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The biology of marine fungi
International Biodeterioration 23 (1987) 321-323
Book Reviews
The Biology of Marine Fungi. Edited by S. T. Moss, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1986. Price: £27.50. This book is based on papers presented at the Fourth International Marine Mycology Symposium held at Portsmouth, UK in August 1985. The contributions can be broadly grouped into ecology, taxonomy, physiology, and industrial aspects. These provide an interesting blend of major reviews and original research findings which together provide a comprehensive and, I have no doubt, lasting reference work. The book quite naturally is launched by the important consideration of growth of fungi in the sea and here David Jennings discusses some of the properties marine fungi require in order to succeed in what must be considered to be an unpromising environment for fungi. It is interesting to see that the automatically assumed protective role of glycerol and other polyols is not taken for granted. Professor Jennings also draws attention to areas of priority where future experimentation could be very rewarding. This is followed by a useful account of fungal activity in degradation of complex hydrocarbon mixtures, an area previously neglected, whilst Newel et al. examine changes in fungal biomass in Spartina leaves by a variety of methods including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. In a further contribution by the Jennings school it is shown that in vivo activity of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase in the cytoplasm of Dendryphiella salina is apparently little affected by a 321 International Biodeterioration (23) (1987) - - © Elsevier Applied Science Publishers Ltd, England, 1987. Printed in Great Britain.
322
Book reviews
relatively high concentration of sodium chloride in the cytoplasm. Malate dehydrogenase, on the other hand, seems more sensitive, and the significance of in vivo studies are once more emphasized. The chapter by Molitoris and S c h a u m a n n considers the growth and production of a range of enzymes of marine fungi which are then compared with those of terrestrial species. In chapter 6 they evaluate exoenzymes from Lulworthia and show that the genus is perhaps predictably very plastic. Secondary metabolites oflignicolous species are reviewed by Miller and surprisingly they appear to be very limited in range. However, the need to listen carefully to ecologists and to use their observations is seen as the key to the discovery of others. Sadly, space does not allow a detailed consideration of each chapter and this makes reviewing even more difficult than usual since this is a book of exceptional merit. Nevertheless one is'drawn to the outstandingly clear electron micrographs by Stephen Moss and their interesting contribution to phylogenetic speculation in the Labyrinthulales and Thraustochytriales and later the beautifully illustrated account of mycelial adhesion in a range of marine fungi. The editor is to be congratulated on a very well produced volume which is relatively error free. At a price of £27.50 it is difficult to see how any marine mycologist could do without it and as a terrestrial mycologist ! look forward to more enjoyable reading.
A. J. S. Whalley Microbiological Decomposition of Chlorinated Aromatic Compounds. By M. L. Rochkind-Dubinsky, G. S. Sayler and J. W. Blackburn, Marcel Dekker, New York, (Microbiology series, Vol. 18), 1987. This book sets out to give a comprehensive, but not exhaustive, review of the microbial metabolism of chlorinated aromatic compounds. These compounds, which have few naturally occurring analogues have caused considerable concern because of their demonstrable toxicity and resistance to biodegradation. The book is intended as a general reference text for environmentalists, engineers and microbiologists interested in the fate of these potential pollutants. There are 16 chapters covering basic cell physiology and biochemistry, detailed metabolism of the major classes of chlorinated aromatics and finally overviews of the pathways of biodegradation. The authors have assumed nothing in the construction of the text. There is an excellent glossary of terms and an appendix containing an extensive list of the
Book Reviews
The Biology of Marine Fungi. Edited by S. T. Moss, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1986. Price: £27.50. This book is based on papers presented at the Fourth International Marine Mycology Symposium held at Portsmouth, UK in August 1985. The contributions can be broadly grouped into ecology, taxonomy, physiology, and industrial aspects. These provide an interesting blend of major reviews and original research findings which together provide a comprehensive and, I have no doubt, lasting reference work. The book quite naturally is launched by the important consideration of growth of fungi in the sea and here David Jennings discusses some of the properties marine fungi require in order to succeed in what must be considered to be an unpromising environment for fungi. It is interesting to see that the automatically assumed protective role of glycerol and other polyols is not taken for granted. Professor Jennings also draws attention to areas of priority where future experimentation could be very rewarding. This is followed by a useful account of fungal activity in degradation of complex hydrocarbon mixtures, an area previously neglected, whilst Newel et al. examine changes in fungal biomass in Spartina leaves by a variety of methods including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. In a further contribution by the Jennings school it is shown that in vivo activity of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase in the cytoplasm of Dendryphiella salina is apparently little affected by a 321 International Biodeterioration (23) (1987) - - © Elsevier Applied Science Publishers Ltd, England, 1987. Printed in Great Britain.
322
Book reviews
relatively high concentration of sodium chloride in the cytoplasm. Malate dehydrogenase, on the other hand, seems more sensitive, and the significance of in vivo studies are once more emphasized. The chapter by Molitoris and S c h a u m a n n considers the growth and production of a range of enzymes of marine fungi which are then compared with those of terrestrial species. In chapter 6 they evaluate exoenzymes from Lulworthia and show that the genus is perhaps predictably very plastic. Secondary metabolites oflignicolous species are reviewed by Miller and surprisingly they appear to be very limited in range. However, the need to listen carefully to ecologists and to use their observations is seen as the key to the discovery of others. Sadly, space does not allow a detailed consideration of each chapter and this makes reviewing even more difficult than usual since this is a book of exceptional merit. Nevertheless one is'drawn to the outstandingly clear electron micrographs by Stephen Moss and their interesting contribution to phylogenetic speculation in the Labyrinthulales and Thraustochytriales and later the beautifully illustrated account of mycelial adhesion in a range of marine fungi. The editor is to be congratulated on a very well produced volume which is relatively error free. At a price of £27.50 it is difficult to see how any marine mycologist could do without it and as a terrestrial mycologist ! look forward to more enjoyable reading.
A. J. S. Whalley Microbiological Decomposition of Chlorinated Aromatic Compounds. By M. L. Rochkind-Dubinsky, G. S. Sayler and J. W. Blackburn, Marcel Dekker, New York, (Microbiology series, Vol. 18), 1987. This book sets out to give a comprehensive, but not exhaustive, review of the microbial metabolism of chlorinated aromatic compounds. These compounds, which have few naturally occurring analogues have caused considerable concern because of their demonstrable toxicity and resistance to biodegradation. The book is intended as a general reference text for environmentalists, engineers and microbiologists interested in the fate of these potential pollutants. There are 16 chapters covering basic cell physiology and biochemistry, detailed metabolism of the major classes of chlorinated aromatics and finally overviews of the pathways of biodegradation. The authors have assumed nothing in the construction of the text. There is an excellent glossary of terms and an appendix containing an extensive list of the