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Modern Size-Exclusion Liquid Chromatography
95
Gel Chromatography: Theory, Methodology, Applications by T Kremmer and L Boross. pp 299. John Wiley and Sons. 1979. £16.50 ISBN 0-471-99548-7
Modern Size-Exclusion Liquid Chromatography by W W Yah, J J Kirkland and D D Bly. pp 476. John Wiley and Sons. 1979. £15 ISBN 0-471-03387-1 Both these books deal with the theory and practice of chromatography in porous media, but there is very little overlap between them. This reflects the way in which the subject has been devdoped, in one direction by biochemists primarily interested in separating naturally-occurring macromolecules and in the other direction by chemists concerned with the fractionation of synthetic polymers and other mixtures of organic compounds. The book by Kremmer and Boross is for biochemists, most of whom continue to call their technique by the mellifluous term 'gel filtration' despite numerous attempts to establish other names for it. These authors deal thoroughly with chromatography in xerogels, which in practice are usually composed of dextran, agarose or polyacrylamide, and are used more often than not to separate proteins, either analytically or preparatively. The gel chromatography of nucleic acids, carbohydrates, small-molecule organic compounds and inorganic ions is also described, as are separations in organic solvents. Plenty of good practical information is included, and the book will be useful in any biochemical laboratory indulging in column chromatography. The book by Yah, Kirkland and Bly, on the other hand, deals with modern aspects of the technique which originally developed under the name of 'gel permeation chromatography'. Discussion is confined to closed systems operated at high pressures and rapid flow rates. The reader is provided with plenty of information about equipment, column packings, operating techniques, and the interpretation of results. Although preparative aspects are mentioned, the technique is essentially of an analytical nature, and the book is primarily for chemists dealing with polymers and other organic molecules. However, the last chapter briefly describes rapid separations of microgram amounts of proteins and other molecules of biological origin, and biochemists with access to the necessary equipment might well find the book of interest to them too. P Andrews
National Institutefor Research in Dair~/ing Shinfield, Reading, Berks, UK
Biochemistry and Pharmacology of Ethanol Edited by E Majchrowicz and E P Noble. 2 vols. pp I 704, II 572. Plenum Press, New York. 1979. $47.50 and $42.50 ISBN 0-306-40125-8 (Vol I) ISBN 0-306-40130-4 (Vol II)
Biochemistry of Alcohol and Alcoholism by L Cricka and P M S Clark. pp 285. Published by Ellis Horwood, and distributed by John Wiley and Sons, Chichester, UK. 1979. £19.50 ISBN 0-853-12131-1 In their respective ways, these volumes are valuable works of reference on a topic that represents one of the major health and social problems in the world today. However the books will probably appeal to different audiences. 'The Biochemistry and Pharmacology of Ethanol' is an excellent, detailed series of review chapters on alcohol-related research. Volume ! concentrates principally on the enzymology of ethanol metabolism, the effects of ethanol on intermediary metabolism and the development of alcohol-related diseases such as liver damage. Considering that alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases were first purified about thirty years ago, one might imagine there were few surprises left in store by these two enzymes. However, the chapters by Vallee, Pietruszko and Weiner reveal otherwise. Volume II is concerned with the physiological, pharmacological and behavioural aspects of alcohol metabolism. In all, there are 1300 pages and fifty-five topical and extensively-referenced chapters. All but four of these chapters are contributed by American authors giving the book a pronounced Western Atlantic bias. The two volumes are undoubtedly an excellent reference work and should be in any medical
BIOCHEMICAL
EDUCATION
8(3)
1980
library. They will be invaluable to those addicted to alcohol research but, because of their detail, are not for the biochemistry student or the general reader. ~The Biochemistry of Alcohol and Alcoholism' provides a catalogue of valuable information on the many biochemical parameters affected by chronic alcohol intake, together with the clinical and psychiatric effects of ethanol abuse. This may make the book sound a somewhat dull, reference work. In fact nothing could be further from the truth. In 250 pages, it provides a very readable account of our current knowledge of alcohol research. Alcohol abuse has been present through many civilizations and we are informed that, in honour of Dionysus, the Greeks first developed 'drinking parties' or 'symposia', a practice that has been adopted by international scientific gatherings. The book begins with the problem of adequately defining alcohol abuse or alcoholism and it is clear that definitions differ markedly around the world. For example, an 'alcoholic' in the United States may only be a 'moderate consumer' in Australia. In addition it is stressed that there is no suitable biochemical test for the detection of alcohol abuse. Subsequent chapters discuss the absorption, metabolism and excretion of alcohol. The final section deals with the effects of ethanol on specific enzyme, hormone and metabolite levels. The book is principally designed as a reference work for clinicians and clinical biochemists and in this respect it succeeds admirably. On another level, though, 'The Biochemistry of Alcohol and Alcoholism' serves as an up-todate introduction to alcohol-related research problems. It provides fascinating, if sometimes disturbing, bed-time reading (with a suitable night-cap of course). Again, though, this book is likely to be of little value to the Honours biochemistry student. A J Turner
