Microtubules: constructing cellular highways

MISCELLANEA

Two features characterize

Microtubules:

tubule

cellular highways

and

newer

aspects

and

such

as centro-

microtubule

motors.

I

especially liked the coverage of more ‘traditional’ topics such as tubulin

Microtubules

structure, tubulin-drug interactions, tubulin isoforms and non-motor

5. Hyams and Clive

W. Lloyd, Wiley-L&

research. Second, it is well bal-

somes

7 994. $89.95

(439 pages) ISBN 0 477 567 93 2

MAPS. These covered

fields

have

by extensive

long time,

but they

reviews

I found,

for

overlap

be-

a significant

tween the superfamily mediated

chapter on the kinesin and the one on kinesin-

organelle

transport.

Despite these criticisms, Microtubules will certainly be welcomed by people on these cytoskeletal

students or postdocs entering

the field

because

to learn

a

The discoveries

isoforms

the

themselves).

for

exciting

nately, neither the review on tubulin structure nor the chapter on tubulin discusses

modern

structures,

During the past decade, microtubule research has started to blossom again. instability

motors example,

already working

and essential for understanding microtubule behaviour in cells. Unfortu-

of dynamic

more

been

not

remain

covering

topics and especially molecular motors, the book is somewhat redundant (but not as redundant as the

anced between traditional subjects of microtubule biology and biochemistry

constructing

edited by jeremy

chapters

this book.

First, it is quite comprehensive and covers almost all aspects of micro-

question

of

and especially by graduate it will

allow

them

quickly both classical data and the new and exciting developments. Any subject

left uncovered

can be easily

found in current reviews and original articles. The editors of this book have

Vladimir I. Gelfand Dept of Cell and

and motor proteins are just two of many possible examples of recent

post-translational modifications of the tubulin molecule (although a brief

done a great job putting under one cover a long-awaited and compre-

Structural Biology,

advances.

treatment of this can be found under microtubule stabilization). In the

hensive source of information about many aspects of microtubule biology.

Illinois, Urbana,

Keeping

abreast

explosion of new information access to a good reference

of

the

requires covering

University of IL 61801, USA.

the whole field of microtubule research. Microtubules nicely fills the gap between

general textbooks

as Cell Movements

(such initial

by D. Bray) and

sections

cover

tubulin

aspects of microtubules

do not belong

in living cells.

Lymphocyte Activation (Chemical Immunology 59)

Each chapter provides most essential information in its area and refers the reader

to original

edited by L. E. Same/son, (220 pages)

reading.

ISBN 3 8055

in the

and mast

Karger,

with

cytoplasmic

3

of trans-

domains

associated with kinases. These

domains

5976

to the family

membrane receptor tyrosine kinases, but are multimolecular complexes valently tyrosine

1994. DM 251.00/~168.00

articles for further

to

factors to

cell activation p and B cell antigen receptors (TCRs and BCRs) and FceRI]

biochemistry

and genetics, microtubule-associated proteins, and structural and functional

through

early phases of lymphocyte

transduction

these areas. The book’s

activation

of transcription

gene regulatory sequences. The key receptors involved

Translucent

experts actively working in their particular areas of research, and in many cases founded

receptor

the binding

more specialized reviews and original articles. The authors who have contributed to this book are well-known

contain

(tyrosine-based

nonco-

intracellular cytoplasmic

specific

activation

motifs

or antigen

receptor homology motifs) become tyrosine phosphorylated

The tubulin section not only describes the structures of the conven-

that and

tional tubulin molecule and y-tubulin, but also contains reviews on regu-

There have been great advances in the field of signal transduction over the

function as docking sites for members of the Src or ZAP-70/Syk families of

lation

past decade. Particularly

tyrosine classic

of tubulin

synthesis,

tubulin-

specific drugs, genetics of tubulin forms, and dynamics

iso-

of microtubules

been the emergence mon themes

gratifying

has

of some com-

in organisms

as diverse

in vitro. The section on microtubuleassociated proteins contains reviews on most of the ‘conventional’ micro-

as Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila and mammals. In these organisms a number of receptors for cell surface

tubule-associated proteins of neural and non-neural origin, as well as chap-

molecules or growth factors have been identified as transmembrane

ters on cytoplasmic and flagellar dyneins

tyrosine

and proteins of the kinesin family. surprisingly,

the final

Not

‘physiological’

section is the most diverse one. Its broad coverage includes microtubule formation in the cell (dynamics of elongation and regulation of centrosome function), plant microtubules, and

microtubule

functions

in

or-

ganelle transport, flagellar motility, and mitosis (kinetochore structure and the role of microtubules in mitosis).

kinases.

Ligand

induces the dimerization

binding

or clustering

of these receptors, leading to the transphosphorylation of their cytoplasmic domains. Enzymes or adapter molecules

dock

onto

the

tyrosine-

kinases. As in the case of the receptor tyrosine kinases,

oligomerization

of TCRs or BCRs leads

to the formation of multimolecular signalling complexes. In this volume, Weissman has written a beautiful review of the multisubunit nalling

TCR complex functions.

and

Peri and

its sigVeillette

describe the tyrosine kinases involved in signalling via the TCR and the CD4 and CD8 coreceptors, while Thomas’ group focuses on tyrosine phosphatases

(CD45,

phosphatases

phosphorylated cytoplasmic tails, forming multimolecular signalling

taining proline-rich sequences phosphatases containing

complexes

domains).

that generate

a number

of

second messengers. Certain distal pathways, particularly the Ras pathway, have been mapped in detail from

TRENDS IN CELL BIOLOGY VOL. 5 MAY 1995

present

conand SH2

De Franc0 and colleagues

a lucid chapter

on the struc-

ture and function of the BCR, and Adamczewski and Kinet describe the

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