The structure and function of enzymes

CHARLES E. HECHT. Hunter College of the. City University of Ncw York. New York. The Structure and Function of Enzymes. Sidney A. Bernhard, University ...
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No serious errors were noted but (p. 283) the reader should realize that graphite is taken as the stable form of solid carbon for physical, not conuentional, reasons a t 25°C and 1 atm. Clearly this book can serve as the beginning of any student's study of thermodynamics. I t is hard t,o say where it might fit into the usual chemistry curriculum. Possibly-its best place would be as a supplement to certain recent physical chemistry texts (if anyone is using them) which are particularly cavalier in their treatment of thermodynsmics.

The Elerlron-Repulsion Theory of the Chemical Bond

William Fay Luder, Nartheast,ern University, Boston, Massachusetts. Reinhold Publishing Corporabion (a sobsidisry of Chapman-lleinhold, Inc.), New York, 1967. xii 108 pp. Figs. and tables. 1.5 X 23 cm. 83.50, paperbound.

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EDITOR'SNOTE: I t is not 0111 practice to publish two sets of comments ahout one book. We have deviated from that policy because of the nature of the criticism presented by our chosen reviewer (Professor Maneh, whose review starts in the left-hand column below). We feel that he has justifiably indicated where Professor Luder has been a t variance with the fundamental concepts of quantum mechanics. Professor Luder claims thst Professor blanch's statements reflect a biased view. Rather than open bhese columns to pmtracled debate on opinions and attendant semantic problems, we offered Professor Luder the opport,unity of having commenta prepared by a reviewer of his own choice. profess^^ Krohn's remarks therefore accumpany those by Professor bIanch and start in the rightCHARLES E . HECHT hand column below. Both authors have agreed to suggested editorial modifimtions. Hunter College of the BFK City University of Ncw York I n the refa ace of his book. Professor According to the author the material New York Luder says that it is based u p i n the ideas presented in this book is an extension of of J. W. Linnet,t's book "The Electronic the Linnett method of predicting chemical The Structure and Function of Enzymes Structure of Molecules" (Wiley, 1964). structure. The book begins with a disSidney A . Bernhard, University of OreHe then continues: "As stated in my recussion of quantum theory, followed by a gon. W. A. Benjamin, Inc., New York, view of the book (J. CHEM. EDUC., chapter on the structure of atom% "New 324 pp. Figs. and tahles. 1968. xi 43, 55 (1966)), I believe it to be one of the models in atomic structure" are presented 14 X 21.5 cm. Clothbound, $10; pamost important ever published in the field in Chapter 3, along with some Linnett perbound, $4.95. of chemistry." Now Professor Luder has structures. The remainder of the book written astimulatinglittle book of his awn. deals primarily with the Linnett method, This hook is designed to provide s n up One feature of this book is its combinabut s. new twist has been added. to date wrvey of structural enzymology. Upon reading this book one gets the tion of Linnett's approach with that of As such, the hook spans enzyme structure impression t h s t the author is scolding us It. J. Gillespie to extend their illuminafrom basic principles to the latest three for thinking about such things as radial tion of the chemioal bond. However, dimensional structures obtained from and angular nodes, hybrids, resonance, Luder makes clear his disagreement with X-ray crystallography and spans enzyme and electron pair bonds. When we are both Linnet,t and Gillespie on several matmechanisms from traditional cofactoral told that the ". . .illustrations (of the ters. The outstanding example of this mechanism to the latest theories an active angular distribution functions) imply a disagreement is his contention that, in t,he sites of enzymes. I n short, this book prorigidity in the location of electrons in light of eleetron-repulsion theory, the vides a rather thorough and modern view atoms. ." we begin to wonder if we are bhree principal arguments for t,he hypotheof enaymology. reading what we think we are reading. sis of resonance hybrids ("resonance enI n general, the author stresses the chemAs stated in the preface, one reason ergy," the desire to preserve the octet ical approaches utilized to obtain the safar the book is to p r a e n t ". . .new models rule, and the exaggeration of the imporphistication of current day ensymolagy. "A second