- Email: [email protected]
Valuable references work on amphibian morphogenesis
reviews
7 " I G - March 1985
Valuable reference work on amphibian morphogenesis Amphibian Morphogenesir
by Harold Fax, Human a Press, 1984. $59.50 in USA, $69.50 elsewhere (xv + 301pagea lSBN 08960304,71 This is an unusual book. It has the appearance of a review of amphibian metamorphosis, greatly broadened to include the morphology of amphibian development, and discussed with reference to modern cell biology. The result is a mixture of mostly useful, but some not so useful, information. The volume has four main parts. Some 30 pages are devoted to tables of staged specimens of numerous species of amphibia. This section seems to me to be of use only to museum taxonomists concerned with amphibia.
By far the largest and most useful part, occupying half of the whole book, is the next section on the developmental origin of various organs and tissues. For those who work on amphibia, there is a real need to know the embryological origin, in terms of cells, of various adult organs. This information is to some extent available in Nieuwkoop and Faber's Normal Table of Xenopus. However this source is now old (1956), and has limited references to other literature. Harold Fox's book has assembled useful information on the cellular origins of numerous larval and adult organs, such as the nervous system (including RohonBeard and Mauthner cells), musculature, blood, various glands, etc. There is strong emphasis on changes that occur
Steroid hormones in particular Biological Regulation and Development, Vol. 3B. Hormone Action.
edited by Robert F Goldberger and Keith R. Yamamoto. Plenum Press, 1984. $42.50 (xiii + 312 pages) [SBN 0 306 41442 2 This is the fourth volume of a series on biological regulation and the second devoted specifically to hormone regulation. This proportion adequately reflects the importance of hormonal control for our understanding of biological regulatory mechanisms. Almost all eight chapters in this volume deal with steroid hormones, leaving only one chapter for polypeptide hormones. There is a chapter devoted to the regulation of transcription by the cyclic AMP receptor protein by de Crombrugghe, Busby and Buc. Although, this is not actually a hormonal system and concerns prokaryotic organisms, the review is excellent and represents a clear example of the type of experiments that can be performed in eukaryotes with hormonally regulated systems. It seems improbable that such a subtle mechanism as that used for gene regulation by the cyclic AMP receptor protein in E. coil will not have a
at metamorphosis. The morphological descriptions are accompanied by extensive literature references. The third quarter of the book is, in my view, less successful. It provides a description of cell organeiles, with some discussion of inducers and their relationship to hormones. It is not feasible to review the cell and molecular biology of amphibian development at this level in this space. The result is that much recent molecular investigation of amphibian genes and development is not discussed. The last 30 pages of the book provide over a thousand references on amphibian taxonomy and developmental morphology. The value of this reference list is that it consists mainly of references to what cell and molecular biologists would regard as obscure journals. Thus one sees numerous references to Cape~ and Herpetok;gica, and few, if any, to
and measurements of intracellular receptors and on regulacounterpart in animal ceils. In tion of gene transcription by fact, recent reports on specific steroid hormones. Similar conbinding of steroid hormone tributions can be found in receptors to regulatory ele- several other volumes dealing ments in the neighbourhood of with steroid hormone action hormonally regulated prom- and do not add to the estaboters support the idea that this lished views on the reviewed mechanism has been conserved topics. With some reservations, through evolution. this criticism could also be Unfortunately, very little of extended to the paper on the literature reviewed in most receptors for polypeptide chapters goes beyond 1981. hormones. This limitation is particularly The chapter on steroid horevident in papers on the mole- mones of Achyla, although dealcular mechanisms of hormone ing with a somewhat exotic sysaction, a field that has been tem (or because of that) stimumoving very fast during the lates thoughts on more general