The Harvey Lectures

The Harvey Lectures

202 1;ooi< REXqEWS The Harvey Lectures, Series XLIX, \OL. 19 (1{~5~>) A c a d e m i c P r e s s I n c . , N e w Y o r k , I()55, 2~)0 p a g e s ,...

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202

1;ooi< REXqEWS

The Harvey Lectures,

Series XLIX,

\OL. 19 (1{~5~>)

A c a d e m i c P r e s s I n c . , N e w Y o r k , I()55, 2~)0 p a g e s ,

p r i c e S 7.5 o. I t is always a pleasure to receive a n e w v o l u n l e {)~' "]'/1# ][arz,vx' ].et'l'llr(~<. T h e lecturers art.* with~mt exception scientists of the highest reputati(m, spealdng on a subject, the a d v a n c e m e n t of which owes much to their own contril)utions. This time the series of lectures is el particul~r interest for l)ioclmmists. No more is llecessarv to r c c o l n l n e n d this series warnlly thrill t() mention the u a m e s of the a u t h o r s and the subjects treated: ('. I:ROS~A(;gOT, The metal/olisln of sulfur and its relations to general metabolism: H. H. \\:EBER, :\denosine t r i p h o s p h a t e and motility (,1 living systems; D. XACHMANSOHN, Metabolism and function of the nerve cell; 1'. NLEMPFRER, The significance of the intermediate substances of tile connective tissue in h u m a n disease; l{. I). HOTCHKISS, The genetic chemistry of tile pneumoeoccal t r a n s f o r m a t i o n s ; B. CHANCE, E n z y m e s in action in living cells: The steady state of reduced pyridine nucleotides; A. L. I.EHNINGER, Oxidative p h o s p h o r y l a t i o n ; L. PAULIX¢, , \ l m o r m a l i t y of hemoglobin molecules in hereditary hemolytic anemias; J. D. HARI~Y, Control of heat loss and heat production in physiologic t e m p e r a ture regulation. t{. (;. K . \ V E S T E N B R I N K (Utrecht)

A n Introduction to Paper Electrophoresis amt Related Methods E l s e v i e r P u b l i s h i n g Co., A m s t e r d a m ,

b y )~{ICHAEL LEDERER,

1955, xii + 206 p p . , 7 ° illus., 37 s. 6 d.

Electrophoresis in filter p a p e r strips has rapidly been developed into an extremely useful m e t h o d . No d o u b t this advance gained its first s t i m u l u s from the t r i u m p h s of p a p e r c h r o m a t o g r a p h y , with which p a p e r electrophoresis has m a n y a d v a n t a g e s in c o m m o n . I n the complicated s y s t e m s to which these separation procedures can be applied it is very valuable t h a t t h e y are based u p o n different properties of the substances u n d e r investigation. Besides, the a d v a n t a g e s of the electrophoretic analysis in the s t u d y of proteins are obvious also in the filter p a p e r technique, where c h r o m a t o g r a p h i c procedures so far have m e t with difficulties. Dr. M. LEDERER, w h o has himself done valuable work in the field, has now published a v e r y useful m o n o g r a p h on the subject. The p a p e r electrophoresis m e t h o d is s o m e w h a t risky, as it a p p e a r s simpler t h a n it is. There are m a n y pitfalls and a certain a m o u n t of "inside information'" has so far been essential to avoid mistakes. In this work Dr. LEDERER has collected i m p o r t a n t d a t a from a large n u m b e r of scattered papers and to this he has added c o m m e n t s based u p o n his own experience and critical judgement. A r a t h e r complete collection of various applications to substances of high and low molecular weight forins the m a j o r p a r t of the m o n o g r a p h b u t t h e o r y and experimental technique are also dealt with in detail. Various m e t h o d s for the q u a n t i tative d e t e r m i n a t i o n of the protein c o m p o n e n t s observed on the strips, for example in tile analysis of serum, are described. There is still much disagreement between various workers a b o u t the degree of accuracy obtainable. The s t a t e m e n t t h a t " t h e value of precise q u a n t i t a t i v e nlethods for clinical purposes is still questionable in m o s t cases" (p. 99) m a y apply to the present situation, b u t I would not be surprised if in the near future precise d e t e r m i n a t i o n s of even small changes, e.g. in y-glolmlin, were to become of considerable interest. P a p e r electrophoresis is related to " c o l u m n electrophoresis" in very m u c h the same w a y as paper c h r o m a t o g r a p h y to column c h r o m a t o g r a p h y . Recent experience in the U p p s a l a l a b o r a t o r y and elsewhere have shown the usefulness of the column electrophoresis technique and of similar " z o n e " m e t h o d s for the separation of larger quantities of material. The a d v a n t a g e s are obvious not only for p r e p a r a t i v e p u r p o s e s b u t also because of the greater resolution and b e t t e r definition. I t is therefore satisfying t h a t the a u t h o r has included also these new zone methods, which offer great promise. Dr. LEDERER'S m o n o g r a p h should be very useful to a n y b o d y who wishes to become acquainted with the m a n y possibilities of the new forms of electrophoresis m e t h o d s and needs some advice in technical matters, an u n d e r s t a n d i n g of which is essential for successful work in this field. Al~XE TISELIUS (Uppsala)