BIOCHEMICAL SOCIETY TRANSACTIONS
158
particular chemical compound, the name of the chemical is
looked up first in the Chem PRODUCT index. This volume lists
in alphabetical order over 300000 chemicals, including organic
and inorganic chemicals, radioactively labelled chemicals, drugs,
dyes and polymers. Against each chemical is printed its
Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number (abbreviated as
CARNO identification code). New compounds for which no
CARNO code number had yet been assigned, are given an
Interim Number (iNo).
This CARNO code number is then looked up in the second
volume of the set, i.e. the Chem SUPPLIERS directory. This
lists the CARNO (or iNo) code numbers for the chemicals in
simple numerical order, and against each entry will be found one
or more company identification-code index letters which are the
respective abbreviations for the companies who supply or manufacture the chemical.
This identification code letter is then looked up in the third
volume of the set, the Chem ADDRESS book, which lists the
names, full postal addresses, telephone number and telex number
of over 23 OOO companies from 39 different countries, including
not only the U.S.A. and Europe, but also Japan, China,
Australia, South America and Russia. This last volume lists the
companies first of all by their company identification code index
for quick and easy location, but also, separately, lists the
companies’ full postal address and telephone number in alphabetical order, with cross-referencing to branch offices of one
company in different countries together with the name of the
original company.
Although this seems on paper a complicated procedure, once
the idea of using the three volumes in that order has been
grasped, it takes only 1 or 2min to find a list of suppliers and
pick out a convenient company. For example, in a typical search
for the biochemical 2‘ :3‘-cyclic AMP, ten different companies
were found to be listed, one in the U.K., six in the U.S.A., and
within a further 30s the full postal address of the British firm
had been found.
In summary, the four volumes combine to form a very useful
aid to the purchase of chemicals. They are adequately crossreferenced and enable one to find a supplier for any one of a vast
range of products. A typical search takes only a minute or so,
eliminates the time wasted in the usual catalogue scan and
extends the search to truly world-wide markets.
The whole series is aimed to be kept up to date by yearly
revision. This would, however, add further to the initial outlay,
and would probably be justified only in the largest research
establishments.
B. J. BRAMBLEBY
Prenatal Diagnosis of Genetic Disease
D. C. SIGGERS
Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, London, Edinburgh,
Melbourne, 1978, pp. 69, f3.25
This booklet covers briefly the major aspects of early prenatal
diagnosis of genetic disorders and neural-tube defects. The first
chapter clearly describes the main indications for diagnostic
amniocentesis for chromosomal disorders. Some practical
problems are also discussed. These include the possibility of
diagnostic errors because of maternal-cell contamination of
amniotic-fluid samples, and the desirability of chromosome
analysis when the indication for amniocentesis is nonchromosomal.
The second chapter deals with prenatal diagnosis of neuraltube defects and includes a discussion of the significance of
amniotic-fluid and maternal serum a-foetoprotein contents.
The third chapter deals with prenatal diagnosis of biochemical disorders and gives a useful list of those that have been,
or can potentially be, diagnosed prenatally. The list is comprehensive; indeed it contains ‘lactosyl ceramidosis’, a disease
which on further consideration probably does not exist. The
possibility might have been included that, although some
diseases cannot be tested reliably by assay of amniotic-fluid
supernatant, others (such as Tay-Sachs and Hunter’s diseases)
probably can, thus allowing considerable shortening of the delay
before diagnosis.
The fourth chapter deals with X-linked disorders and other
indications. Again this is a useful chapter, but Menkes’
syndrome is tabulated incorrectly as a disorder in which features
may not be detectable in female carriers.
Although brevity and dogma are useful in order to put across
the main points with emphasis, fuller discussion is sometimes
required for complete accuracy, which is sometimes jeopardized
in this useful book. Thus it is stated that the rr.foetoprotein
concentration falls during the third trimester to undetectable
amounts. This of course depends on the methodology, since it is
clearly detectable by radioimmunoassay. The categorical statement that isolated hydrocephalus cannot be diagnosed prenatally is inaccurate, since prenatal diagnosis can be established
by either ultrasound or X-ray.
This book will be useful mainly to non-specialists wishing to
have a comprehensive, concise and clear summary of the
subject.
P. F. BENSON
The Photosynthetic Bacteria
R. K. CLAYTON and W. R. SISTROM (Editors)
Plenum Press, New York, 1978,pp. 946, E53.55
A glance at Biological Abstracts shows that some 300 papers on
photosynthetic bacteria are published each year. Why should a
group of organisms with very limited medical, industrial and
ecological significance be so popular with researchers? One
reason is that the mechanisms by which they harness solar
energy are somewhat less complex than those of higher plants.
Another is their extreme metabolic versatility: many species can
grow either by photosynthesis in the absence of oxygen, or by
respiration in the absence of light.
This ambitious book is the first attempt since 1963 to
summarize our understanding of their biology and biochemistry
in a single volume. It contains 50 chapters each by an expert
writing about his particular field. It collects together an immense
amount of information about these organisms previously only
available in a widely scattered form, and the standard of the
individual contributions is very high. However, turning all these
separate contributions into a single book has created two drawbacks. The first is that there has been a 3-year period of gestation. Some chapters were written or extensively revised in 1977.