past couple of years. Never- aspects of hormonal regulation theless, several chapters and offers a good example of dealing with more biological problems are excellent and fulfil the aim of the editors, Genetic Geography namely to illustrate general regulatory princip]es. In parGenetic Maps 1984: A Comticular, the ambitious chapter by J. R. Tara on evo]utionary pilation of Linkage and aspects of hormone action, Restriction Maps of Generaises a tremendous number of tically Studied Organisms. interesting questions and will Vol. 3. stimulate the reader to think edited by Stephen J. O'Brien, along less conventional lines. Cold Spring Harbor, 1984. The thoughtful chapter on $28.00 in USA, $33.60 elseinsect hormones by G. Richards where(ill + 584 pages) ISBN O and M. Ashburner is very in- 87969 171 9 structive and a pleasure to read, even if progress at the mol- This, the third edition, suggests ecular level has been slow in that C,enet/c Maps is now an this field. More questionable is established biennial and that the inclusion in this volume of Professor O'Brien and his assisthe chapters on characteristics tants have turned a 'good idea'
a journal such as Cell. This is not necessarily a criticism so long as the value of the reference list is appreciated. It is increasingly hard to find a source of references to older embryological work, concerned with the morphology of development, and the list has a substantial use in this context. In summary, this book is of value as a reference work for those concerned with the metamorphosis and morphological origin of tissues and organs in amphibia. The detailed style of presentation makes the book a little turgid to read, but it has the great merit that the morphological facts reviewed are well documented by references to original papers. j. B. GURDON
CRC MolecularEmbryology Group, Dept of Zoologz Downing St. Cam. tnidge, CB2 3E], UK the great variety of functions exerted by the relatively simple class of steroid hormones. A similar effect is fulfilled by the brief chapter on circadian rhythms, that otherwise appears to be borderline in this volume. Except for the reservations mentioned, this book is worth reading, especially for those investigators interested in general ideas and concepts relevant to hormonal regulation. M. BEATO
Physiologtsch-Chemisches lnstitut, Philipps-Univers~t~t, Deutsch. hauss~ 1-2, 1)-3550 Marburg, FRG into an essential reference work. The compilation is now over 500 pages, a distillate of many decades of work by thousands of scientists. It is impossible for a single reviewer to comment upon all the information presented, many of the techniques employed are unfamiliar, the loci nomenclature often cryptic. The idea for this compilation arose from the observation by mammalian geneticists that the linkage relationships of some groups of loci were conserved across species. This conservation appears to have been mainmined since the radiation of the
7 " I G - March 1985
Valuable reference work on amphibian morphogenesis Amphibian Morphogenesir
by Harold Fax, Human a Press, 1984. $59.50 in USA, $69.50 elsewhere (xv + 301pagea lSBN 08960304,71 This is an unusual book. It has the appearance of a review of amphibian metamorphosis, greatly broadened to include the morphology of amphibian development, and discussed with reference to modern cell biology. The result is a mixture of mostly useful, but some not so useful, information. The volume has four main parts. Some 30 pages are devoted to tables of staged specimens of numerous species of amphibia. This section seems to me to be of use only to museum taxonomists concerned with amphibia.
By far the largest and most useful part, occupying half of the whole book, is the next section on the developmental origin of various organs and tissues. For those who work on amphibia, there is a real need to know the embryological origin, in terms of cells, of various adult organs. This information is to some extent available in Nieuwkoop and Faber's Normal Table of Xenopus. However this source is now old (1956), and has limited references to other literature. Harold Fox's book has assembled useful information on the cellular origins of numerous larval and adult organs, such as the nervous system (including RohonBeard and Mauthner cells), musculature, blood, various glands, etc. There is strong emphasis on changes that occur
Steroid hormones in particular Biological Regulation and Development, Vol. 3B. Hormone Action.