rea- tance of the eleetron-pair bond) are no of atomic structure.. Thus, the text covers recent aspects of son for the book is to show how the most longer valid. Therefore, he advocates rapid rate kinetic studies with enzymes, serious weakness of the valence theory. . . abandoning the concept. general and specific reaction mechanisms, Probably the most important feature (resonance hybrids). . can be eliminated eto., as well as the more traditional chemof the book is his proposal of new atom from chemistry." ical approaches to enayme structure. L i t The basis for Luder's new models is models: I n these models, atoms are pictle effort is made to relate these well covtured as built up in a. regular way so that presented in the first two paragraphs of ered points with more biological considerathe valence shells of outer electrons are section 3.1 (p. 39). The following is a tions. For example, the concept of allosummary of the major errors and mis- analogous for all three classes of elements: steric enzymes is considered in a limited conceptions contained in these two para- t,he representative elements, the related structural sense without any attempt to graphs. One of the postulates set down metals, and the similar metals. I n stoms correlate the concept with related advanby Luder to develop his models is in- of the representative elements the psttern tages t o either specific or general mmetabolie correct; the Pauli Exclusion Principle is of valence electrons is t,he arrangement of pathways. incorrectly explained; the Principle is the eights and o electrons in t,wo suin-sets I n practice, this book will probably :,I the, w ~ t c r .c ~r I W , ~ t > t w p ~ ~ ~ w r t i i t > g confused with IIund's Rule; and Hund's prove most useful as a supplemental or . gp i ,: I I St I . 111 Knle is backwards. survey text for use by lecturers involved the 11.1110.11 01 To develop his "new models" Luder u t c III- o f 1l.e rcl.t~t!tlIIWI.IIin courses. The text is well documented . t h e valence electrons in valence electrons is t,he arrangement of the states that with review references. The individual an atam arrange themselves around the 12 s a n d d electrons in two spin-sebs a t the chapters provide interesting insights into kernel of that atom according t o . . ." corners of two interpenetrating pentagonal areas often missed by general texts in biothree postulat,es concerning eleot,ron re- pyramids, as in t,he Z n atom. In atoms of chemistry. The book is of less value as a pulsion. The second postulate is: "Be- the similar met,als the pattern of valence direct text for students for it,s scope is cause of their magnetic interaction, a t a electrons is the arrangement of the 16 s somewhat limited and its coverage is often given separation two electrons of op- a n d f electrons in two spin-sets a t t,he in too great a depth. For example, the posite spin have less repulsion for each corners of two interpenetrating heptagonal chapter on enayme kinetics covers such other than do two electrons of the same pyramids, as in lhe Yb atom. sophisticated examples that students readTo arrive a t these models, t,he first step spin." This postulate is taken to be an ing this chapter have difficulty with the explanation of the Pauli Exclusion Prin- is to use three "preliminary postulates" basic principles of the subject. ciple. I t is not. an explanat,ion of the about the nature of electron-repulsion to I n summary, this book serves a useful Principle because it is simply not true. arrive a t the patt,ern models of Ne, Zn, purpose in providing a concise source of I t is not true because i t is contrary to the and Yh. The second step is to apply information about modern chemical enzyobservations generalized in IIund's 12ule. Hund's rule in reverse to the three psttern mology. Undoubtedly, many educators The ground stat,e configuration of free models. For example, first tho cube of and scientists will wish to obtain this book gaseous atoms is the state of maximum interpenetrating spin-sets is justified for to aid their general backgrounds in hiamultiplicity. Luder's postulate would the Ne atom. Second, Hund's role is apchemistry and chemistry. lead one to expect t,hat the state of min- plied in reverse, removing three p electnnrs imum multiplicity would be the ground of the same spin one at a. time, to ohtain JOHN M. CLARK,JR. the models for the F, 0, w d N atoms. state. Hund's Rule may be understood Uniuersily of Illinois (Cmlinued on p. A114, Col. 2 ) Urbana, Illinois (Continued cm page A114, Col. 1 )

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Journal of Chemical Education