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BOOK REVIEWS Annual Review of Biochemistry. Volume 28. J. MURRAY helpful to students who use these books in their study and U’. ALLEN, to those who are not very familiar with the field. LUCK,Editor, Stanford University, FRANK Associate Editor, University of California, and GORDON UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER MACKINSEY, Associate Editor, University of California. SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND DENTISTRY Annual Reviews, Inc., Grant Avenue, Palo Alto, Cali- DEPARTMENT GuIno V. MARINETTI OF BIOCHEMISTRY 698 pp. 16 X 23 cm. Price, $7.00 ROCHESTER, fornia, 1959. vii NEWYORK (U.S.A.);$7.50 (elsewhere). The ever-increasing field of Biochemistry is placing greater demands for review articles but a t the same time necessitates the restriction of such reviews if the volumes are not to The Molecular Basis of Evolution. By CHRISTIANB. ASFINSEN,National Heart Institute, National Institutes become too bulky to handle. Review articles are hence of Health, Bethesda 14, Maryland. John Wiley and Sons, for the most part limited in scope and in content. These Inc., 440 Fourth Avenue, New Sork 16, N. Y . 1959. limitations hold true for the present volume of Annual Rexiii 228 pp. 15.5 X 23.5 cm. Price, $7.00. view of Biochemistry. This edition however lives up to the quality of the previous books in this series and will serve as a Not only chemists, but also biologists are still largely unvaluable reference book. aware of the startling advances which have been made in The content of this book is as follows: the chemistry of recent years in the understanding of life processes, for it is Carbohydrates (sugar amines, mucopolysaccharides, analytinot yet widely known that the application of molecular cal methods, biosynthesis of cellulose); lipides (chromatog- structure to biochemistry and genetics promises today to raphy of unsaturated fatty acids, characterization and bio- lead to the solution of some of the classical problems of synthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, and methods, struc- biology. Three 19th centui y discoveries form the foundature and synthesis of phosphatides); amino acid and peption of the new discipline of molecular biology: Mendel’s tide chemistry (terminal amino acid analysis, peptide syn- discovery of genes, Miescher’s discovery of deoxyribonucleic thesis, and amino acids and peptides of natural origin); acid and the Buchners’ discovery of cell-free fermentation. structure of proteins (amino acid analysis, end group analysis, The specialized fields of research which these discoveries isolation procedures, structure of several proteins); protein engendered became spiritually united in the 1940’s when biosynthesis (amino acid activation, polypeptide formation, the notion gained currency that genes are made up of desite of protein synthesis and role of nucleic acids in protein oxyribonucleic acid and that they do their work by consynthesis); carbohydrate metabolism (role of uridine deriva- trolling the synthesis of enzymes. The central problem of tives, glycolysis, fermentation, gluconeogenesis, citric acid molecular biology then came to be phrased in terms of three cycle, pentose phosphate pathway, amino sugars, photo- questions about deoxyribonucleic acid: How does it carry synthesis, enzymatic and hormone regulation); amino acid genetic information, how does it reproduce itself, and how nzetabolism (qualitative alteration of proteins in cells, type does it direct the ordered copolymerization of amino acid reactions of amino acids, amino acid oxidation, and mebuilding blocks into specific enzyme proteins? Although tabolism of specific amino acids); metabolism of steroids none of these questions have as yet been answered in a com(adrenal steroids, androgens, estrogens, bile acids); bio- pletely decisive manner, a very extensive amount of relechemistry of carcinogenesis (radiation, chemical, viruses); vant knowledge already has accumulated, so that certain clinical biochemistry (diabetes, galactosemia, plasma pro- possibilities a t least, have been eliminated from consideration. teins, lipids, serotonin, epinephrine, urticaria pigmentosa, The well-known protein chemist C. B. Anfinsen is the first gout, copper and iron metabolism in disease); biochemistry of to have attempted an integrated exposition of this knowlgenetic factors (nature and mode of action, DNA replication, edge. To be sure, the 1956 McCollumn Pratt Symposium inducible enzymes, arrangement and function); biosynthesis entitled “The Chemical Basis of Heredity” is already in of nucleic acids, purines, and pyrimidines; water-soluble print, but this weighty tome, a collection of rather technical zmitamins (chemistry and metabolism); nutvition (essential papers, makes heavy reading for the uninitiated. Anfinsen, fatty acids, atherosclerosis, function of fat-soluble vitamins, in contrast, covers the same ground in a breezy style, makA , D, E, K; mineral metabolism; oxygenases and hydroly- ing use of many well-chosen and excellent illustrations. ses (aromatic rings, non-enzymatic hydrolysis catalyzed by In less than 200 pages he manages to present a very comiron compounds. peroxidase); metabolism of connective tissue plete and amazingly up-to-date account of molecular bi(mucoids, sugar nucleotides, sialic acid, activation and trans- ology, missing almost none of the important theoiies or fer of sulfate, synthesis of the glycosidic bond); neurochemis- crucial experiments. The book opens with elementary try (chemistry and structure of nerve tissue with respect to reviews of evolution and classical genetics and then comes lipids and mucolipids; polysaccharides, metabolism of to the point with discussions of nucleic acid chemistry, nucleic brain lipids, proteins and carbohydrates); and biochemistry acid replication, and genetic fine structure. Subsequent in the U.S.S.R. chapters treat the chemical structure of proteins in relation This volumc also contains a provocative prefactory to biological activity, speciation, mutation, and fidelity of chapter by Terroine on fifty years of union between bio- synthesis. The final chapters concern the present knowlchemistry and physiology. Young scientists can profit by edge of the mechanism of protein biosynthesis and the posthe experience of this distinguished man in the field of re- sible relation of all the foregoing to organic evolution. search, teaching and collective activities. In spite of its many obvious virtues, it is difficult to bc The book contains a new chapter on neurochemistry but, unreservedly enthusiastic about this book. There is, first on the other hand, some major aspects of biochemistry are of all, the matter of the quite inappropriate and misleading not included. These latter are the cytochromes, phospha- title. If “molecular basis of evolution” has any meaning, tide biosynthesis and oxidative phosphorylation. Pre- it presumably denotes the pre-biotic development of organovious reviews have covered these topics and undoubtedly chemical molecules in the oceans of the Archeozoic, a probfuture editions will handle this subject material. It seems lem nowhere mentioned in this book. Evolution, molecuto this reviewer that Annual Review of Biochemistry should lar or otherwise, really enters the discussion only in the first of all cover each year the chemistry and metabolism opening and closing chapters. Secondly, one cannot esof the carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and nucleic acids and cape the suspicion that the book has been written in so then include other topics as space will allow. Reviews on much of a hurry that neither the author nor the friends and vitamins, nutrition and clinical biochemistry might better colleagues whose help the preface acknowledges spent very be handled elsewhere. It seems desirable toallow for the best much time going over an early draft, for otherwise they distribution of subject material in review articles. would surely have corrected the numerous flaws in style and Summarizing and concluding remarks by the authors of grammar in which the text abounds. They would have also the various chapters are interesting, informative and are to noticed that any potential reader f i s t needing to be told be encouraged. An evaluation of the year’s work in each about evolution on the level of “High School Biology Selfrespective field would be valuable. Such remarks can be Taught” might have a little trouble with all the technical
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