Book reviews 1263

this opinion. I would recommend this intelligent collec- tion of these fundamental mechanisms of gene and an- tigenic control.

C. Marechal

point of view, without placing it in the more general con- text of cellular functions and the role of ATPases. However, these are only minor criticisms of an excellent basic text.

F. Stetzkowski-Marden

Eue/gy-transducing ATPases-Structure and Kinetics, by Y. Tonamura. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1986, pp. 296, £ 40

This posthumous publication (1986) of the book by Tonamura, who died suddenly in 1982, was realized by his colleagues and friends. In 1972, Tonamura publish- ed an important book for specialists (Muscle Proteins, Muscle Contraction and Cation Transport) and, at the time of his death, was in the process of writing a new text in order to render recent findings concerning ATP- ases more accessible and more easily assimilable, even for students.

This very interesting book treats the principal key en- zymes of the contractile system as well as the system of active transport of cations and protons across mem- branes. In order to fully benefit from this book, it is necessary to already have a good fundamental understanding of biochemistry and cellular biology. It addresses students already involved in research and researchers, rather than undergraduate students. His goal was not to review all the biological energy-transducing systems, but to study six or seven of them, each having its own ATPase, and then to expose the similarities and differences existing between these systems in the mechanisms of ATP hydrolysis and the molecular movements occurring during the reaction.

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and non-muscular contractions) and dynein-ATPase are described for the contractile system. The ATPase reac- tion of dynein is demonstrated in the dynein-tubulin system involved in the movements of cilia and flagella.

Current knowledge of the coupling of the ATPase reac- tion and ion transport across the membrane is developed for the Ca2*/Mg2+-ATPase complex of the sar- coplasmic reticulum and the Na ÷/K +-ATPase complex of animal cell plasma membranes. The 'proton pump', extremely important in bioenergetics is also presented in detail with the example of Ft-ATPase in the plasma membranes of bacteria and eukaryote mitochondria. The author pays particular attention to the Fn-F0-ATPase complex which enables H + transport via ATP hydrolysis and participates in ATP synthesis.

For all these types of ATPases, Y. Tonamura attemp- ted to describe th~ molecular bases of the relationships which exist between the structure, function and the dynamic properties of the different steps of the enzymatic mechanisms, each having been previously well- documented. The references following each chapter are numerous; however, for a subject undergoing such rapid evolution, it is regrettable that the majority predates 1983. From a pedagogical point of view, it is a shame that the prologue presents the subject primarily from a historical

Labelled Compounds and Radio-pharmaceuticals Applied in Nuclear Medicine, by A.T. Balaban, I. Galateanu, G. Georgescu and L. Simisescu. John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1987, lap. 742, US$ 70

This book is well organized and presents the advantage of having gathered in a single volume a lot of informa- tion about the study of labelled molecules and radio- pharmaceuticals. Despite the fact that it was published in 1986, it is the English translation of a revised version of the original edition published in 1979. The revisions were minor. The bibliography is very large (2640 refer- ences), but only 15% of these references are later than 1979, and the most recent ones are dated 1984, except for two of them. This is very unfortunate for a book devoted to a field in permanent evolution. Many of the techniques described in it are ouldated and some com- pounds commonly used today are merely mentioned.

We can recommend this book to those who wish to start in the field, but we feel that it will be of little use to specialists.

D.B. Isabelie and J. Vernois

Biochimie-Etudes M~dicales et Biologiques, by J. Kruh. Hermann, Paris, i987, pp. 292 Biochimie G6n6rale, edited by J .H. Weil, Masson, Paris, 1987, pp. 536, FF 160 Biochimie Dynamique, by J.P. Borel, A. Randoux, F.X. Maquart, C. Le Peuch and J. Valeyre, Maloine Decare, Paris, 1987, pp. 800 From time to time, new printings of books meant for students are published. This is today, simultaneously, the case of the biochemistry treatises written by Kruh (Her- mann) and Weil (Masson). As usual, Hermann's book, with its silver cover, is well produced, certainly much bet- ter than the incredible archaism of Masson's; and it is easy to think that in spite of the content, students might be attracted by questions of presentation. Another treatise, much thicker, Biochir~ie Dynamique is published by Maloine. With respect to form, it is situated in be- tween the others: it appears that questions of presenta- tion are not much honored in France, especially for books destined for students. Shouldn't one think that a clear presentation would go with clear ideas ? Generally speak- ing, the three treastises deal with biochemical objects, rather than concepts, and this makes them read more like catologues to be memorized, rather than self consistent conceptual units. Is it due to Biochemistry as a subject,

