books in review
Protein–Protein Interactions: Methods and Applications Edited by Haian Fu Humana Press, Totowa, NJ, 2004, 544 pp, $125, www.humanapress.com roteins are well established as one of the principal means by which genetic information becomes phenotypically expressed: If DNA is the blueprint, then proteins are the machines that realize the plan. The extent to which protein–protein interactions occur (in both scope and
P
BOOKS RECEIVED HPLC of Peptides and Proteins: Methods and Protocols Edited by Marie-Isabel Aguilar Humana Press, Totowa, NJ, 2004, 413 pp, $100, www.humanapress.com The book, volume 251 in the Methods in Molecular Biology series, is divided into sections on modes of HPLC, preparative methodologies, and applications. Some of the topics covered in the first two sections include reversed-phase, micropreparative, multidimensional, and analytical HPLCs; ion-exchange, hydrophobic interaction, gelfiltration, metal-ion-affinity, large-scale protein, and immunoaffinity chromatographies; LC/MS; sample preparation; and capillary separations. The applications chapters cover proteolytic peptides, MS of posttranslationally modified proteins, glycopeptides and glycoproteins by LC/MS, peptide metabolism, intrinsic membrane proteins, IgG purification, and analysis of Australian funnel-web spider venom.
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duration) has only become clear over the past decade, with a view of complex protein networks growing from the discussion’s roots in simple signal transduction pathways. As the field of protein interaction study has blossomed, so too have the myriad techniques to study protein–protein interactions at structural levels from the atomic to the cellular. The book starts with an overview describing current understanding of the structural basis of protein–protein interactions. This serves to remind one that predicting these interactions is as difficult as predicting protein structures, and for similar reasons—the best predictions are made with similar structures well in hand. Perhaps paradoxically, many techniques have proven to be widely applicable to the analysis of protein–protein interactions; the remainder of the book features a generous selection of both in vitro and in vivo methods for studying the interactions from the molecular level up to the cellular context in which they occur. In addition to structural scope, the techniques described cover a broad range of instrumentation, from typical molecular bio-
Protein Arrays: Methods and Protocols Edited by Eric T. Fung Humana Press, Totowa, NJ, 2004, 287 pp, $100, www.humanapress.com According to the preface, this book is an introduction to protein array technology and multiplexed detection of proteins. Some of the 23 chapter titles are Protein Expression Arrays for Proteomics, Multiplexed Protein Analysis using Spotted Antibody Microarrays, Streptavidin–Biotin-Based Microarray Platform for Immunoassays, Processing Photoaptamer Microarrays, Printing Functional Protein Microarrays Using Piezoelectric Capillaries, and Cytokine Protein Arrays.
Industrial Proteomics: Applications for Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals Edited by Daniel Figeys Wiley, Hoboken, NJ, 2005, 303 pp, $80, www.wiley.com According to the preface, “the scale and direction of proteomics in industry are very different than in academia. Proteomics in indus-
Journal of Proteome Research • Vol. 4, No. 5, 2005
logical resources, through fluorescent microscopy, to high-tech laser and mass spectrometric instrumentation. Computational resources and prediction of interactions are briefly covered. I found the protocols to be well written and presented, with introductions sufficient to allow ready understanding of unfamiliar fields. Some protocols are clearly well generalized, with long histories in the field, whereas the applicability of others seems to be fairly limited—they read more like research papers than methods chapters. All the chapters include notes, many of which are extensive, representing the valuable and hard-won knowledge of researchers intimately acquainted with the systems described. The subject index is somewhat brief, perhaps because of the variety of the methods. I recommend the book as a valuable resource, for both those familiar with the field and newcomers wishing to rapidly acquaint themselves with the study of protein–protein interactions. C. A. STANYON
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington
try is generally focused on application in target discovery and pharmaceutical pipelines, thereby requiring proteomic processes that are robust, well characterized, under quality control and producing statistically significant results.” Topics covered include mapping protein–protein interactions, posttranslational modifications, structure-based drug design, hydrogen/deuterium-exchange MS, identification and validation of protein targets, biomarkers, human plasma, genomics, bioinformatics, and protein arrays. Most of the authors are from the U.S., but Canada, Denmark, and Switzerland are also represented.
Protein NMR Techniques Edited by A. Kristina Downing Humana Press, Totowa, NJ, 2004, 487 pp, $115, www.humanapress.com The 19 chapters in the second edition of this book cover TROSY and NOE spectroscopy of proteins, structure determination, protein–nucleic acid interactions, macromolecules, isotopic labeling, partially aligned states, angle restraints, domain interfaces, and intermediate exchange phenomena.
© 2005 American Chemical Society
