64

Oncogene Techniques genetic expression. The last chapter gives an overview of metab-
olism and its hormonal control. Several errors and omissions can
Vol. 254 of Methods in Enzymology, edited by P K Vogt be found in these chapters also. The author has throughout used
and I M Verma. p. 703. Academic Press, San Diego. 1995. the term serum glucose for describing the role of hormones in
$99 ISBN O-12-182155-2 the regulation carbohydrate metabolism (p 82). There is no
mention of the pathway of biosynthesis of creatine. TPP is said
to have a role in the decarboxylation of keto-acids and keto-
The Methods in Enzymology series continues to expand, and sugars (p 45). Ferric ions and cupric ions are shown as Fe+j and
indeed does the range of techniques used in Biochemistry and Cu+ (p 27). The A@ for pyrophosphate is given as -4.6 kcalsi
Molecular Biology. This volume, like many of the others, has mol (p 26). The pathway of biosynthesis and utilisation of ketone
little to do with enzymology and describes a series of techniques
bodies does not indicate the names of important enzymes. The
related to cell culture, molecular biology, gene function, pro- term Co A is omitted in the reaction of activation of aceto-
tein-protein and protein-DNA interactions. The techniques acetate by succinyl CoA (p 122).
described are mostly of general utility and few are specific to
At the end of it all, one is left seriously wondering about the
oncogene research (eg Western blotting, hybridoma technology, adequacy of this book for getting equipped for an examination
gel shift assays). Most of the authors use examples from onco-
despite the question and answer sections at the end of each
gene research to illustrate the techniques they describe. It is to chapter. The only redeeming feature is the suggestion that, it
be expected that people other than ocogene researchers will find
should be read in concert with a standard text book.
their way into this volume via the cumulative index. As usual, Usha Anand and C V Anand
this is another valuable addition to the Methods in Enzymology
series.
V C Haston
Biochemistry Examination and Board Review
By W X Balcavage and M W King. pp 433. Appleton and
Biochemistry: An Illustrated Review with Questions Lange, Norwalk, USA. ISBN o-8385-0661-5
and Explanations Fifth Edition
This book has the laudable intention of helping students,
By Paul Jay Friedman, pp 220. Little Brown, London. especially of medical biochemistry, prepare for regular course
1995. ISBN O-316-29428-4 examinations and for the Part I of USMLE that follows the
second year of medical school in USA. Its authors are professor
This book has been written keeping in mind the requirements of and associate professor respectively at the Department of Bio-
medical students preparing for the USMLE. The emphasis has chemistry and Molecular Biology at the School of Medicine of
therefore been, on minimizing the number of pages, to enable Indiana University. Its publisher also publishes Harpers Bio-
the reader to have a quick revision of the major topics in the chemistry from which the present book acquired over half of its
subject. illustrations.
The book begins with an account of the chemistry of amino There are 38 chapters (which range in length between 6 and
acids, followed by a chapter on protein structure with details 22 pages, the median being 11 pages). These are organized
regarding its elucidation. There is no mention of the varieties of under ten headings, ie chemical properties of biological systems;
functions performed by proteins. A brief functional classifica- amino acids and proteins; structures of carbohydrates, lipids and
tion at this stage would have been more appealing. The funda- nucleic acids; biological membranes; intermediary metabolism
mentals of acid-base balance are explained fairly well in the (this is the longest section - over 180 pages and 15 chapters);
third chapter. This, however, is not been extended in a system- metabolic integration; information processing; cellular regula-
atic way to describe the role of the lungs, the kidneys and the tion; nutrition; and special topics. Each chapter is well organized
buffers of blood in maintaining pH homeostasis in the body. with key words highlighted, begins with a set of objectives and
The fourth chapter deals with the principles of bio-energetics. ends with about fifteen review questions of two forms commonly
This is followed by chapters on enzymes, co-enzymes and vita- used by USMLE ie best answer and matching, with occasional
mins. The listing of enzymes has several overlapping examples questions based on clinical cases. Correct answers are provided
like proteases and peptidases, which could create confusion. but no explanation or discussion.
Instead of giving the names of some enzymes in alphabetical This is a surprisingly small book, as any course or examination
order, the IUB system could have been used in the traditional review book should be, if one considers that at least 20% of the
manner at least for the sake of clarity. pages are dedicated to the questions and answers, and to the
The chapter on carbohydrates begins on a wrong note. Carbo- objectives. I suspect that few bother to read these latter, prefer-
hydrates have been defined as poly-hydroxylated compounds ring to save time and get on with reading the text. The material
which may or may not possess a carbonyl group. The words is well chosen, presentation is generally clear and to the point,
highlighted are aldoses, ketoses, sugar alcohols and sugar acids and with emphasis on clinical correlations. Almost inevitably the
creating an impression that these are some of the important majority of these deal with inborn errors, although surprisingly
classes of carbohydrates. There is also a statement that lactic none is listed in the section on ureagenesis. I found chapter 33
acid and puruvic acid are not considered as carbohydrates (on Growth Factors and Cytokines) and chapter 35 (on Growth
because they have only one hydroxyl group. Also in this chapter, Factors and Proto-oncogenes in Cancer) interesting and
there is a vague attempt to explain stereoisomerism, without topical.
invoking the central importance of the chiral carbon atom. Only two persons are acknowledged in the preface and both
While there is a half-hearted attempt to explain the existence of were involved in production of figures. This suggests that the
L and D isomers in this chapter, the ones on amino-acids and text may have been published as provided to the publisher,
lipids completely ignore this aspect; not important perhaps for without much external review. This, if correct, could account for
the overburdened medico wading his way through a sea of several inconsistencies (eg, on the type of helix present in
information. collagen, pp 28 and 63; definition of intermediary metabolism,
The remaining chapters of this book describe the metabolism pp 54 and 112; number of glucosyl residues between branch
of carbohydrates, amino-acids, lipids and nucleic-acids including points in glycogen, pp 74 and 134; effect of glucose-6-phosphate
DNA replication, transcription, translation and regulation of on the hexokinase isozymes, Table 14.1 and p 123). There are

BIOCHEMICAL EDUCATION 24(l) 1996