1264 Book reviews

or to a special feature of French teaching ? The answer is difficult to find, and one probably should not criticize authors who have the taken trouble ,to make a thorough presentation of a complex, expanding field of knowledge, to students having, after high school, only a very poor background in modern biology. A major criticism, however, should probably been made: in the country where Jacques Monod made his outstanding contribu- tions, one would have expected a deep and critical reflec- tion on the concepts underlying gene expression and allostery. One is only exposed to grim or disputable statements: the authors of Biochimie Dynamique give a description typical of the 'induced fit' model of Koshiand, assimilating ligand binding in allosteric transition into calcium binding to calmodulin, whereas in the two other treatises, although the concerted transition model is ex- actly presented, the authors do not discuss its deeper im- plications. This is only one example, but it appears to be significant: shouldn't one think that reflection, primarily, would better place biochemical objects, and thus help memorize them ?

A.L. Lecocq

Proteinase lnhibitors: Research Monographs in Cell and Tissue Physiology, by A.J . Barret and G. Salvesen. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1986, pp. 661, Dfl 400

This book presents, in a rather remarkable manner, a general overview of all the proteinase inhibitors reported to date and their mechanisms of action. Proteinases are implicated in many aspects of normal physiology and disease processes. Any theory about their biological role must take into account the possible existence of en- dogenous inhibitors mad the best way to test these theories involves the introduction of a specific inhibitor into the system to see whether this halts the proteolysis. This book is thus to be recommended to all those having an interest in the inhibition process or merely in proteinases.

The volume is divided into four parts. The first one introduces proteinases and enzyme inhibition. The four classes of serine, cysteine, aspartic and metalloproteinases are briefly presented and the different mechanisms of both reversible and irreversible inhibition are precisely reviewed.

The second part deals with synthetic and related in- hibitors of proteinases. Inhibitors of each of the four classes of proteinases are reported in separate chapters. Catalytic mechanisms and substrate specificities of the enzymes are first described. Inhibitors are then review- ed, rate constants are given and mechanisms of inactiva- tion are proposed.

The third part of the volume is consecrated to protein inhibitors of proteinases. All actually known inhibitors and families of inhibitors are handled separately. An ac- curate approach to their biosyntheses, physicochemical properties, structures, inhibitory specificities, biological roles and evolutions is given. The last chapter and fourth

part reviews a numbe~ of approaches to therapy with pro- teinase inhibitors.

The entire volume is very well organized with chapters and subchapters, all very precise and c~early defining each subject. Tables compiling rate constants and data on pro- tein inhibitor families are numerous; as are schemes il- lustrating structure and mechanisms of inactivators, which is very pleasant and helpful for the reader. The bibliography is comprehensive and rich (129 pages of references).

In conclusion, this book is a remarkable working tool.

A. Lecroisey

Chemistry of Peptides and Proteins Vol. 3: Pro- ceedings of the 5th U.S.S.R.-F.R.G. Symposium on Chemistry, edited by Voelter, Bayer, Ovchin- nikov and Ivanov. Walter de Gruyter & Co., Berlin, 1986, pp. 4 i4 , DM 240

This book is of great interest because it helps to bridge the educational-training gap between chemists and biochemists. At the same time, it gives peptide chemists notions about what takes place after their work is finished (studies of biological and immunological activity), as well as making the biochemists more aware of the problems inherent in peptide synthesis. The growing interest in syn- thetic peptides requires a solid methodological basis in peptide synthesis and purification.

The first section is consecrated to actual peptide and protein chemistry. It gives interesting information con-

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solid phase synthesis polymeric supports). It gives a general survey of the different strategies used to modify, chemically or enzymatically, the protein active site to help understand structure-activity relationships. These studies take advantage of powerful tools, such as NMR and mass spectrometry. These tools allow very accurate structural and conformational studies which are treated in the se- cond chapter of these proceedings.

Although this book gives a general survey of peptide and protein chemistry, a large part of this symposium is devoted to biological problems, and in particular, to immunological topics. It contains a few general articles, having numerous references within, about determining and choosing protein epitopes and about glycopeptides as antibiotics. It emphasizes the importance of antigen choice determination and presentation.

In the third part, Miscellaneous and Biological Activity of Peptides and Proteins, various papers deal with peptide-lipid interactions in order to clarify toxin mode of action at the cell membrane level.

Consequently, this book addresses a large public; the papers dealing with pharmacology, biology and im- munology being more numerous than the papers deal- ing with actual peptide and protein chemistry.

F. Baleux