Others were written in 1975 and have remained unchanged. The
second drawback is that it is not possible to write 50 chapters
about photosynthetic bacteria without introducing extensive
duplication. It may be instructive to have different authors
arguing that photosynthetic bacteria evolved from blue-green
algae, and that blue-green algae evolved from photosynthetic
1980
159
BOOK REVIEWS
bacteria, but two separate expositions of the ‘proton-motive Qcycle’ is one too many.
The scope of the book can be appreciated from the section
headings: ecology and taxonomy, structure, chemistry of
cellular components, photometabolism, phosphorylation,
peripheral oxidations and reductions, biosynthesis, physiology.
An appendix lists mutant strains. Halobacterium, the source of
the ‘purple membrane’, has one chapter devoted to it, but is
scarcely mentioned elsewhere. The most useful sections are
those towards the beginning and towards the end of the book.
Here several chapters will be standard sources for many years to
come. Less successful is the treatment of photosynthetic con-
version of light energy into ATP: it is in this area that the overlaps are greatest, and the sense of time-travel between 1975 and
1977 most disconcerting (see for instance the numerous
descriptions of reaction centres). It is a pity that the distinguished authors of these chapters could not have joined forces
to a greater extent.
For researchers in this field this volume will be indispensable
as a reference book, though the price is more appropriate for a
library than for the individual. For the non-specialist or student
interested in these bacteria, it can only be recommended with
some reservations.
P. M. WOOD
Microbial Technology: Current State, Future Prospects
A. T. BULL, D. C. ELLWOOD and C. RATLEDGE
(Editors)
Cambridge University Press, 1979,pp. 422, f21 .OO
This book has been published extremely rapidly after the conference from which it derives. This was the 29th Symposium of
the Society for General Microbiology, held at the University of
Cambridge in April 1979. The book therefore has every
opportunity of being up to date, and this is of course essential
when the current state and future prospects of a rapidly
changing subject are to be appraised!
The editors should be congratulated on covering a wide and
stimulating collection of topics, some rather briefly, however.
There are 14 chapters with 29 contributing authors. It should be
noted that the technology does not include enzyme technology,
despite its undoubted importance. Referring to enzyme biotechnology the editors state (p. 19): ‘Microbiology is now merely
the servant of the discipline acting as the provider of the cells
from which the enzymes are derived. It is for this reason alone
that an account of immobilized enzyme technology does not
appear in this symposium: not for reasons of believing that it has
yet to prove itself or is of only minor importance-nothing
could be further from the truth’. With this disclaimer, many biochemists will have to look elsewhere for their main interest in
microbial technology, if that be in isolated enzymes. Nevertheless there i s a wealth of information on enzymes within cells,
especially for enzyme induction, and catabolite repression (pp.
1 63- 185).
Other chapters deal with single-cell protein, metabolite over-
production, effect of microbial physiology on reactor design,
microbial exopolysaccharides, production of vaccines (by A. J.
Beale and R. J. C. Harris), lactobacilli and milk fermentation
waste treatment, including microbial degradation of organic
compounds, recovery of metals, industrial alcohol (by John
Bu’Lock), mathematical modelling of fermentation, and genetic
manipulation (genetic engineering!).
The editors mention the energy crisis in their preface and
many of the contributions could be said to be relevant to this.
The penultimate chapter in the book, on microbial generation
and interconversion of energy sources, by John Higgins and
Allen Hill, seems to be particularly interesting in this connection.
Particular emphasis is given to the convenience of electricity,
even in biochemistry, where NADH may be replaced, when
otherwise required to supply electrons for useful biotransformations. In addition electricity was noted as an energy source
for growth of some micro-organisms (p. 373).
Overall therefore this up-to-date book will be immediately
useful for microbial biochemists (and biochemical microbiologists). Its main value will be to research workers, although
teachers of biochemistry at all levels will find some useful points
about the versatility of micro-organisms, whether in free or
immobilized form. Many biochemists will feel that the isolated
enzymes, after stabilization, will eventually be worth trying.
Nevertheless, it must be some time away in the future before we
start converting glucose into alcohol in large amounts, using
isolated enzyme systems from the yeast
ALAN WISEMAN
Electron Microscopy and Cytochemistry of Plant Cells
J. J. HALL (Editor)
ElsevierlNorth-Holland Biomedical Press, Amsterdam, 1978,
$93 (hardback),$46.25 (paperback)
Most other books on electron-microscope procedures treat plant
tissue in a somewhat superficial way, so this book will be a most
welcome addition to the bookshelf of any laboratory dealing
with the fine structure of plant cells. It also contains useful
information for those working solely on animal tissue. It
assumes a basic knowledge of electron microscopy and
associated techniques, but should be compulsory reading for
anyone considering using these technologies for research.
The seven chapters are written by specialists in each field and
cover general preparation of specimens, enzyme cytochemistry
at TEM level, and scanning electron microscopy, as well as the
more sophisticated techniques of the localization of specific ions
in tissues, radioautography, freeze-etching and the localization
Vol. 8
of proteins and glycoproteins by binding to lectins and antibodies.
Each chapter, where applicable, ends with an appendix of
techniques and reaction mixtures for specific methods, and the
numerous references included will save many hours of literature
searching for suitable methods for a specific application. Other
chapters incorporate technological details within the text.
My only reservation is the price; the hardback version
reviewed is $93, and a paperback version is available at approximately half that price. Even at current rates of exchange, this
means that the book is placed out of the price range of most
postgraduate students. A book covering the electron microscopy and cytochemistry of plant cells is long overdue, and this
one should be compulsory reading for all electron microscopists
both ancient and modern.
N. D. HALLAM