3315
Oct. 20, 1963
BOOK REVIEWS DeBoer cell cluster theory, the corresponding states theories of Polyamino Acids, Polypeptides, and Proteins. Proceedings of a n mixtures, a n excellent treatment of ordering in solid solutions, International Symposium held at the University of Wisconsin, etc. Surprisingly, there is relatively little overlap with the 1961. Edited by MARK 4 . STAHMANN. The University of article by J . E . Mayer in the Handbook volume dealing with the Wisconsin Press, 430 Sterling Court, Madison 6, Wisconsin. thermodynamics of gases. It is too bad that the publication of 1962. 18 X 26 cm. 394 pp. Price, $8.00. the volume could not have been delayed a few months to allow The papers assembled in this volume cover a broad cross section amendation of the article: there are now available numerical There are six of the field of polypeptide and protein chemistry. solutions of the hypernetted chain and Percus Yevick equations articles dealing with the synthesis and properties of polyamino which should be compared with the earlier theories of Kirkwood acids and polypeptides, three on the kinetics of polymerization of and Born and Green. N-carbox yamin acid anhydrides, eleven on the properties of The second article by Staverman is much shorter and more polyamino acids in solution, five on polypeptide and protein nearly of the detailed review article style. I t gives very good structure, and eleven papers on the biological properties of polycoverage of a wide variety of topics in polymer chemistry. I amino acids. The discussion sections also serve a useful purpose found the discussion of the relationship b e t w e n the James and There in pointing up conflicts in interpretation of physical data. Guth and Flory theories of rubber elasticity particularly good. is a n excellent analysis of the relative merits of optical rotation The final article by Stevels deals with glass, a subject with and absorption in the deep ultraviolet as tools for the measurewhich I a m relatively unfamiliar. As nearly as I can judge, the ment of degree of helicity in polymers. The interesting propercoverage is extensive and the discussion of the relationship beties of a-,6 - , and y-linked polymers of aspartic and glutamic tween the various structural theories (such as that of Zachariasen) acids are reviewed. The unusual linkages have been recently imand experiment is lucid. Anyone interested in the statistical plicated in the structure of proteins such as collagen. thermodynamics of liquids and solutions (including solid soluThe format of the book is attractive, and there is a good index. tions) would be well advised t o obtain this volume for Munster’s Only four misprints were detected. There is little doubt that contribution alone. The articles on polymers and on glass are “Polyamino Acids, Polypeptides, and Proteins” will be a n exalso very good and merit the attention of workers in these fields. cellent supplement t o earlier reviews of the field by Bamford, The only caveat I can enter relates t o the title of the volume. Elliott, and Hanby, and Katchalsky and Sela, and will be welIt is not at all clear to me that these three contributions constitute comed and widely used by protein chemists. a representative description of the thermodynamics of condensed systems. Be that as it may, this volume is heartily recommended DEPARTMENT OF BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS L. K . RAMACHANDRANt o all those whose interests touch upon the subjects considered. UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII HONOLULU 14, HAWAII UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO IXSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF METALS STUARTARICE 5640 SOUTHELLIS Die Kinetik der Wirkung von Effektoren auf Stationare FerCHICAGO, ILLINOIS mentsysteme. By HANS-DIETER OHLENBUSCH, Privatdozent fur Physiologische Chemie a n Der Universitat Kiel. SpringerYerlag, Heidelberger Platz 3, 1 Berlin 31 (Wilmersdorf). 1962. 13.5 X 20.5cm. 36 pp. Price, D M 9.80 Methoden der Organischen Chemie. (Houben-Weyl). Viert e V6llig Neu Gestaltete Auflage. Herausgegeben von EUGEN It is now generally recognized that the linear relations observed M ~ L L E RTiibingen , unter Besonderer Mitwirkung von 0. between rate and concentrations for many enzyme systems d o BAYER,Leverkusen, H . MEERWEIN, Marburg, and K . ZIEGLER, not necessarily follow from the kinetic models used. In parMiilheim. Band XII/ 1. Organische Phosphorverbindungen ticular, for a system containing enzyme, E, substrate, S,and Teil 1. George Thieme Yerlag, Herdweg 63, Stuttgart x, inhibitor or activator, I , which can form three complexes, ES, Germany, 1963. 