Biophysical and Biochemical Information Transfer in Recognition Edited by J H Vassileva-Popova and E V Jensen. pp 875. Plenum Press: New York and London. 1979. $75 ISBN 0-306-40036-7 The first impression of the prospective reader is the sheer size and scope of this volume which represents eighty-six selected contributions presented at The Second International Colloquium on Physical and Chemical Information Transfer in Regulation and Ageing, held at Varna, Bulgaria, 2-8 October 1977. This colloquium used as its background the interrelationship between information transfer, reproduction and development, and ageing. The topics covered are extremely diverse and include the quantum mechanics of biological molecules, enzyme specificity and kinetics, oscillatory reactions, hormone activity and hormone receptors, brain peptides and proteins, adenylate cyclase and cyclic AMP, microtubules, circadian rhythms and, as John Kendrew points out in the foreword, 'even such unorthodox investigations as the study of magnetic field effects and the search for the light guides in biological systems'. Despite this diversity most of the contributions fall into three main areas. First hormonal activity (both polypeptide and steroid hormones) and its relationship to development and ageing, hormone receptors (also discussed in this context), and the mode of action of hormones (cyclic AMP, cyclic GMP, and other mediators); secondly mathematical analysis of data and mathematical modelling; and finally new instrumentation (rapid scanning spectrophotometry, lasers, and stopped flow techniques). The length (4-44 pages) and quality of individual contributions vary enormously as one might expect with a publication of this size and the stated editorial policy to 'impose as few restrictions as possible . . . the responsibility for accuracy, precision, and scientific judgement rests with the individual authors'. Whilst I appreciate the desire to allow authors freedom of scientific expression, I did feel that frequently a more evident guiding hand was necessary - - for example, to allow ' . . . with respect to acidic nuclear proteins, the histones,...' into print is surely taking scientific freedom too far. The value of this text will lie in the value of some excellent individual contributions (too numerous to list here) rather than in any interrelationships it was hoped to draw between disciplines. Although the latter is a commendable goal and was no doubt attained by participants at the colloquium on a personal level there is a noticeable lack of a final section drawing the many presented contributions together into a coherent whole. The round-table discussions which were presumably intended, in part, to achieve this failed, to do so effectively whilst the large (in my opinion too large) diversity of topics makes this a difficult task for the inexperienced reader. Over all this volume provides a useful compendium of recent findings for already knowledgeable researchers. B D Homes
Gel Chromatography: Theory, Methodology, Applications by T Kremmer and L Boross. pp 299. John Wiley and Sons. 1979. £16.50 ISBN 0-471-99548-7
Modern Size-Exclusion Liquid Chromatography by W W Yah, J J Kirkland and D D Bly. pp 476. John Wiley and Sons. 1979. £15 ISBN 0-471-03387-1 Both these books deal with the theory and practice of chromatography in porous media, but there is very little overlap between them. This reflects the way in which the subject has been devdoped, in one direction by biochemists primarily interested in separating naturally-occurring macromolecules and in the other direction by chemists concerned with the fractionation of synthetic polymers and other mixtures of organic compounds. The book by Kremmer and Boross is for biochemists, most of whom continue to call their technique by the mellifluous term 'gel filtration' despite numerous attempts to establish other names for it. These authors deal thoroughly with chromatography in xerogels, which in practice are usually composed of dextran, agarose or polyacrylamide, and are used more often than not to separate proteins, either analytically or preparatively. The gel chromatography of nucleic acids, carbohydrates, small-molecule organic compounds and inorganic ions is also described, as are separations in organic solvents. Plenty of good practical information is included, and the book will be useful in any biochemical laboratory indulging in column chromatography. The book by Yah, Kirkland and Bly, on the other hand, deals with modern aspects of the technique which originally developed under the name of 'gel permeation chromatography'. Discussion is confined to closed systems operated at high pressures and rapid flow rates. The reader is provided with plenty of information about equipment, column packings, operating techniques, and the interpretation of results. Although preparative aspects are mentioned, the technique is essentially of an analytical nature, and the book is primarily for chemists dealing with polymers and other organic molecules. However, the last chapter briefly describes rapid separations of microgram amounts of proteins and other molecules of biological origin, and biochemists with access to the necessary equipment might well find the book of interest to them too. P Andrews
National Institutefor Research in Dair~/ing Shinfield, Reading, Berks, UK
Biochemistry and Pharmacology of Ethanol Edited by E Majchrowicz and E P Noble. 2 vols. pp I 704, II 572. Plenum Press, New York. 1979. $47.50 and $42.50 ISBN 0-306-40125-8 (Vol I) ISBN 0-306-40130-4 (Vol II)
