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Principles of bioinorganic chemistry, S.J Lippard Flipbook PDF
Principles of bioinorganic chemistry, S.J Lippard
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Principles of Bioinorganic Chemistry by S J L i p p a r d a n d J M Berg. p p 411. U n i v e r s i t y Science B o o k s , Mill V a l l e y , California. 1994. $30 ISBN 0-935702-73-3 (paper) The role of iron in the structure and function of hemoglobin, myoglobin and the various cytochromes involved in electron transplant and oxygen utilization in cells, the presence of zinc in crystalline insulin, the role of calcium in blood clotting and of magnesium as a constituent of chlorophyll have long been known. Similarly, the use of mercury in the treatment of syphilis, of iron in that of anemia and of magnesium as an intestinal laxative, have a long history. Notwithstanding all this, most biochemistry textbooks in current use tend to treat the inorganic elements as interesting but largely alien to their major i n t e r e s t - one which focuses on the organic chemistry of small and large biomolecules. This book builds a bridge between the arbitrary division of biochemistry into bioorganic and bioinorganic camps. Both authors are well known in the field of bioinorganic chemistry. Lippard is a named professor of chemistry at MIT and has research interests in platinum anticancer drugs and metalloenzyme structure and mechanisms. Berg is a professor of biophysics and biophysical chemistry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His interest is in structural roles of metal ions in proteins and in the development of novel structural determination methods. The interests of both are clearly reflected in the organization and selection of material. They make no attempt to consider all the inorganic elements that are essential for life. Rather they emphasize the metals (Au, Cd, Ca, Co, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, K, Pt, V, Zn) which function through interaction with proteins or nucleic acids and about which there is most knowledge appropriate for the purpose of outlining principles. The opening and closing chapters are, respectively, an overview and a discussion of the frontiers of bioinorganic chemistry. In between, there are eleven chapters of which those numbered 2, 3 and 4 provide background on coordination chemistry, biological molecules (ie proteins, nucleic acids and other metal-containing biomolecules), and physical methods used in bioinorganic chemistry. The other eight chapters constitute the real core of the book in which the organizing principles with which the authors are concerned are defined (at the beginning of each chapter) and then exemplified in the text. Thus 5 and 6 consider the selection and entry of metal ions into living organisms or cells, 7 and 8 consider how metals bind to biomolecules, while 9, 10, 11 and 12 focus on the major roles of metal ions in biological systems (ie electron transport, substrate binding and activation, atom- and group-transfer chemistry, and the timing of metal properties to achieve specific functions). The writing is clear and each chapter is clearly illustrated. A delight for me are the three dozen or so ribbon diagrams of the tertiary structure of as many metalloproteins. Each chapter ends with some study problems (no answers are provided) and a select bibliography. I found myself using the extensive index very frequently in the early part of reading the book. The following nuisances are not serious and do not decrease from the deep and broad scholarship demonstrated in this book: (a) N A D ÷ is described as nicotine adenine dinucleotide in the index; (b) the twenty proteogenic amino acids are described as essential (p 43) without recognition that for many biologists this designation commonly implies dietary requirement; (c) 5'deoxyadenosyl cobalamine is described as being adenylated (p 70), (d) the structure given for MECAM (an analog of enterobactin) on p 111 is the same as that of enterobactin on p 72; (e) the text refers to lactoferrin on p 142 but the illustration on p 143 is labelled transferrin. There are several spelling errors and also a variety of abbreviations which should have been
BIOCHEMICAL EDUCATION 23(2) 1995
explained more fully at least for the more chemically-naive readers. This book seems to me to be more a learned monograph which "should appeal to members of the medical as well as chemical and biological communities" (p xv) than as a textbook for undergraduate students. The level of presentation is appropriate for persons with a background in coordination chemistry, physical chemistry and biochemistry. It is a very valuable contribution which brings together many interesting metalloproteins which have provided fascinating insights into the elegance and beauty of so many life processes. F Vella
The Growing Fungus E d i t e d by N A R G o w and G M G a d d . p p 473. C h a p m a n & Hall, L o n d o n , 1994. £24.99. I S B N 0-412-46600-7 This book comprises 20 chapters containing various aspects of the growth and differentiation of filamentous fungi, each written by individual contributors on their specialist topics. This area of eukaryotic biology has been fairly neglected. The text has been assembled under joint authorship of two of the contributing authors and presents a general review of the subject areas chosen. Each page is presented in a two column format. The contents are split into five parts: the growing fungus; architecture of fungal cells; metabolism and genetic regulation; coordination of growth and division; differentiation. They are split into a number of chapters (20 in total) written by individual authors, each ending with 'Conclusions" and an up-to-date, extensive reference section. The first part deals with the growing fungus and mycelial interconnectedness, a phenomenon unique to filamentous organisms. The second part covers cell walls, cell membranes, organelles and the cytoskeleton. Metabolism includes chapters on exoenzymes, transport, signal transduction and intermediary (but not secondary) pathways; genetics and molecular biology are covered here. Part four deals with tip growth and kinetics and mathematical modelling of filamentous growth. Finally, aspects of sporulation in lower and higher fungi, sexual reproduction, yeast-hyphal dimorphism and tissue formation are dealt with. The material has generally been chosen well and is wide ranging and detailed; relationships with systems appertaining to yeasts are usually given for comparison. There are some omissions, however. Fatty acid and lipid biosynthesis is dismissed in a paragraph (p 221), and even this is partially negated by an erroneous version of fatty acid formation using CoA derivatives in Fig. 10.4 (p 222). Published work has long since appeared describing the fatty acid synthetase complexes in Neurospora and Aspergillus, not to mention Lynen's earlier pioneering work on the yeast enzyme. Moreover, there is no mention of penicillin production, for example, or of secondary metabolism, in general, anywhere in the book. Surely this represents a serious omission, since filamentous fungi, together with filamentous bacteria, provide the source of virtually all the clinically useful antibiotics. Their production, too, presumably aids the survival of these organisms in some way and therefore should have been discussed in this book. Another criticism is that electron micrographs are generally poorly reproduced, with little contrast. Despite the limitations expressed above, the text fills a needed niche with its comprehensive and broad coverage of the physiology, biochemistry and genetics of filamentous fungi and their overall relationship to their much better studied yeast "brothers'. It is modestly priced and represents good value. N M Packter