18 X 26 cm. lxxii 683 pp, Moleskin E I , and ESI, and which can lead t o products from the decomposiD M 166; Vorbestellpreis D M 149.40. tion of both ES and ESI, the general steady-state equation does not predict a linear relation between a simple function of rate Not so many decades ago, phpsphines and phosphonium comand S or I concentration. pounds were noted mainly for their unpleasant qualities and for In order t o explain linear plots of l / v v 5 . l/s it is necessary to their value in illustrating the analogical consistency of the 5th pick a particular limiting case or else t o derive the cumbersome group of the periodic table. In the currently appearing XIIth general steady-state rate equation and see which fact,ors can revolume, 1st half, of the 4th edition of Houben-Weyl’s “Methosult in simplification. An analysis of the latter kin& was carried den,” as many as 40 pages are devoted t o critical discussions and out by Botts and Morales, in 1953, and is now extended by detailed descriptions of preparative procedures designed t o make Ohlenbusch. He considers not only the limiting cases cora variety of alkyl- and arylphosphines; of a sample of one hundred responding t o “quasi-equilibrium” among complexes and classireferences taken from t h a t section, 78 cited reports that had apcal inhibition types (competitive, noncompetitive, and uncompetpeared after 1930 and the remaining 22 had been published before itive) but also other combinations of individual rate constants 1900. The preceding remarks call attention t o the explosive which can.result in linear plots. He concludes that the observagrowth of the field of organic phosphorus compounds, stimulated tion of a constant maximum rate and increased Michaelis conby new areas of theoretical interest, and a host of practical applistant upon addition of inhibitor probably results only from comcations ranging from potent biological agents like insecticides, petitive inhibition, but that the other classical limiting cases can nucleotide coenzymes, and nucleic acids t o flame-proofers, plastiarise from a variety of causes. cizers, polymers, and lubricants. This small volume discusses a very limited topic thoroughly. The editors were both wise and fortunate in enlisting the colIt is more like a theoretical paper one might expect to find in a laboration of Dr. K. Sasse of Leverkusen t o write the present journal, rather than like a full scale monograph. Most of the volume of the compendium. The great diversity of phosphorus material is also available in an assortment of papers written in compounds necessitated strict systematization achieved by English. grouping according t o compound type. Such a classification prevents the direct juxtaposition of similarities and analogies CHEMISTRY DEPARTMEXT between and among representatives of different groups-a GEORGEE. HEIN BOSTONUNIVERSITY drawback minimized by the extensive cross-references and over-all BOSTON15, MASSACHUSETTS continuity attributable t o the unifying effect of one-man authorship. Coverage is in keeping with the high standards of the previous Handbuch der Physik. Band XIII. Thermodynamik, der volumes, as is the format. Readers will note that the book a t Fliissigkeiten und Festkorper. By S. FLUGGE. Springerhand is the first of two sections constituting Volume S I 1 and is Verlag, Abteilung VI, 1 Berlin-Wilmersdorf, Heidelberger devoted t o compounds that contain a t least one C-P bond; Platz 3, West-Berlin. 1962. 17 X 25.5 cm. 679 pp, Price, whereas Part XII-2 is expected t o treat derivatives of phosS M 198. phorous and phosphoric acid, including, of course, the various phosphate esters that are of key importance in life processes. This volume of “The Handbook of Physics” contains only three articles. The first, by Miinster, is itself of book length. This A large fold-out table a t the end of the volume grants rapid article has excellent discussions of the statistical theory- of liquids access to the nomenclature adopted (which differs slightly, for linguistic reasons, from that recommended by the I . U . P . X . C . ) and cooperative phenomena in crystals and of mixtures. As might and t o the classification of compounds by the criteria of formal be expected, there is great similarity with Professor Munster’s valence, number of P-C and of P - 0 bonds. Moreover, chapters earlier book on statistical thermodynamics, but much new matreating of a given class are indicated, greatly facilitating rapid terial has been added. For example, there are accounts of the
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