Biochemistry of Alcohol and Alcoholism by L Cricka and P M S Clark. pp 285. Published by Ellis Horwood, and distributed by John Wiley and Sons, Chichester, UK. 1979. £19.50 ISBN 0-853-12131-1 In their respective ways, these volumes are valuable works of reference on a topic that represents one of the major health and social problems in the world today. However the books will probably appeal to different audiences. 'The Biochemistry and Pharmacology of Ethanol' is an excellent, detailed series of review chapters on alcohol-related research. Volume ! concentrates principally on the enzymology of ethanol metabolism, the effects of ethanol on intermediary metabolism and the development of alcohol-related diseases such as liver damage. Considering that alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases were first purified about thirty years ago, one might imagine there were few surprises left in store by these two enzymes. However, the chapters by Vallee, Pietruszko and Weiner reveal otherwise. Volume II is concerned with the physiological, pharmacological and behavioural aspects of alcohol metabolism. In all, there are 1300 pages and fifty-five topical and extensively-referenced chapters. All but four of these chapters are contributed by American authors giving the book a pronounced Western Atlantic bias. The two volumes are undoubtedly an excellent reference work and should be in any medical
BIOCHEMICAL
EDUCATION
8(3)
1980
library. They will be invaluable to those addicted to alcohol research but, because of their detail, are not for the biochemistry student or the general reader. ~The Biochemistry of Alcohol and Alcoholism' provides a catalogue of valuable information on the many biochemical parameters affected by chronic alcohol intake, together with the clinical and psychiatric effects of ethanol abuse. This may make the book sound a somewhat dull, reference work. In fact nothing could be further from the truth. In 250 pages, it provides a very readable account of our current knowledge of alcohol research. Alcohol abuse has been present through many civilizations and we are informed that, in honour of Dionysus, the Greeks first developed 'drinking parties' or 'symposia', a practice that has been adopted by international scientific gatherings. The book begins with the problem of adequately defining alcohol abuse or alcoholism and it is clear that definitions differ markedly around the world. For example, an 'alcoholic' in the United States may only be a 'moderate consumer' in Australia. In addition it is stressed that there is no suitable biochemical test for the detection of alcohol abuse. Subsequent chapters discuss the absorption, metabolism and excretion of alcohol. The final section deals with the effects of ethanol on specific enzyme, hormone and metabolite levels. The book is principally designed as a reference work for clinicians and clinical biochemists and in this respect it succeeds admirably. On another level, though, 'The Biochemistry of Alcohol and Alcoholism' serves as an up-todate introduction to alcohol-related research problems. It provides fascinating, if sometimes disturbing, bed-time reading (with a suitable night-cap of course). Again, though, this book is likely to be of little value to the Honours biochemistry student. A J Turner
Biophysical and Biochemical Information Transfer in Recognition Edited by J H Vassileva-Popova and E V Jensen. pp 875. Plenum Press: New York and London. 1979. $75 ISBN 0-306-40036-7 The first impression of the prospective reader is the sheer size and scope of this volume which represents eighty-six selected contributions presented at The Second International Colloquium on Physical and Chemical Information Transfer in Regulation and Ageing, held at Varna, Bulgaria, 2-8 October 1977. This colloquium used as its background the interrelationship between information transfer, reproduction and development, and ageing. The topics covered are extremely diverse and include the quantum mechanics of biological molecules, enzyme specificity and kinetics, oscillatory reactions, hormone activity and hormone receptors, brain peptides and proteins, adenylate cyclase and cyclic AMP, microtubules, circadian rhythms and, as John Kendrew points out in the foreword, 'even such unorthodox investigations as the study of magnetic field effects and the search for the light guides in biological systems'. Despite this diversity most of the contributions fall into three main areas. First hormonal activity (both polypeptide and steroid hormones) and its relationship to development and ageing, hormone receptors (also discussed in this context), and the mode of action of hormones (cyclic AMP, cyclic GMP, and other mediators); secondly mathematical analysis of data and mathematical modelling; and finally new instrumentation (rapid scanning spectrophotometry, lasers, and stopped flow techniques). The length (4-44 pages) and quality of individual contributions vary enormously as one might expect with a publication of this size and the stated editorial policy to 'impose as few restrictions as possible . . . the responsibility for accuracy, precision, and scientific judgement rests with the individual authors'. Whilst I appreciate the desire to allow authors freedom of scientific expression, I did feel that frequently a more evident guiding hand was necessary - - for example, to allow ' . . . with respect to acidic nuclear proteins, the histones,...' into print is surely taking scientific freedom too far. The value of this text will lie in the value of some excellent individual contributions (too numerous to list here) rather than in any interrelationships it was hoped to draw between disciplines. Although the latter is a commendable goal and was no doubt attained by participants at the colloquium on a personal level there is a noticeable lack of a final section drawing the many presented contributions together into a coherent whole. The round-table discussions which were presumably intended, in part, to achieve this failed, to do so effectively whilst the large (in my opinion too large) diversity of topics makes this a difficult task for the inexperienced reader. Over all this volume provides a useful compendium of recent findings for already knowledgeable researchers. B D Homes