Advances in Enzymology and Related Subjects of Biochemistry

Abstract

THE articles contained in “Advances in Enzymology”, like those in the “Annual Reviews of Biochemistry”, are becoming increasingly indispensable to research workers, teachers, and writers of text-books on biochemistry. Reviews of the progress made in the various branches of this rapidly expanding science have become essential toall who wish to keep abreast of the literature. The writers of these reviews have great responsibilities, for their readers look to them not only for an authoritative exposition of recent advances but also for an unbiased judgment on the new developments and for full acknowledgment of the work of all research workers who have contributed to the advances. This duty of fair presentation and appraisal is usually faithfully carried out. This seems clearly to be the case, so far as the writer is able to judge, with the articles in the volume of “Advances in Enzymology” under review. Dr. E. F. Gale writesa very useful and timely article on the subject of bacterial amino-acid decarboxylases, a subject to which he himself has made very important contributions. These enzymes are responsible for the breakdown, in bacteria, of amino-acids to amines, and Gale has shown that they are formed within bacterial cells in response to certain well-defined conditions of growth. The enzymes have been obtained and studied in cell-free condition. Dr. Gale's article describes in detail the conditions necessary for the formation of the amino-acid decarboxylases, the manner in which enzyme production is affected by the amino-acid in presence of which the bacteria are grown and the importance for the process of decarboxylation of a coenzyme, which the work of Bellamy and Gunsalus, and of Snell, has shown to be pyridoxal phosphate. Advances in Enzymology and Related Subjects of Biochemistry Edited by F. F. Nord. Vol. 6. Pp. x + 563. (New York: Interscience Publishers, Inc., 1946.) 6.50 dollars.