edited by Robert F Goldberger and Keith R. Yamamoto. Plenum Press, 1984. $42.50 (xiii + 312 pages) [SBN 0 306 41442 2 This is the fourth volume of a series on biological regulation and the second devoted specifically to hormone regulation. This proportion adequately reflects the importance of hormonal control for our understanding of biological regulatory mechanisms. Almost all eight chapters in this volume deal with steroid hormones, leaving only one chapter for polypeptide hormones. There is a chapter devoted to the regulation of transcription by the cyclic AMP receptor protein by de Crombrugghe, Busby and Buc. Although, this is not actually a hormonal system and concerns prokaryotic organisms, the review is excellent and represents a clear example of the type of experiments that can be performed in eukaryotes with hormonally regulated systems. It seems improbable that such a subtle mechanism as that used for gene regulation by the cyclic AMP receptor protein in E. coil will not have a
at metamorphosis. The morphological descriptions are accompanied by extensive literature references. The third quarter of the book is, in my view, less successful. It provides a description of cell organeiles, with some discussion of inducers and their relationship to hormones. It is not feasible to review the cell and molecular biology of amphibian development at this level in this space. The result is that much recent molecular investigation of amphibian genes and development is not discussed. The last 30 pages of the book provide over a thousand references on amphibian taxonomy and developmental morphology. The value of this reference list is that it consists mainly of references to what cell and molecular biologists would regard as obscure journals. Thus one sees numerous references to Cape~ and Herpetok;gica, and few, if any, to
and measurements of intracellular receptors and on regulacounterpart in animal ceils. In tion of gene transcription by fact, recent reports on specific steroid hormones. Similar conbinding of steroid hormone tributions can be found in receptors to regulatory ele- several other volumes dealing ments in the neighbourhood of with steroid hormone action hormonally regulated prom- and do not add to the estaboters support the idea that this lished views on the reviewed mechanism has been conserved topics. With some reservations, through evolution. this criticism could also be Unfortunately, very little of extended to the paper on the literature reviewed in most receptors for polypeptide chapters goes beyond 1981. hormones. This limitation is particularly The chapter on steroid horevident in papers on the mole- mones of Achyla, although dealcular mechanisms of hormone ing with a somewhat exotic sysaction, a field that has been tem (or because of that) stimumoving very fast during the lates thoughts on more general past couple of years. Never- aspects of hormonal regulation theless, several chapters and offers a good example of dealing with more biological problems are excellent and fulfil the aim of the editors, Genetic Geography namely to illustrate general regulatory princip]es. In parGenetic Maps 1984: A Comticular, the ambitious chapter by J. R. Tara on evo]utionary pilation of Linkage and aspects of hormone action, Restriction Maps of Generaises a tremendous number of tically Studied Organisms. interesting questions and will Vol. 3. stimulate the reader to think edited by Stephen J. O'Brien, along less conventional lines. Cold Spring Harbor, 1984. The thoughtful chapter on $28.00 in USA, $33.60 elseinsect hormones by G. Richards where(ill + 584 pages) ISBN O and M. Ashburner is very in- 87969 171 9 structive and a pleasure to read, even if progress at the mol- This, the third edition, suggests ecular level has been slow in that C,enet/c Maps is now an this field. More questionable is established biennial and that the inclusion in this volume of Professor O'Brien and his assisthe chapters on characteristics tants have turned a 'good idea'
a journal such as Cell. This is not necessarily a criticism so long as the value of the reference list is appreciated. It is increasingly hard to find a source of references to older embryological work, concerned with the morphology of development, and the list has a substantial use in this context. In summary, this book is of value as a reference work for those concerned with the metamorphosis and morphological origin of tissues and organs in amphibia. The detailed style of presentation makes the book a little turgid to read, but it has the great merit that the morphological facts reviewed are well documented by references to original papers. j. B. GURDON
CRC MolecularEmbryology Group, Dept of Zoologz Downing St. Cam. tnidge, CB2 3E], UK the great variety of functions exerted by the relatively simple class of steroid hormones. A similar effect is fulfilled by the brief chapter on circadian rhythms, that otherwise appears to be borderline in this volume. Except for the reservations mentioned, this book is worth reading, especially for those investigators interested in general ideas and concepts relevant to hormonal regulation. M. BEATO
Physiologtsch-Chemisches lnstitut, Philipps-Univers~t~t, Deutsch. hauss~ 1-2, 1)-3550 Marburg, FRG into an essential reference work. The compilation is now over 500 pages, a distillate of many decades of work by thousands of scientists. It is impossible for a single reviewer to comment upon all the information presented, many of the techniques employed are unfamiliar, the loci nomenclature often cryptic. The idea for this compilation arose from the observation by mammalian geneticists that the linkage relationships of some groups of loci were conserved across species. This conservation appears to have been mainmined since the radiation of the