Chemical Education Today
Book & Media Reviews Nucleic Acids: Structures, Properties, and Functions by Victor A. Bloomfield, Donald M. Crothers, and Ignacio Tinoco Jr.; with contributions from John E. Hearst, David E. Wemmer, Peter A. Kollman, and Douglas H. Turner University Science Books: Sausalito, CA, 2000. x + 794 pp. ISBN 0-935702-49-0. $88.00. reviewed by John H. Shibata
Students, teachers, and researchers interested in a single volume that contains a comprehensive and detailed account of the structures and physical properties of nucleic acids will be pleased with this book, a systematic, straightforward compilation of physical chemistry data on nucleic acids through the late 1990s. The extensive bibliography is so thorough that this book has quickly become a valuable resource in my personal collection. For newcomers to the field of nucleic acids, Bloomfield et al. have written a book that can serve as a gateway to the primary literature, the only caveat being that the reader, in the authors’ words, “has knowledge of physical chemistry and molecular biology that would be obtained from introductory courses in these subjects.” Individuals without the appropriate background may find this book difficult to read, since there is so much data and information contained within its nearly 800 pages. The authors have successfully undertaken the task of organizing experimental data on nucleic acids in a concise monograph. Owing to the sheer volume of data, the introductory chapter includes a needed detailed outline of the topics covered in the book. Each topic is introduced by explaining its biological significance; this is followed by physical details and data. For example, Chapter two, titled “Bases, Nucleosides, and Nucleotides”, begins with a description of the bases
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responsible for coding genetic information followed by a description of nucleosides, deoxyribonucleosides, and nucleotides. Topics include the differences in properties when the 2′-OH of RNA is replaced by hydrogen in DNA and the conformations of nucleosides and nucleotides using data on torsion angles for rotation around each bond. There is a good balance between the discussions of experimental and theoretical methods. Separate chapters describe chemical and enzymatic methods, diffraction methods, electronic and vibrational spectroscopy, and NMR methods to elucidate the structure of nucleic acids, and the results obtained by these techniques are accumulated. A chapter on theoretical methods by Peter Kollman is an excellent introduction to simulation methods applied to nucleic acids. Basic ideas on energy minimization, Monte Carlo methods, and molecular dynamics are clearly explained and then applications of these ideas to the study of mismatched helices and DNA interactions with other molecules are described. The size and shape of nucleic acids, including conformational changes and supercoiled DNA, are described in detail. Standard methods such as gel electrophoresis, light scattering, and microscopy are described and the results from these studies are collected. The last four chapters focus on noncovalent interactions of nucleic acids. In summary, I would recommend this book to individuals interested in a reference work containing physical chemistry data for nucleic acids and the techniques used to study nucleic acids. For instructors and students in physical biochemistry or biophysical chemistry, this would be an excellent supplementary reference to nucleic acids and would be a valuable addition to any library collection. The book is a well-written, detailed account of the structures and properties of nucleic acids. John Shibata is in the Department of Chemistry, University of the South, Sewanee, TN;
[email protected].
Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 78 No. 3 March 2001 • JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu
