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BOOK REVIEWS
1 is continued in this book, with relatively few omissions or mistakes being apparent to
the reviewer.
The first chapter, which discusses vitamin A, is much better in its second half, where
physiological aspects are covered. Some of the aspects of biosynthesis are a bit out-ofdate and one notable contributor to this area is completely ignored. It is also a pity that
none of the most recent and exciting observations are included in the section on bacteriorhodopsin. Chapter 2 deals with vitamin D and is particularly well written. A section
that both this and the previous chapter might have included is oneconcerned with analysis
of the vitamins.
The chapter on vitamin E is an entertainingly written section. In an area ofconsiderable
controversy, the author has succeeded in producing a thorough and, above all, balanced
account. He could, perhaps, have discussed the biosynthesis of tocopherols, but, that
apart, there do not seem to be any omissions. The final chapter on vitamin K is also a
thorough piece of work, though, as with the first two chapters, I would have thought
that a section on analysis could usefully have been included.
Once more the index stood up to testing satisfactorily! The references also include the
papers’ titles, which is useful for those unfamiliar with the areas discussed. Although
the price is bordering on the expensive, the book should prove attractive to those seeking
an authoritative account of the fat-soluble vitamins.
J. L. HARWOOD
Biochemical and Clinical Aspects of Ketone Body Metabolism
H . D. SOLING and C. D. SEUFERT (Editors)
Georg Thieme, Stuttgart, 1978, p p , ix+269, 60 DM
This volume contains the proceedings of a small international symposium held in
Germany, presumably in 1977 (no indication of the date of the meeting is given). As
Dr. Owen points out in the introduction to his article, which is perhaps the best attempt
in this book to set ketone-body metabolism in context, the physiological role of these
substances was proposed some 35 years ago by MacKay and their key role in the biology
of starvation was demonstrated more than 10 years ago by Owen, Cahill and their
co-workers. Yet even now these important body metabolites, which have a crucial role
in normal mammalian physiology, are somehow tainted by their earlier association
with pathological conditions such as diabetes, and possibly also by their appearance at
significant concentrations in the urine in certain dietary states. The tag of a ‘wasteproduct’ dies hard! Quite recently some of my first-year medical students after being
asked to write an essay on the biological role of ketone bodies complained that they
could find little information on this topic available in standard texts. 1 can only hope
that this situation will soon be rectified, especially since the lack of appreciation of their
role is not confined to medical students.
One might therefore have hoped that a volume such as the one reviewed here would
have provided at least some material suitable for a general biochemical audience. For
example, an introduction which laid out the salient features of ketone-body metabolism
and its regulation, and indicated clearly the unanswered questions, would have been
most helpful to the uninitiated. As presented I doubt whether anyone who lacks a good
working knowledge of this area of metabolism will find it useful without some prior
study.
Given this limitation there is much of interest, since unanswered questions abound.
For example, why does muscle ketone metabolism decrease so markedly in prolonged
starvation? Is the rate of ketone synthesis by the liver regulated only by the availability
of fatty acids, as has been suggested? What is the mechanism by which elevated blood
ketone contents appear to depress proteolysis and hence alanine output in muscle?
And many others. Most of these points are taken up somewhere in this volume, but it is
Vol. 7
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BIOCHEMICAL SOCIETY TRANSACTIONS
equally clear that either there is little agreement on mechanism (as, for example, with
the regulation of the rate of ketone synthesis) o r else that the studies have not progressed to the point where such questions have really been addressed. The articles
included range from detailed considerations of the role of the two isoenzymes of thiolase
which have now been described in mammalian liver and kidney, to discussions of fuelsubstrate interactions in the intact human. The record provided of the discussions is
often valuable in clarifying the points raised in the preceding article or indicating the
areas of disagreement.
In sum, the book will be difficult reading for anyone but the initiated. However, it
contains much important material, some of which seriously challenges current dogma,
and should therefore be studied by anyone whose teaching includes discussion of fuel
utilization by mammalian tissues.
M. C. SCRUTTON
Biochemistry of Insects
M. ROCKSTEIN (Editor)
Academic Press, New York, 1978,pp. 649, f19.15
This volume offers extensive coverage of the subject, and consists of 14 chapters by
specialist authors. The book is designed as a basic textbook in insect biochemistry and
the authors have attempted to present the material at a teaching level. Of course, a
background in general biochemistry is a prerequisite. The book should also serve as a
reference source of information for the advanced student and research scientist.
Whereas many chapters d o not include references in the text, others d o at least cite
some references. Although the book is written in a somewhat didactic fashion because
of the teaching aim, readers will probably find the absence of references in the text
frustrating at times. This problem is further accentuated by the absence of titles of
papers in the reference list at the end of the chapters. Most chapters include two lists of
references (usually running into 1977); one list consists of general references intended
particularly for students and includes books, chapters in books, and review articles,
whereas the second is a selected list of specific, original publications intended for advanced students and research scientists.
On the whole, the wide subject matter has been carefully planned within thechapters.
The first three chapters provide extensive accounts of the functions and metabolism of
carbohydrates, lipids and proteins in insects. The following chapter concerns proteinsynthetic activity in certain tissues and organs, which show pronounced cellular activ a t i d and deactivation as a response to various intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Two
chapters deal with the chemistry of the cuticle and the chemistry and role of coloured
compounds (biochromes). The biochemistry of insect hormones including prothoracicotropic hormone, ecdysone, juvenile hormones, eclosion hormone and bursicon, as we1 I
as other hormonally controlled processes, has been skilfully condensed into a single
chapter. In addition this chapter deals briefly with insect growth regulators.
Two chapters are devoted to pheromones. The first concerns their occurrence,
function and biochemistry, whereas the other chapter deals with the exploitation of
pheromone systems for insect control. A chapter is devoted to the biochemical defences
of insects in addition to one o n control of behaviour o n an interspecific basis.
Chapters are devoted to the biochemistry of toxic action of insecticides and detoxication mechanisms of xenobiotics in insects. The final chapter has a distinct genetic bias
and deals with the application of biochemical techniques to problems of genetics and
evolution.
It is clear that writing many of these chapters has involved a tremendous effort in
drawing the scattered information together, particularly in view of the wide diversity of
insect species and consequent dangers of making generalizations. The book is remarkably
1979