Book Reviews 615

Phat Cell and Tissue Culture in Liquid Systenn+By G. F. PAYNE, V. BRINGI, C. PRINCE and M. L. SH~JLER. 346pp. 1992. Hanser, Munich. DM 144, $95.

Just think of the products that plants synthesise (alginate, alkaloids, artemesin, betalains, caffeine, capsaicin, cardiac glycosides, cytokinins, digitalis, L-DOPA, eucalyptus, garlic, geraniol, hyocyamine, isoprenes, limonin, menthol, mor- phne, nicotine, pyrethrins, quinine, scopolamine, taxol, vanilla, vincristine, vinblastine, zeatin, etc). Think also of the application of genetic engineering to plants and plants could then make almost any chemical required. If this is linked to culture technique, the products could be more easily synthesized and extracted. This is the goal. The present book describes the techniques for the commercial production of chemicals from plant ceil cultures; structure and metabolism of plant cells; growth and product synthesis kinetics and stoichiometry; mass transfer; suspension cul- ture; immobilized plant cells; root cultures; shoot cultures; sonatic embryogenesis and strategies for productivity im- prc vement.

The Evo&lonary Biology of Hearing-Edited by D. B. WEBSTER, R. R. FAY and A. N. POPPER. 859 pp. 1992. Springer, New York. DM 248.

A T-day conference was held in Sarasota, Florida in 1990 and the review papers are presented here. The whole gamut of vibration detection and hearing in invertebrates, fish, amphibia, reptiles, birds and mammals is given jn the 37 chapters. The problems of hearing in water and air are discussed, together with the effect of small size, evolution onto land, efferent innervation of the ear, convergence of design, evolution of central hearing pathways in the CNS, the role of the stapes, origin of the auditory cortex, sound locllization, the marine mammal ear, and hearing in bats. It IS a ma~i~cent book that provides the best available account of hearing in animals. If you am interested in hearing, then get hold of this book.

Moulting and Metamorphosis-Edited by E. OHN~SHI and H. ISHIZAKI. 270~~. 1991. Japanese Scientific Societies/ Springer, Berlin. DM 148.

This book co~emorat~ the 50th anniversary of Soichi Fukuda’s identification of the endocrine function of the prothoracic glands. The topics dealt with am: the protho- racicotropic hormone lp] neuroendocrine axis; synthesis, release and titre function of bombyxin and F, chemistry of P; genes encoding bombyxin; neuroendrocrine control of ecdysis; biosynthesis and secretion of ecdysteroids; nature and origin of ecdysteroids; ~leroti~tion of insect cuticle; beti alanine and pigmentation of insect cuticle; epidermal cells; hormonal control of gene expression; regulation of pupal gene expression during metamorphosis; histochem- istrv and activation of the phenolaxidase system.

Interactions among Cell SignaBhrg Systems--Bdited by R. SA.~O, G. R. BOCK and K.Wmwwi. 268~~. 1992. &BA Fo~lndation symposium No. 164. John Wiley, Chichester, E42.50.

Cell signailing systems integrate and control cell function These are reviewed as: inositol, lipids and phosphates in lymphocytes and myeioids; the IP3 receptor; regulation of PI and PC by G proteins; phospholipid degradation cascade and protein kinase C activation; the AChR; CAMP, growth factor stimulated MAP kinase; tyrosine phosphatases and their possible interplay with tyrosine kinase; calmodulin and protein kinase C crosstalk; NMDA receptor and calcium signailing; changes in presynaptic function with long term potentiation; T lymphocyte activation signals; growth factor

phosphorylation of phospholipase; protein tyrosine kinases belong to the src family. A common chemical language used by different cells and tissues of the body is now being established and this symposium reviews the evidence.

~~a~U~ar Regrdatio~~ of Ion ~~~~it~ by M. MORAD and Z. AGUS. 251~~. 1992. NATO ASI series H. Cell Biology, Vol. 30. Springer, Berlin. DM 198.

Understanding the molecular processes by which ionic channels are regulated is central to the understanding of cellular function. The reviews in this book deal with: the diversity of K+ channels and their regulation; structure function and mechanistic study of K+ channels; ATP dependent K+ channels; Na+ activated K+ channels; de- layed rectifier K+ channels; regulation by G proteins; Calcium channel function and regulation by protein kinase A phosphorylation; direct G protein action, voltage depen- dent gating, inactivation, proteolysis in run down; modu- lation by cytosolic magnesium. epithelial chloride channels, neuronal and cardiac sodium channels and pacemaker If channels.

Molecular Aspects of Ammonlagenesb+--Edited by H. EN- DOU, A. C. SCHOOLWERTH, G. BAVEREL and A. TIZIANELM. 228~~. 1991. Karger, Basel. S.Fr 216, DM 259, $173.

The renal production and controlled excretion of ammonia play a key role in the regulation of acid base homeostasis. Tbe 31 reviews in this volume deal with: enzyme and substrates for ammonia production; pathophysioiogy of renal ammonia metabolism; ammonia metabolism in the human kidney; ammonia production and transport along the nephron; extra-renal ammonia metabolism; use of NMR in ammonia metabolism studies; gene expression of glutam- inase and its related enzymes.

CeUuhu and Molecular Biology of the Kidney-Edited by H. KOIDE, H. ENDOU and K. KLJROKAWA. 288~~. 1991. Karger, Basel. S.Fr 247, DM 296, $197.75.

The 37 papers are grouped into headings: mesangium and glomerular function; pathophysiology of the kidney [in- trarenal adenosine, altered mRNA expression, adenylosuc- cinate synthase inhibition, changes in cellular proteins, ATpase turnover]; sodium, potassium and acid-base bai- ante; signal transduction in the renal cells (angiotensin II, protein kinase C, calcium dependent K channels, IP3, alpha-l adrenoreceptors, mRNA); cell volume regulation.

IQne&ag Targets in Antibacterial and Antifungal ~e~~erapy-Edited by J. SWCLI~~~ and N. H. GEORGO- PAPADAKOU. 606~~. 1992. Chapman and Hall, New York. U.S.A. $75, Canada $93.95.

Twenty per cent of all pharmaceutical sales are of antimicro- bial agents. The search is always on for new and more effective agents. This book describes the strategies of re- search and some of the newer agents. The topics are: DNA replication; bacterial ceil division; fatty acid biosynthesis; protein secretion in bacteria; peptidoglycan biosynthesis; beta lactam design; lipid A biosynthesis; compromising the protective barrier of Gram-negative bacteria; bacterial viru- lence factors; invasive fungal infections; topoisomerase II inhibitors; functions of sterols in yeast membranes; ergos- teroi biosynthesis inhibitors: inhibitors of sterol biosvn- thesis; chitin synthase as a target; glucan biosyn~~~ in fungi; mannoproteins in Cmdidu; screening for antifungal activity; chemotherapeutic targets for Fncumocysris. As the use of immunosuppressive drugs becomes more prevalent in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, so the need for antifungal and antibacterial agents has increased.