that neither H. J. Muller nor C. Auerbach are mentioned in the Chapter on mutation or in It is in my view didactically wrong to bow to the References. the antihistorical ruthlessness of young persons in a hurry. Second, there is no mention of the somatic cell genetics methodology, originated with microorganisms, the basis for the only major practical application so far of microbial genetics to human genetics. These two, and minor other flaws can be easily put straight in a third edition, most desirable within a shorter time than the second. G. Pontecorvo GENETIC Lawrence - 235
ENGINEERING: E. Karp, M.D.,
Threat Nelson
or Promise? - Hall, Chicago
1976 pp.
XVII
Alluring topical titles with little relation to content are now rampant. At the start “genetic engineering” is defined as “the art or science of making practical application of the pure scienc.e of genetics”. Such a definition should include all practical applications, both “instructive” and “selective”, of genetics not only to humans but to animal, plant and microbial breeding and many other fields. It thus ignores that the common use (or misuse?) of “genetic engineering” is limited to instructive changes of genotype, especially by means of the hybrid-DNA techniques. In spite of his own wide definition, the author on the one hand restricts himself to human genetics and on the other hand feels at liberty to deal with medical genetic diagnosis and therapy, with the practice and ethics of prenatal diagnosis, with genetic counselling, with sex determination, and with artificial insemination, in vitro fertilisation, parthenogenesis and so on, As a popular statement, somewhat anecdoctical, paternalistic and not always correct, of the art and science of medical genetics, this book makes good reading. Its science fiction digressions are amusing and harmless. It may even help the Homo sapiens in the street towards a less emotional approach to the current heated debates. G. Pontecorvo
Cell Biology
international
Reports,
Vol. 2, No. 3, 1978
THE MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE MAMMALIAN GENETIC APPARATUS P .O .P. TS’O Editor 2 Vols . North Holland Publishing Amsterdam 1977 pp. XX-444 and XXV-333
Co.
These two volumes contain forty seven research papers delivered at a Symposium held at Caltech in December 1975. A final chapter “My life as a chromosomologist” by J. Bonner, whom the Symposium was honouring on his 65th birthday, makes most entertaining and illuminating reading. The Symposium brought together most of the leading researchers on chromatin structure and function, and a few Leaving out the Chapters by the latter, in other fields. because not of quality but of relevance to the rest, there are nineteen chapters mainly on nucleosomes, their chemistry, structure, distribution along the the chromosome and between possible functions etc; eight on non-histone proteins, tissues, including “capping” of n-RNA; nine on various features of DNA, repetitive sequences, gene cloning, transciptional units etc. and the remainder on topics ranging from oncogenesis to cell senescence, from somatic cell genetics to tissue specific cell surface antigens. It is difficult to imagine a more comprehensive statement of what was established and what were the problems on chromosome structure and function up to two years ago. G. Pontecorvo
MICROBIAL and MOLECULAR GENETICS J. R. Fincham pp. VIII - 150 2nd Ed. Hodder & Stoughton, London 1976 Paperback 22.25, Hardback di3.95 This second edition of Fincham’s excellent introductory booklet appeared 11 years after the first. It preserves the previous good features of being concise, accurate and inquisitive . An additional Chapter treats adequately the remarkable recent developments based on biochemical (restriction enzymes) complementary annealing of fragmentation of nucleic acids, specific segments and introduction of them into plasmid vectors.
Ceil Biology
International
Reports,
295
Vol. 2, No. 3, 1978
This booklet is certainly unequalled as a stimulus an introduction of the keen student towards the branch genetics which has revolutionised biological thought.
to, of
and
This said, minor criticisms are needed. First, it will surprise the older reader to find that neither H. J. Muller nor C. Auerbach are mentioned in the Chapter on mutation or in It is in my view didactically wrong to bow to the References. the antihistorical ruthlessness of young persons in a hurry. Second, there is no mention of the somatic cell genetics methodology, originated with microorganisms, the basis for the only major practical application so far of microbial genetics to human genetics. These two, and minor other flaws can be easily put straight in a third edition, most desirable within a shorter time than the second. G. Pontecorvo GENETIC Lawrence - 235
ENGINEERING: E. Karp, M.D.,
Threat Nelson
or Promise? - Hall, Chicago
1976 pp.
XVII
Alluring topical titles with little relation to content are now rampant. At the start “genetic engineering” is defined as “the art or science of making practical application of the pure scienc.e of genetics”. Such a definition should include all practical applications, both “instructive” and “selective”, of genetics not only to humans but to animal, plant and microbial breeding and many other fields. It thus ignores that the common use (or misuse?) of “genetic engineering” is limited to instructive changes of genotype, especially by means of the hybrid-DNA techniques. In spite of his own wide definition, the author on the one hand restricts himself to human genetics and on the other hand feels at liberty to deal with medical genetic diagnosis and therapy, with the practice and ethics of prenatal diagnosis, with genetic counselling, with sex determination, and with artificial insemination, in vitro fertilisation, parthenogenesis and so on, As a popular statement, somewhat anecdoctical, paternalistic and not always correct, of the art and science of medical genetics, this book makes good reading. Its science fiction digressions are amusing and harmless. It may even help the Homo sapiens in the street towards a less emotional approach to the current heated debates. G. Pontecorvo